Bastille Day

Laura

Laura

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I thought that it was fitting that this should be the 2001st topic of the forum when we have exactly 911 members...

July 14 is Bastille Day in France. Bastille Day is a National holiday in France. It is very much like Independence Day in the United States because it is a celebration of the toppling of the old, corrupt regime.

The Bastille was a prison in France where the ruling elite locked up people they didn't like or who didn't agree with them.

From Wikipedia:

On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General to hear their grievances. The deputies of the Third Estate representing the common people (the two others were clergy and nobility) decided to break away and form a National Assembly.

On 20 June the deputies of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath (named after the hall where they had gathered which was frequently used for playing "jeu de paume", an ancestor of tennis), swearing not to separate until a Constitution had been established. To show their support, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille, a prison where people were jailed by arbitrary decision of the King (lettre de cachet). The Bastille was, in particular, known for holding political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government. Thus the Bastille was a symbol of the absolutism of the monarchy.

There were only 7 inmates housed at the time of the siege. The storming of the Bastille was more important as a rallying point and symbolic act of rebellion than a practical act of defiance. No less important in the history of France, it was not the image typically conjured up of courageous French patriots storming the Bastille and freeing hundreds of oppressed peasants. However, it did immediately inspire preparations amongst the peasants for the very real threat of retaliation. Despite the mythology of freeing revolutionaries, the storming of the Bastille, which housed only a handful of common prisoners, was actually done to raid the prison's supply of arms and ammunition against a false rumor that the king's troops were moving on Paris from Versailles.

Shortly after the storming of the Bastille, on 26 August, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was proclaimed.
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Let's hope that one day there will be a Global "storming of the Bastille."
 
Translated from french, not exactly objective Wikipedia :
The importance of the storming of the Bastille was highly exaggerated by romantic historians like Jules Michelet, who wanted to make it a foundation symbol of the Republic. In fact, according to the texts of that time (mainly the letters of the people taking part in these events), the storming of the building happened almost without trouble and in a joyful atmosphere. A thousand people at the most was composed of rioters who wanted to invade the building to get weapons. The Bastille was only defended by a few men and the only death to deplore was the governor's, Bernard Jordan de Launay
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The only death to deplore is not true : there were fights, and more than 80 Parisians were killed. Yes, apparently the mood was good and people were light-hearted, but still, there was opposition and people died.
 
About Bastille and French revolution...

There is a wonderful book imo I was referred to by my wise aunt one day, it took one year to get it, but I never regretted about time spent. It's a short novel by austrian esseist biographer and writer Stefan Zweig "Joseph Fouch� - portrait of a political figure". It's a vivid painting of epoch of French revolution, Napoleonic empire and Restauration and realistic portrait of a politician as dirtiest "mestiere'" ever. He outlived Marat, Danton, Condorce, Robespier, Saint-Just, Jean-Marie Rolan, Mirabeau in those troubled times. Zweig's style is that of impeccable esseist. Everyone here has piles of books to dive in without this book. Notwithstanding this fact - recommend.

From www.amazon.ca:

Joseph Fouche (1759-1820) is one of the most enigmatic figures of his time. Raised at Oratoriens, he was a plunderer of churches. Colourless tutor at monastery, dreaming about becoming famous he participated in French revolution only as that he saw as unique way to power and money. Unscrupulous intrigant doing whatever it takes to reach his goals
Having voted the death of Louis XVI, he was a minister of Louis XVIII. Napoleon, who made him Minister of Police, both feared him and needed him. A posterity saw in him cynical opportunist Fouch�, capable of all the infamies and all treasons to appease his taste for power. He had it, but he could be also opposed skilfully to Robespierre as to Napoleon, and, on some decisive occasions, to act according to the good direction and of the interest of its country. Far from opportunist cynical, Fouch� is pr�sented like "the first incarnation of a modern political type: the man of the shade, dissimul�, manipulator, actuating in shadows of the mecanism of power wheel".
 
Fouche� sounds like an essential psychopath. That's one way to outlive the competition.
 
Allons Enfants de la Patrie, le Jour de Gloire Est Arriv�!

This was scribbled under my note "Bastille Day" on the calendar at work. A lot of days are marked as they fall: Philippine Indepence day, Labour Day, John's birthday.......that sort of thing. I was most impressed by one of my workmate's

A) knowledge of French and
B)knowledge of the phrase.

Still haven't found out who it is!
 
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