#french political history

[animentality]

[mysharona1987]

[skf-fineart]

Guillotine earrings commemorating the execution of Louis XVI during France’s Reign of Terror, c. 1793

[theorahsart]

Me pretending to interview a guy who died 230 yrs ago just for a really silly comic

[liquid-bonhomme]

Okay wait, did I imagine this and assume it was a fact, or was this a thing?

I thought Luthen Rael's name was a deliberate homage to Louis Riel. The Metis Canadian resistance leader.

They have a lot spiritually in common. Louis Riel is, of course, famously also a badass who was murdered by an oppressive, imperialist government.

[yeoldecryptid]

This is such a bizarre time to be researching The French Revolution.

It is also such a bizarre time to be studying autistic traits in history.

And it’s a REALLY bizarre time to be studying how autistic traits affected The French Revolution.

[garthnadermemestash]

Deny, defend, depose

[czerwonykasztelanic]

En route to Charleroi

[blackswaneuroparedux]

For the average person, all problems date to World War II; for the more informed, to World War I; for the genuine historian, to the French Revolution.

Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn

[enlitment]

I dont know if you already answered this question (I'm sorry if you did!) but, which JJ's book do you recommend for starters?

Hi, thank you for the ask. I don't think I've ever answered it publicly actually!

It depends entirely on what interests you:

1. The Social Contract/Du contrat social

-> start here if you want to pick up Rousseau because you're interested in the French Revolution/politics/political philosophy. It is probably his most famous work (along with Emile maybe)

It's surprisingly readable (and funny at times!), though if you expect a perfectly coherent and logical system, be prepared for disappointment. It also helps to know at least some basics (like the gist of Hobbes' or Locke's political philosophy), but don't worry if you don't, you're still understand most of it.

2. Letter to M. d'Alembert on Spectacles

-> start here if you want a genuinely fascinating insight into late 1700s misogyny. It's chilling how some of the arguments feel so contemporary. It's fairly short, and reads more like a ramble/angry twitter thread that just pulls you right in.

It's great to get your blood boiling, but not a great start if you want to like Rousseau. Oh, and if you read it alongside Confessions, the sheer level of cognitive disonance/denial it's simply delicious.

3. Confessions

-> start here if you want to learn about Rousseau's life. It won't necessarily give you the true facts, but it will offer you a fascinating insight into his mind.

It's one hell of a ride, but it's not all weird psychosexual wtf moments. You can learn a lot from it about what life was like in the 18th century, and about the (usually unspoken) social norms. One thing I loved was that it revealed how much power French women actually had in the society, though it wasn't immediately obvious.

Also, there are some passages in which he talks about his social anxiety and insecurities where I genuinely find myself sympathising with him.

I'm also sorry to say that I firmly believe that it's a fun read. It gets very, very frustrating at times, but the man could write.

4. Introducing Rousseau by Dave Robinson

-> Start here if you want a quick overview/something to hold onto before jumping straight in!

Yeah, it's an illustrated guide, it's a tiny book and it looks a bit daft, but I personally swear by it. It's a very quick and engaging read, but it represents his philosophy and his life fairly well from what I can tell.

Pictured here with my hand and the man himself:

Honourable Mentions:

5. Discourse on the Arts and Sciences -> start here if you want to start with a text that first made Rousseau famous/are keen to approach his works in a chronological order

6. Emile, or On Education -> I haven't read this one I'm afraid (though I now own it!), but it's one of his most influential works. If you're interested in the idea of childhood and education, this one's for you! (but prepare to be angry re: Education of Sophie I guess)

Hope this helps, and do let me know how you get on!

[empirearchives]

The keys to the city of Lyon, France. 1805.

Joseph Chinard drew the pieces and the goldsmith Antoine Saunier made them.

They are symbols of Lyon’s allegiance to Napoleon I, who lifted the city from its ashes after the French Revolution. They were created in 1805 on the occasion of the emperor’s visit to Lyon.

These three keys are works of art and do not materially open any door of the city. They symbolically represent the three divisions (north, west and south) that made up the city under the First Empire (1804-1814). Each is decorated with a symbol illustrating the specificity of the neighborhood.

They were made for the visit to Lyon on April 10, 1805, of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine. They are presented to him publicly, in front of a floor of politicians —whose names are engraved on the back of the dish — as a sign of allegiance and gratitude on the part of the city.

MHL - Musée d'Histoire de Lyon

[meirimerens]

gearing up for INSUFFERABLE FUCKER SUMMER #INSUFFERABLE #FUCKER #SUMMER

[theorahsart]

Incorruptible Interlude pt 2

If you didn't know where the terms 'left wing' and 'right wing' come from...now you know! Also, can you spot the Robespierres in these pages? lol

[liquid-bonhomme]

Yeah this was the Lily Orchard/CD-Call "wojak artist" shitposting blog, "Liquid Orcard/Eldritch Lily".

Now it's a sicko mode socialist shitposting blog.

We will suffer through this together.

Still will talk about Lily from time to time, just-- not exclusively anymore.

Commissions:

Plz support helps not starve okie:

All the Lily Wojaks and Lily puppet are STILL AVAILABLE AND FREE TO USE on my ko-fi!

Lorch soup still on:

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3 Beans - Spagetti

Gay rights - Liquid

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Adderall - Sai

Add your ingredients by sending a donation of 1 dollar or more to my ko-fi!

Send asks about teh politics, Lily, whatever. Send asks requesting for funny hahas.

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[karl-marxs-ghost]

The U.S. war for independence really takes on a different tenor when you learn:

Those evil taxes the British added primarily affected wealthy colonists

which were added to recoup the debt Britain incurred after defending the colonies during the French and Indian War

which was started by a young George Washington ambushing a French patrol over Ohio River Valley territorial disputes (which of course was native land colonists were fighting over)

and the colonists engaged in tons of mob violence, property destruction, and other forms of what is now considered illegal protest by the very government that once did that against the British.

Oh and that after winning the war the new US government implemented taxes that were:

2-3 times higher than the British ones were

which now primarily targeted poorer people like yeoman farmers who did not have voting rights.

I’m addition, a majority of the soldiers who fought in the war were paid in valueless continental currency and never given the acres of farmland they were promised

both of which led to widespread violent protests and outright rebellions which the new government ruthlessly crushed.

As is usually the case, history is a lot more complicated that any nation’s foundational narrative constructs it as.

[lily-of-the-valley-2001]

la chinoise!(1967)