The French Baguette. King Abdicates

Transcription

1 The French Baguette King Abdicates February 24, 1848 will truly be a day to remember for the rest of history, because it was that day that our king, Louis Philippe, officially stepped down from his title as the reigning monarch. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, after he had declared his grandson, Philippe, as the next heir to the throne, he apparently had fled from his home to Paris, and then from Paris out of the country. Where he has gone, no one knows for sure. Why did King Louis leave in such a rush? The reason is solely that we hate him, and he knew his popularity was steadily declining. The once loved citizen king, (as quoted by Britannica) has been seen as a monarchial tyrant for years. The people were fed up with his traditionalist management. Under his rule, we have seen a complete disruption of the class system, and he reintroduced the gap between lower and upper classes that we worked so hard to close. By this time last year, we were Isaac Josephthal, Darius Knott, Kathleen Elkins, Sawyer Bowman, Sayre Weir 19 th Century in Review in a complete economic crisis and were at his gates revolting for changes. We made it clear that we did not want Louis here any longer, and he clearly took the hint. Although Louis left thinking that his nine-year-old grandson was going to fill in the monarchial void, the National Assembly met today to discuss the issue. At first they thought that accepting him as ruler was a fair idea, but when they let the public put in their opinion, they are perspective started to change. The people of our country, clearly desire change, which entails eliminating the monarch s power. We are tired of these sovereign blood rulers who do not know what they are doing. Although they have not yet made a political decision about the ruling of France, we know that the National Assembly will take into account the public opinion. After all, that is the foundational principle of that organization. According to infoplease.com, the National Assembly wanted to make sure that every possible group of people could be heard politically. They were created on June 17th, 1789, during the revolution of our fathers. They made sure they were heard, just like our people today, made sure that they were heard. Today, we no longer have a king. The French monarchy has come to an end. The voice of our people will again be heard, and Page we will again 1 of be 8 able to vote for our rights. Our king fled in fear of his own people. He left because he was a terrible ruler in a time when France needs an excellent one. Our economic state is on the brink of disaster, and without a head of state that knows what they are doing, then we are doomed. The National Assembly s verdict will be out soon, and it is clear that they will be fair and just in their decision. Our voices will once again be heard. Always remember that liberty, equality, and fraternity will ring through when there is no sound to be heard. -Isaac Josephthal Bibliography Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. Infoplease.com. Web. 17 Dec < "Louis-Philippe (king of France) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 17 Dec <

2 The French Baguette Page 2 of 5 Napoleon: The New Emperor of France General Luis Napoleon Bonaparte just ended the long historic monarchy of France. Which officially ended with the abdication of Luis Philippe earlier in the year. On December the tenth 1848, Luis Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned the first emperor of France, starting a new chapter in the extensive history of France. Napoleon won the election by a landslide. He captured 5,587,759 votes, giving him seventy-five percent of the total votes. His closest competitor lost by a considerable margin with a total of only 1,474,687 votes. The large difference in the votes, was due to a couple of deciding factors. Primarily, Napoleon was the only established candidate in the election. He was already seen by the people as a national war hero for his great leadership in previous battles in recent wars. He also had an enduring political background in France which the people were quite familiar with. Another reason for Napoleons overwhelming success was due to the broken state of France which he take over. The country was, as partially still is, in a broken and confused state, and needed stability in the government. Napoleon asserted himself as the catalyst for change, which the country was in need of. He had a great advantage in the fact that he was able to gain both the upper and lower class votes. The upper class saw him as some one who would secure the government after the over throw of the monarchy. They saw him as someone who could evoke change to a broken nation, and they saw him as someone who could provide security for them after the horrid events of the French revolution. He was able to gain the lower class votes mainly due to the fact that the voters were uneducated. The large number of votes for Napoleon was made possible by the lower class, who made up the majority of the votes for Napoleon. Napoleon was the only candidate, that the general people had heard of. Even though his views on progressing the economy were scant, they were enough to win the vote of the industrial working class. Overall, Napoleon was a prime candidate for making change in our country that needs it. He was able to take advantage of this, and made people overlook the fact that he would rule as a dictator. France has come to a point where we need an absolute ruler, and Emperor Napoleon was the one. -Darius Knott Bibliography: "Napoleon III of France: Biography from Answers.com." Answers.com: Wiki Q&A combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias. 15 Dec < "Napoleon III of France -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 16 Dec <

3 Page 3 of 5 The French Baguette Uncontrollable Unemployment Sends France Spiraling into yet Another Revolution: An In-depth Analysis of France Leading up to February Revolution The February Revolution has already affected Paris, regarded by every Frenchman as the most beloved city of France, and now, many cities and towns throughout France have also fallen prey to the new revolution sweeping through the nation. According to Absolute Astronomy, a wave of revolts simultaneously hit Paris, France, starting February 23rd after the resignation of Prime Minister Guizot. A large crowd of people assembled in Paris, and gunfire erupted into the crowd. A total of 52 unemployed protesters died as a result of the shootings. Consequently, Paris descended from a beloved city to a barricaded war zone. From this moment onward, other towns began to follow the Parisian example. For instance, on May 12th, bakeries were plundered in Lille during a hunger riot. Later, on May 31st, 15,000 unemployed gathered and protested the circumstances surrounding their mass unemployment. Ohio University recognized that sweeping movements such as Luddism and Xenophobia gained popularity amongst the impoverished and unemployed. Essentially, the Luddites believed that technology was responsible for replacing their jobs in factories. In Lyon, workers targeted factories with new machinery, and on May 13th, workers set fire to textile machinery. On the other side of the spectrum, those with Xenophobia maintained the belief that foreigners were not entitled to French jobs. Because of this, they were persecuted. In 1848, the workers drove away the Belgians in order to force them out of their jobs. This Revolution certainly took many by surprise; however, through a closer look at the years leading up to the revolt, an uprising seemed inevitable. Starting in 1840, France experienced a huge growth in industry and trade, which created many jobs. Unfortunately, the growth was countered by a series of crises in nearly every significant industry. The industries, noted by Ohio University, that were affected by the wave of misfortune included textiles, agriculture, railways, wool, small merchants, and even real estate. Therefore, bankruptcies and a severe loss of jobs began to plague France. From the source Absolute Astronomy, Alexis, a French writer, predicts, We are sleeping together on a volcano... A wind of revolution blows, the storm is on the horizon. A staggering total of 800,000 citizens, according to Ohio University, were said to be unemployed in France by This doesn t take into account those who were partially employed, which was by no means an easy way of living. By the end of year 1845, 60,000 textile workers in the north of France had lost their jobs. But the unemployment continued to worsen. In Tourcoing, the workers decreased from 21,000 to a mere 10,000 in just a three-year time span. In towns like Lille, practically half of the population (15,000 out of 34,000) was unemployed. With the high unemployment rate, France became a breeding ground for political tension and unrest. Every working class citizen in France played a part in the Revolution. Families, working citizens, and unemployed citizens reacted defensively against the injustice of their condition. Because of the issues people had with the political aspects of French society, the February Revolution centered on the legislative capital of France, Paris. As riots, protests, barriers, fires, and deaths in Paris continued to build in intensity, King Louis Philippe abdicated and fled France, leaving the country in a tumultuous state of disrepair. It is difficult to say whether France will be able to recover from such devastating unemployment rates; however, the February Revolution, as stated by the Colombia Encyclopedia, has already brought about the right to work and national workshops for the unemployed to work in. Therefore, perhaps France will rebound again, as it did after the French Revolution. -Sawyer Bowman Bibliography: "Employment and the Revolution of 1848 in France." Welcome To Ohio University. Web. 17 Dec < "February Revolution Facts, information, pictures Encyclopedia.com articles about February Revolution." Encyclopedia - Online Dictionary Encyclopedia.com: Get facts, articles, pictures, video. Web. 17 Dec < "The Revolution of 1848 in France." History Department, Hanover College. Web. 17 Dec < "Revolutions of 1848 in France: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. Web. 16 Dec <

4 The French Baguette Page 4 of 5 Reformers vs. Francois Guizot Bibliography "François Guizot." Encyclopædia Britannica Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 15 Dec < topic/249050/francois-guizot>. "Francois Guizot." NNDB: Tracking the entire world. Soylent Communications, Web. 15 Dec < />. October 13, 1874: Today we regret to inform you that French politician and historian, Francois Guizot, passed away yesterday in ValRicher, France. Known by Encyclopedia Britannica as a figure, who gave unity and strength, Guizot s political battle with liberal Reformists during the mid 1800s undeniably played a significant role in the shaping of 19th century France. All French citizens should know that Guizot was a figure crucial in the development of France in the post-revolution era. But in case you are not completely up to speed in your Guizot trivia, I will go into a brief history of Guizot Guizot was born on October 4, 1787 to a liberal Protestant family in Nimes, France. His father was sent to the scaffold when Guizot was young. Because of this, Guizot and his mother fled to Geneva for exile. When his mother died a few years later, Guizot returned to Paris in While in Paris, Guizot studied law and visited multiple anti-napoleonic literary groups. In 1814, Guizot joined the first Bourbon Restoration, (the era post-napoleon where the Bourbon monarchs returned to the throne) where he became a strong advocate for constitutional monarchy. According to Britannica, this political stance already influenced many ultraroyalist groups to campaign against him. Between 1820 and 1830 Guizot wrote Histoire de la Civilasation en Europe and Histoire de la Civilisation en France. Both of his texts portrayed his political beliefs of constitutional monarchy, and according to Notable Names Database (NNDB), his books are considered, classics of modern historical research. Guizot was elected a minister of education between 1832 and As the minister of education, he passed the Guizot Law in 1833 which stated that secular primary education was a critical aspect to society and needed to be accessible to all citizens. NNDB states that during the first fifteen years after this law was enacted the number of primary education institutions in France skyrocketed from ten to twenty-three thousand. In the 1830s, Guizot s political stance dramatically changed from his liberal upbringing to a quite conservative outlook. According to NNDB, Guizot became, the most determined foe of democracy. Guizot s goal was to unite and discipline the conservative party which at the time was in shambles. To do this, NNDB records that Guizot, appealed to the thrift and prudence of the nation rather than to their vanity and their ambition. At this point in time, the liberals and Reformists increased their dissonance and disagreement with Guizot. The issue of voter eligibility became a hot topic during the 1840s between the liberals and conservatives. The Encyclopedia Britannica relays that the Reformists, liberals, republicans, and emerging group of socialists advocated wider and in some cases even universal suffrage in France. Contrarily, Guizot and his conservative followers fought to maintain the existing requirements for voters. The already existing requirements entailed that only taxpayers who paid more than 200 francs (quite a considerable amount of the time, and still today) could cast ballots. The argument became quite heated, but the Reformists could not defeat Guizot. This was partially because between the years of 1840 and 1845 France was in a prosperous state, and people did not see such a need for change. On the other hand, the devastating economic crunch of 1846 and 1847 caused turbulence and change in the government. Political and scandalous financial situations led to antiregime actions, and Guizot was forced to abdicate power. Soon after, the monarchy collapsed, and a new republic commenced. I hope this obituary offers some insight to the crucial life of Francois Guizot for the ones who do not know who this important figure in our French history is. As hopefully discussed in this informal memorial, Francois Guizot served as a critical conservative constitutional monarchist who led the longest and final administration under our former French constitutional monarchy. -Sayre Weir

5 The French Baguette Page 5 of 5 Page 5 of 1 National Workshops: Blessing or Curse? February 25, 1848 If you thought the after effects of the recent economical distress and Revolution of 1848 were dying down, you might need to think again. Small glimpses of hope may have surfaced in us all lately with the rise of the new government following the recent revolts of this month. However, we as a nation may all need to think again after the introduction of the National Workshops. Before February 25, it appeared that the constant tension between the Liberals and Republicans was finally plateauing when they showed signs of camaraderie, teaming up with a central goal of defeating Louis-Philippe. However, with the introduction of the National Workshops last Friday, the Second Republic may need to deal with a series of unintended consequences The economic downturn we have experienced these past few years, a result of agricultural failure and constant uprisings, has caused financial distress throughout our nation, especially amongst the lower class. In attempt to provide the poor with jobs, the Second Republic decided to introduce the National Workshops. Pushed by politician Louis Blanc, the idea behind the Workshops is not only to create jobs, but to stabilize society as well. The government recently stated: the provisional government of the French Republic undertakes to guarantee the existence of the workmen by work. It undertakes to guarantee work for every citizen. In addition to providing jobs including planting trees, building roads, and constructing railways - the government will be paying the lower class a set wage each day, including days that the employees do not work on. On the surface, this may seem practical, giving the lower class an economic boost; however, where is this money going to come from? The wages will be fairly generous and if the government wants to avoid bankruptcy, the money going to the lower class will come directly from your pockets. In order to continue the National Workshops, taxes on the middle class will have to be raised. So here arises the debate that will undoubtedly sweep the nation: are the National Workshops a waste of money - a mere pretense - or will it benefit a wide range of French people and therefore the entire nation? The debate extends to specific groups, creating more tension between Republicans and Liberals, Capitalists and Socialists, and the lower class and the upper class. The Capitalists especially, have reacted in outrage; they believe the National Workshops to be a strike against them because it directly opposes lassiez-faire, the economic environment that they thrive under. The new program will also create unnecessary tension between the French class structures, leading to a less stable society. Without question, the middle class, who represents the largest and greatest tax paying class, will erupt in anger against the government s policy and the peasants they must support. It is necessary to anticipate the possible negative consequences that will arise. This major government supported program could wreak havoc, threaten social order and come back to haunt Louis Blanc and the Second Republic. On the flip side, the National Workshops could be one of the greatest consequences to come of the economic decline and February Revolution. -Kathleen Elkins Bibliography "The French revolution of 1848." Transmitting the Wisdoms of the Ages. Ed. Hayes Brian. Web. 15 Dec < "Revolutions of 1848 in France." AbsoluteAstronomy. Web. 15 Dec <

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