Revolutions podcaster Mike Duncan talks about the July Revolution, why Charles X is one of the great idiots of history, the dissident elites who can make or break any revolution, and the value of narrative history podcasting. Help support The Siècle by backing the show on Patreon, where all supporters receive an ad-free feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In an epic conclusion, the people of Paris will chase Marshal Marmont and King Charles X's army out of Paris on Thursday, July 29, 1830 — leaving all of France up for grabs as republicans, Bonapartists, Orléanists, and rank adventurers all make bids for power with the ultimate prize on the line. Like what you hear? Support The Siècle on Patreon. Read a full annotated transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
King Charles X just wants to spend some time at his vacation house playing cards, hunting, and hanging out with his family. But it's late July 1830, and people keep interrupting him to talk about some alleged revolution in Paris. My apologies for the number of different ways I managed to pronounce "Neuilly" in this episode. Find out how to support the podcast and get an ad-free feed at thesiecle.com/support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Larger-than-life French chef Alexis Soyer helped revolutionize British cuisine in the Victorian period — but his widely reported personal encounter with France's 1830 revolution is just a tall tale. Visit thesiecle.com/factcheck2 to read a full annotated transcript of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
While men fight and die on the streets of Paris, France's feckless politicians try to muster the will to take decisive action of their own to address a revolution no one on either side expected. A quick refresher on important dates so far: August 8, 1829: The Polignac ministry is appointed Early July, 1830: Marshal Bourmont captures Algiers; opposition candidates win French elections Sunday, July 25, 1830: King Charles X and his ministers approve the Four Ordinances Monday, July 26, 1830: The Fo...
Marshal Auguste de Marmont was tasked with putting down Parisian rebels after the Four Ordinances of July 1830. There were only a few problems: he didn't have enough men or supplies, he opposed the Ordinances, and his bosses neglected to inform him of his new job. Buy merch for The Siècle here! Visit thesiecle.com/episode42 to see maps and images about the fighting described in today's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Three French history podcasters come together to determine the most corrupt, idealistic, eloquent and idiotic figures — among others — from the Revolutionary, Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic eras. (Update: The original version of this file cuts out after 48 minutes. Re-download for a fixed version.) Check out Age of Napoleon and Grey History: The French Revolution! Submit your comments on this episode via Will Clark's link here. View a full annotated transcript here, and find out how to support t...
That escalated quickly! Find out how — and why — the people of Paris went from ignoring Charles X's coup on Monday, July 26, 1830, to engaging in street fighting with the French Army less than 24 hours later. See a full annotated and illustrated transcript online here. Learn more about the Barricades convention, July 12 - 14, 2024, here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Charles X's Four Ordinances in July 1830 threatened to impose strict censorship on France's opposition newspapers. So what were the journalists going to do about it? Visit thesiecle.com/support to find out how to support the show. Read a full annotated transcript of this episode at thesiecle.com/episode40. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everything you ever wanted to know about francs and sous, centimes and louis d’or, and the bewildering array of 19th Century French currency. What were all these coins? What were they worth? How did they compare to other currencies like pounds and dollars, how does that compare to today — and what does Charlemagne have to do with all of this? See a full annotated transcript with pictures on the show website. Join the show's Patreon to get an ad-free feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
It's been five years since The Siècle first debuted! To mark the show's fifth anniversary, I'm joined by fellow history podcaster Everett Rummage of The Age of Napoleon podcast to answer listener questions and talk about history, podcasting, and more. Check out the show's new YouTube channel, where I'm gradually uploading audio of back episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On July 26, 1830, Parisians woke up to four stunning proclamations from King Charles X, four ordinances rewriting French politics and public life. Join me to explore what these Four Ordinances did, how Charles could issue them, and how they came to appear in Parisians' morning newspaper. Visit thesiecle.com/episode39 for an annotated transcript, including images of the Four Ordinances in the July 27 Moniteur. Become a patron on Patreon to receive an ad-free fee. Learn more about your ad choices....
In 1830, France's slow-moving political crisis builds to a fever-pitch, as King Charles X goes to war with his liberal opposition at home, and the Regency of Algiers abroad. Amid military and electoral campaigns, Charles X will face a decision that could reshape his reign. The Siècle's 5th anniversary is coming up on January 22, 2024. I'm hosting a special Q&A episode (with a guest moderator you might know!) and want your questions! Please email david (at) thesiecle (dot) com by January 13, ...
In the late 1820s, Napoleonic intrigues and a brutal assault by flyswatter combined to turn French attention across the Mediterranean to the Ottoman Regency of Algiers. Join Prof. Ashley Sanders to explore the cosmopolitan world of Ottoman Algeria that the Bourbon Restoration faced under Charles X. Pledge as little as $1 per month on Patreon to receive an ad-free feed of the show. Visit thesiecle.com/episode37 for a full transcript of this episode. The Siècle is part of the Evergreen Podcasts ne...
In 1816, the French frigate Medusa ran aground off the coast of Africa, leading to one of the most infamous naval disasters in world history. In the process, it will shine a light on the harsh realities of Bourbon Restoration politics and France's tiny colonial empire. View thesiecle.com/episode36 for a full annotated transcript, including maps and images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Follow the money and where does it lead? In the Bourbon Restoration, the financial lifeblood of France was the Paris Stock Exchange, where trading in government bonds made and lost fortunes, secured comfortable retirements, and shook the very ship of state. I'm joined by historian Tyson Leuchter to break down the role of debt and finance in Restoration life. Visit thesiecle.com/supplemental18 for a full transcript. Use coupon code "siecle" at intelligentspeechonline.com to get 10% off your ticke...
France's economy in 1830 stunk. But what does that even mean for an agricultural, pre-modern economy? And how did this bad economy impact France's controversial prime minister Jules de Polignac? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On Aug. 8, 1829, a new French ministry was appointed featuring Charles X's friend Jules de Polignac. This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move. Visit thesiecle.com/episode34 for a full transcript of this episode with pictures, links, and 82 annotated footnotes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
During the Bourbon Restoration, one man's songs were everywhere. He wrote about politics and about love, for the rich and for the poor, and persevered despite the best efforts of the government to shut him up. Meet the Bob Dylan of the Restoration: Pierre-Jean de Béranger — including audio clips! This episode is an interview with Prof. Sophie-Anne Leterrier, author of Béranger: des Chansons pour un Peuple Citoyen. Note that Prof. Leterrier is not a native English speaker. As always with The Sièc...
Buffeted by a bad election, King Charles X is forced to appoint a more moderate ministry. Can Prime Minister Martignac forge a middle course before his boss gets fed up with concessions? Support The Siècle for as little as $1 per month on Patreon, or make a one-time donation, online at thesiecle.com/support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Restoration France had an elected parliament, but its elections were radically different from the voting we're familiar with today. Here's how they did it, from tax-based voting rights to not-so-secret ballots to candidates running and winning in multiple districts at once. Visit thesiecle.com/supplemental16 for a full transcript of this episode with notes, pictures and charts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
King Charles X's reign was marked by web of conspiracy theories about the alleged role of two secretive Catholic organizations: the Jesuits and the enigmatic Congregation. Let's dive in to what was true, what was false, and why ultimately it didn't really matter what the facts were. Visit thesiecle.com/episode32 for a full annotated transcript, and Patreon to support the show for as little as $1 per month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many people have quoted a famous quip about the Bourbon Restoration, that "The Bourbons have learned nothing and forgotten nothing." While this is a real quote, more or less, almost everything people think they know about it is wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"The enemy redoubles his efforts," King Charles X wrote in September 1827, shortly before he dissolved the French parliament in a risky political gambit. "However, I am resolved to act with firmness and wisdom and am entirely confident that in the end we will overcome all obstacles." Did he? Let's find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A Delacroix painting, a Rossini opera and a Dumas novel help demonstrate the profound impact that the Greek War of Independence had on French art and literature. Visit thesiecle.com/supplemental15 for a full transcript of this episode with notes, illustrations and music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Greeks go into revolt against the Ottoman Empire — a revolt that fires the imaginations of France and the rest of Europe. The French government reacts with ambivalence, but many French men and women enthusiastically adopt the Greek cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A small but crucial group of Restoration politicians were centrist liberals who championed constitutional monarchy against enemies to the right and left. Meet the brilliant and controversial clique who are known to history as the Doctrinaires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Thousands of French men and women fled the country during the Revolution. Who were they, what were their lives like in exile — and how did they handle it when they finally came back home? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I join Benjamin Jacobs from the Wittenberg to Westphalia podcast for a deeper dive into "scrofula," the skin condition whose sufferers Charles X touched at his coronation in a medieval ritual believed to hold the power of healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Professor Jonathan Spangler joins the show to explain the French institution of "Monsieur" and how it shaped French courts over the centuries. Be sure to follow The Siècle on Twitter @thesiecle, or on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
