June Rebellion
Encyclopedia
The June Rebellion, or the Paris Uprising of 1832, was an unsuccessful, anti-monarchist insurrection of Paris
ian Republicans—largely students—from June 5 to June 6, 1832. The rebellion originated in an attempt of the Republicans to reverse the July Monarchy
, shortly after the death of the powerful Orleanist
President of the Council
, Casimir Pierre Périer
, on May 16, 1832. The rebellion was the last outbreak of violence linked with the July Revolution
. Author Victor Hugo
described the rebellion in his novel Les Misérables
.
, the death of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque
is seen as the catalyst for an inevitable uprising. In fact, his death was used as an excuse for the riots to take place. Leading up to the rebellion, there were significant economic problems, particularly acute in the period from 1827 to 1832; the years were marked by harvest failures, food shortages, and increases in the cost of living, creating malcontent throughout the classes. Additionally, the spring of 1832 saw Paris
ravaged by a Europe-wide outbreak of cholera
, which ended with a death toll of 18,402 in the city. The poor neighborhoods were particularly devastated by the disease, arousing suspicion of the government poisoning wells. The epidemic
soon claimed two famous victims. Casimir Perier fell sick and died on May 16, and General Lamarque died on June 2. Perier was given a grand state funeral
, and the funeral of the benevolent Lamarque, who showed sympathy toward the lower class, was decided on to demonstrate the strength of the opposition. The monarchy of Louis Philippe
, which had become the government of the middle class, was now attacked from two opposite sides at once. Before these two deaths, two parties organized insurrections for the purpose of overturning the government. The supporters of the older branch—the Legitimists
, or Carlists as they were called by their adversaries—made an attempt to carry off the royal family in Paris in what become known as the Prouvaires Street Plot in February 1832. After a failed insurrection in Marseille
led by the Duchess of Berry
, mother of Henry V
, the pretender, the Legitimists renounced war and fell back on the press as a weapon.
. The society for “The Rights of Man” directed the insurrection of 1832 in Paris. The Rights of Man Society was organized like an army, divided into sections of twenty members (to evade the law that forbade the association of more than twenty persons), each section having a president and vice president. In 1832, during the Legitimist uprising in Marseille, on the occasion of the funeral of General Lamarque, the Republicans
, reinforced by Polish
, Italian, and German
refugees, gathered around the platform on which the body rested and proposed to proclaim a republic. An insurrection began which for one night made them masters of the east of Paris. They were then gradually driven back by the national guard
and twenty-five thousand soldiers and surrounded in the Saint-Martin quarter, where the movement was crushed by the Battle of Saint-Merry Cloister (June 5-6) at the cost of some eight hundred killed
and wounded. After this, it was clear that the revolutionary movement was over.
The novel Les Misérables
by Victor Hugo
depicts the time leading up to the June Rebellion, and follows the lives and interactions of several French
characters over a twenty-year period in the early nineteenth century, starting in the year of Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat. An outspoken republican activist in the 19th century, Victor Hugo
’s work was unquestionably biased in favor of the revolutionaries, but it is not known if the bias was deliberate. Scenes of the Parisian students and poor planning the rebellion upon the eve of the benevolent General Lamarque’s death are displayed throughout the novel. The erection of barricades throughout Paris’s narrow streets is also shown. Although a fictional work, Les Misérables is one of the few works of literature that discusses the June Rebellion and the events leading up to it.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian Republicans—largely students—from June 5 to June 6, 1832. The rebellion originated in an attempt of the Republicans to reverse the July Monarchy
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...
, shortly after the death of the powerful Orleanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
President of the Council
President of the Council
President of the Council can refer to:*President of the Council of Ministers*Lord President of the Council...
, Casimir Pierre Périer
Casimir Pierre Perier
Casimir Pierre Perier was a French statesman, President of the Council during the July Monarchy, when he headed the conservative Parti de la résistance .-Life:...
, on May 16, 1832. The rebellion was the last outbreak of violence linked with the July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
. Author Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
described the rebellion in his novel Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
.
Causes and catalysts
In Hugo’s Les MisérablesLes Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
, the death of General Jean Maximilien Lamarque
Jean Maximilien Lamarque
Jean Maximilien Lamarque was a French commander during the Napoleonic Wars who later became a member of French Parliament. As an opponent of the Ancien Régime, he is known for his active suppression of Royalist and Legitimist activity...
is seen as the catalyst for an inevitable uprising. In fact, his death was used as an excuse for the riots to take place. Leading up to the rebellion, there were significant economic problems, particularly acute in the period from 1827 to 1832; the years were marked by harvest failures, food shortages, and increases in the cost of living, creating malcontent throughout the classes. Additionally, the spring of 1832 saw Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ravaged by a Europe-wide outbreak of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, which ended with a death toll of 18,402 in the city. The poor neighborhoods were particularly devastated by the disease, arousing suspicion of the government poisoning wells. The epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
soon claimed two famous victims. Casimir Perier fell sick and died on May 16, and General Lamarque died on June 2. Perier was given a grand state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
, and the funeral of the benevolent Lamarque, who showed sympathy toward the lower class, was decided on to demonstrate the strength of the opposition. The monarchy of Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe
Louis Philippe may refer to:*Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, last King of France*Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, called King Louis Philippe II by some factions*Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans*Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans...
, which had become the government of the middle class, was now attacked from two opposite sides at once. Before these two deaths, two parties organized insurrections for the purpose of overturning the government. The supporters of the older branch—the Legitimists
Legitimists
Legitimists are royalists in France who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession of the descendants of the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of the July Monarchy of 1830–1848, whose kings were members of the junior...
, or Carlists as they were called by their adversaries—made an attempt to carry off the royal family in Paris in what become known as the Prouvaires Street Plot in February 1832. After a failed insurrection in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
led by the Duchess of Berry
Duchess of Berry
-First Creation:-Second Creation:-Eighth Creation:-Ninth Creation:-Tenth Creation:...
, mother of Henry V
Henri, comte de Chambord
Henri, comte de Chambord was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Henry V, although he was never officially proclaimed as such...
, the pretender, the Legitimists renounced war and fell back on the press as a weapon.
Insurrection
The younger of the groups, the Republicans, was directed by secret societies formed of the most determined members of their party. These men began the insurrection, followed by the malcontents, especially working-men and small boys who came to help them build barricades and fight. These secret societies led riots similar to the 1830 July Rebellion against the ministers of Charles XCharles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
. The society for “The Rights of Man” directed the insurrection of 1832 in Paris. The Rights of Man Society was organized like an army, divided into sections of twenty members (to evade the law that forbade the association of more than twenty persons), each section having a president and vice president. In 1832, during the Legitimist uprising in Marseille, on the occasion of the funeral of General Lamarque, the Republicans
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
, reinforced by Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, Italian, and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
refugees, gathered around the platform on which the body rested and proposed to proclaim a republic. An insurrection began which for one night made them masters of the east of Paris. They were then gradually driven back by the national guard
National Guard (France)
The National Guard was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the militias formed in each city, in imitation of the National Guard created in Paris. It was a military force separate from the regular army...
and twenty-five thousand soldiers and surrounded in the Saint-Martin quarter, where the movement was crushed by the Battle of Saint-Merry Cloister (June 5-6) at the cost of some eight hundred killed
and wounded. After this, it was clear that the revolutionary movement was over.
Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
by Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
depicts the time leading up to the June Rebellion, and follows the lives and interactions of several French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
characters over a twenty-year period in the early nineteenth century, starting in the year of Napoleon Bonaparte's final defeat. An outspoken republican activist in the 19th century, Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
’s work was unquestionably biased in favor of the revolutionaries, but it is not known if the bias was deliberate. Scenes of the Parisian students and poor planning the rebellion upon the eve of the benevolent General Lamarque’s death are displayed throughout the novel. The erection of barricades throughout Paris’s narrow streets is also shown. Although a fictional work, Les Misérables is one of the few works of literature that discusses the June Rebellion and the events leading up to it.