Paris during the Belle Époque (1853-1914)

For most historians, the “Beautiful Age” (La Belle Époque) refers to the period between the overthrow of the Paris Commune (1871) and the outbreak of World War I (1914). However, while I agree that the “Beautiful Age” ended with the outbreak of the war, I believe it began with the rise to power of Napoleon III (1852-1870). This is because much of his reign was characterized by cultural and urban growth, along with a significant improvement in the standard of living for a large part of the French people.

There is no doubt that no regime left its mark on Paris more than that of Napoleon III. When he seized power by force in December 1851, Paris was largely a medieval city, characterized by narrow streets, the stench of sewage, traffic jams, and a lack of green spaces.

Louis-Napoleon, who spent part of his life in London as a political exile, was deeply impressed by the wide boulevards and parks of the English capital. While there, he resolved that if he ever became ruler of France , he would make Paris more like London (oh, the shame!).

In practice, the result surpassed all planning, and Paris at the end of his reign was a more beautiful and impressive city than London, thanks to spectacular architecture, joie de vivre, and charm that never existed and never will exist in the English capital.

Napoleon III and Baron Haussmann rebuild Paris

Shortly after coming to power, Napoleon III appointed Baron Haussmann as Préfet de la Seine, a position that effectively made him the governor of Paris with almost unlimited powers. Their shared goal was to make Paris a modern, open, and airy city, and in the process, reduce the possibility of popular uprisings and barricades.

To this end, the duo initiated the construction of wide boulevards, such as Sevastopol Boulevard and Imperial Boulevard (later Posh Boulevard) on the right bank, and at the same time, the Boulevards Saint-Germain, Saint-Michel and de Gobelin on the left bank.

The boulevards brought with them a unique building style that became the standard for decades. This was the “Haussamian” style: five- or six-story buildings with a uniform facade, with the ground floor designated for shops and the upper floors for residences (in the era before the invention of the elevator, the rich lived on the lower, spacious floors, while the poor crowded into the upper floors and attics).

The Haussmannian boulevards completely transformed the face of the city, a peaceful transformation accompanied by the widespread destruction of ancient neighborhoods. The most notable example is the Ile de la Cité, where an entire neighborhood near Notre Dame Cathedral was erased, and in its place were built wide boulevards and public buildings. In parallel with the construction in the city center, Haussmann annexed nearby villages and towns to Paris in 1860, such as Belleville, Montmartre , Passy and Auteuil, thereby significantly increasing its area. Thus was created modern Paris and its division into twenty arrondissements , arranged in the shape of a snail.

Beyond the boulevard and the style of construction, Baron Haussmann contributed several other essential infrastructures to Paris. First, during his time, the modern sewage system was installed, which solved once and for all the problems of plagues and stench that characterized the city (don't believe it? Read “Perfume” by Patrick Suskind).

Also, during his time, several of the most important gardens in Paris were established , including Parc Bouchet-Chaumont and Parc Monceau. Older gardens, such as the Luxembourg Gardens and Parc Monceau, underwent a “facelift” and were upgraded. In the limited scope of this article, we will mention two other important phenomena from the period: the construction of the Opéra Garnier and the avenue leading to it, and the completion of the northern wing of the Louvre Palace.

The first phenomenon is the establishment of large department stores, which completely changed the culture of consumption (you can read about them in Emile Zola 's book , "Paradise for Women"). The second phenomenon is the international exhibitions, which began in London but were warmly embraced in Paris. The first exhibition was held in 1855, and since then additional exhibitions have been held every 11 years (with minor breaks) until 1937. These exhibitions left Paris with some of its famous attractions, most notably the "Bato Moche" ships on the Seine (1867), the Eiffel Tower (1889) and the Metro (1900).

And sometimes the celebration stops: the siege of Paris and the Commune

While Napoleon III excelled at domestic policy and created modern Paris, he was a failure at foreign policy. During his reign, he managed to fall out with almost every potential ally. As a result, when he declared war on Prussia in 1870, France found itself isolated.

The cause of the war was a dispute over the succession to the Spanish crown. Prussian Chancellor Bismarck, who sought to unify Germany under his leadership through a military victory over France, exploited the conflict and manipulated Napoleon III into declaring war in the summer of 1870. The French army stood no chance against the well-trained and well-equipped Prussian army, and the result was a series of rapid defeats.

Napoleon III, who had inherited none of his uncle's military genius, surrendered and was captured at the Battle of Sedan, and with him the Second Empire fell. While his wife, the Empress Eugénie, fled Paris with the help of her dentist, the Third Republic was proclaimed in the City of Lights.

As the Republic was proclaimed, the Prussian armies continued to advance, and in September they laid siege to Paris. At first, the besieged remained optimistic and even used balloons to send messages outside the city. However, after several failed attempts to break the siege, morale began to break. Added to this was a severe food shortage, which led to severe starvation (at its peak, the Parisians were forced to eat zoo animals and even rats).

In the end, Paris surrendered to the Prussians. In the peace treaty that was signed, France was forced to give up the regions of Alsace and Lorraine, pay huge war reparations, and witness the proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. The humiliating terms of the treaty were met with outrage among radical circles in Paris, who saw the Republican government as a government of traitors. As a result, when government troops were sent to seize cannons stationed in Montmartre and financed by the city’s residents, a rebellion broke out and the “Paris Commune” was declared (not before the mob murdered the generals sent on the mission).

The Commune existed in Paris for just over two months (March 26 – May 30, 1871), but it left a profound mark on France and the world. It is difficult to speak of the Commune as a unified entity, as it was composed of different groups, which sometimes had differing opinions. As a result, its actions ranged from progressive and positive steps (such as proposals to grant women the right to vote) to acts of destruction and murder.

As time passed, the Communards became more extreme, and figures such as the sadist Raoul Rigaud took over the leadership. The Commune was crushed in rivers of blood and fire during the “Bloody Week” at the end of May, when government forces broke into Paris from the west and gradually conquered it, neighborhood by neighborhood.

The last days of the Commune witnessed massive killing and destruction. The Communards murdered the hostages they were holding, most notably the Archbishop of Paris, and set fire to many public buildings. In response, government soldiers massacred anyone suspected of supporting the Commune. The result was thousands of deaths (not including those later executed).

On May 30, the occupation of the city ended, with the elimination of the last pockets of resistance in the Père Lachaise cemetery . Paris burned, the Tuileries Palace was completely destroyed, and yet, it was precisely from this low point that one of the most beautiful periods in the city's history began.

Paris is resurrected: the “Belle Epoque” continues

Many were surprised by the speed with which France recovered from the devastating war. War reparations were paid within a few years, and the Third Republic, which despite gloomy forecasts managed to establish itself, lasted for 70 years.

In Paris, it was decided to demolish the remains of the Tuileries Palace and create the monumental axis we know today, between the Arc de Triomphe of the Carrousel and the Arc de Triomphe on the Place d'Etoile. At the same time, the town hall was rebuilt, and the result was a magnificent palace that could compete with royal palaces. The Republic also continued the construction projects of Napoleon III, the most important of which was the Opera building, which was inaugurated in 1875 (the architect, Charles Garnier, was forgotten to be invited to the opening ceremony, and he had to buy a ticket as a single person).

In parallel with the construction boom, Paris became the world capital of art. First, it was the Impressionists, who began working during the Second Empire, but only gained recognition during the Third Republic.

Painters like Monet, Manet , Pissarro, Berthe Morisot and others left their studios and took to the streets of Paris, and thanks to them we can enjoy wonderful depictions of daily life in the city. Later, they were joined by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was one of the first artists to settle in Montmartre and make it the center of Parisian bohemia.

At the beginning of the 20th century, as the Impressionists were becoming more established, Picasso , Maurice de Vlaminck, and Georges Braque arrived in Montmartre, who, along with Henri Matisse, laid the foundations of modern art. The artistic and bohemian ferment in Montmartre led to the flourishing of cafés and cabarets, such as Le Chat Noir and the Moulin Rouge , and made the district the entertainment capital of Paris.

At the same time, the “grands boulevards” in the 9th arrondissement became a magnet for the rich and famous of French society, thanks to their luxurious restaurants, cafés, and theaters. The boulevards became the center of Parisian life, remaining the most vibrant place in the City of Lights until the outbreak of World War I.

However, Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was not only a time of artistic and entertainment flourishing, but also of political polarization and tension. In the 1890s, a wave of anarchist terrorism swept through Paris , culminating in the assassination of French President Sadi Carnot in 1894. But as this wave subsided, another affair began to roil France and divide it into two rival camps.

This is, of course, the Dreyfus Affair, which began in 1894 with the arrest of a Jewish officer named Alfred Dreyfus on suspicion of passing military secrets to Germany. We will not elaborate on the affair here, but there is no doubt that it shaped the image of France for generations and turned Paris into a battleground between Dreyfus' supporters and his opponents.

And so, while Paris was enjoying revolutionary art, dancing and singing in cabarets, arguing and being politically active, and experiencing tremendous economic growth, July 1914 arrived, and the celebration was abruptly cut short. The lights of the City of Lights went out, and World War I began.

Videos about "Belle Epoque"

Chapters from "Once Upon a Time"

The chapter on the “Belle Époque” well describes what happened in France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

Films that deal with the period

One of the writers who best described the Second Empire was Émile Zola, in his series of novels “Rogon-Macart.” One of the most well-known film adaptations of his books is “Germaine,” starring Gérard Depardieu:

And when talking about the Third Republic, one cannot ignore the great scandal of its time, the Dreyfus Affair. Here is a documentary that sums up the affair well:

Of course, you can't talk about the late 19th century without the Moulin Rouge. Here's the famous film by director Baz Luhrmann:

One of the most famous literary characters of the period is the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin. The following film, based on his character, provides a fun and action-packed glimpse into the period:

And speaking of fictional characters, you can't end the discussion in this period without mentioning The Phantom of the Opera, right?

Want to read more about the history of Paris?

You are invited to move on to the next chapter in the history of Paris series and learn about additional periods in the history of the City of Lights.

More on the subject

• Marguerite Duras's Last Lover
• A walking tour of the Left Bank of Paris following Napoleon
• Interview on the “Muzes” program on “Kol Hashalom” radio