Dawn of the Belle Epoque by Mary McAuliffe

Author:Mary McAuliffe
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-03-27T20:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Centennial

(1889)

By early 1889, the Eiffel Tower was almost complete—an awe-inspiring symbol of the new and the modern rising up over the Champ de Mars. Yet this extraordinary structure, which would in time come to symbolize Paris itself, was not at first a comfortable neighbor for many Parisians, who already were finding the modern world an unsettling and even dangerous place to live.

It was this sense of uncertainty in the midst of instability and change that had contributed heavily to the rise and continued popularity of the attractive and aggressively nationalist General Boulanger. Boulanger of course constituted another and more conventional sort of danger, but this was something that, under the circumstances, his supporters proved quite willing to ignore. In January, he triumphed at the Paris polls, drawing heavy support among left-wing voters (much to Clemenceau’s dismay). After this unexpected and sweeping victory, many anticipated a coup, and talk of a possible Boulangist dictatorship was rampant. But whether from aversion to illegal action or from the belief that he could get what he wanted through legal means, Boulanger held back, looking to the autumn general election to clinch his bid for power.

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