You being the token Frenchman of my dashboard, I was wondering how Robespierre and the Jacobins more generally are portrayed in French history classes.
I can't seem to find a straight answer online, and I know there are likely diverse ways the Revolution is taught across France, but it seems pretty consistent across the U.S. that it's basically taught through the lens of Bourbon sympathizers.
Hi! That is a very interesting question, thank you!
I must admit I’m somewhat surprised to learn that (if I understand you correctly) US history curriculums seem to cast the Revolution (and revolutionaries) in a bad light…
As for my experience… well, Bastille Day IS the national holiday, so you might not be surprised to learn that the Revolution is treated as a Good Thing here, generally speaking. There ARE royalist factions still but they’re considered as a joke by a vast, vast majority of people (I wasn’t even aware they still existed until I went to college and met people from a… more wealthy background).
What we learn (starting in elementary school, and then again in 8th grade) is basically:
Louis XIV plunged the country into poverty and inequality (or at least worsened the situation) with his love for luxury (sparing no expense to have Versailles built is the #1 example), the arts (mostly learned in French (= literature) class), and his constant warmongering; I don’t think I learned much about Louis XV?…. Not that I remember it, at least. Louis XIV is sort of a main character when it comes to French history lol (and then Louis XVI too. The two extremes)
Louis XVI basically inherited a failing country. The concept of Absolutism (= the divine right of kings, their ability to perform miracles, etc) had been steadily attacked throughout the 18th century, by different factions (religious factions, but also political opponents, and of course the Enlightenment Era and its ideals as a whole). The economy was down the gutter. Food insecurity & inequality reached extreme levels. His marriage with Marie-Antoinette made him even more incredibly impopular than he already was
He tried to help, sort of (honestly, none of my lessons on the matter demonized Louis XVI too much. The feeling I had was mostly that the Revolution was unavoidable and that he made some poorly-timed choices, but was overwhelmed and unable to manage the situation. Personally, I always thought of him as a rather pathetic man, and with a touch of compassion & disgust)
We did learn quite a bit about the circumstances that led to the Revolution itself, specifically les états généraux (1789) (eng wikipedia article), with an emphasis on the déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen(eng wikipedia article). Actually, this is the main part of the civic education curriculum, and what allows the State to uphold its reputation as the “human rights country” (propaganda. I’ll come back to that)
[Talking about my own history lessons here] There was an emphasis on the inner dissensions within the Assembly, with a sizable amount of representatives supporting the idea of imitating the UK (keeping the king but stripping him off his power, basically), and the fact that actually removing the royal family was sort of a last resort after the negociations failed. And even then, that actually killing the royal family was a controversed decision. That being said, it was cast in a positive light (the entire process, I mean, not just the decision to get rid of the royal family)
As for Robespierre, there are many streets, bus stops, etc, named after him, and Danton, Mirabeau & other revolutionaries too. I don’t remember learning about him specifically (in depth, I mean; there were general elements) (generally speaking, I recall my history lessons being less concerned with learning about individual historical figures than general events…? I MAY be wrong, though. Maybe… I Forgor…………….).
I also don’t remember learning about the Terror in much detail… The Revolution itself, and the ideals it supported (the famous liberté, égalité, fraternité) are cast in a very positive light, considering France (as a State) needs it to reaffirm its national myth. AND. It is used to fuel the specifically French flavor of islamophobia & antisemitism (and racism as a whole) we are witnessing currently. (Persecuting muslims & jews under the pretense of fighting for “secularism” and “Republican values” and enforcing assimilationist policies, etc)
I hope I could answer your question, feel free to ask for more info!!
I feel like JC has some weird gender shit going on. Not even in the normal sense; in the ‘assigned ruined woman by the narrative’ sense. Like. Wow. JC, you really gonna get called childhood sweethearts with your rogueish evil shixiong? JC, you really gonna be left alone with naught but a single child, a widow in all but name? Wangji is out there trying to assign himself widower vibes but JC is getting constant woman scorned and wronged wife energies forced upon him from get-go.
Even his father was like *looking at an eight year old* “I see my nagging wife in you”
his parents really took a glance at that toddler and decided to project the most unhinged gender possible on him. JC, assigned neglected wife at birth.
JC performs it so conscientiously too! It’s so so so important to how he is with WWX and how he views himself. 9yo JC after he’s known WWX: “there he is. the cad that will break my heart.” and can’t ever everrrrrr stop loving WWX or break away from the utter grip WWX has on him. JC has known since before WWX came into his life that he was made to be neglected/scorned, by the person supposed to stand by his side and to whom he’s supposed to be loyal.
Also lmao at the left with a child thing. It’s totally that, except JC WISHES he was a widow!!! He’s not even granted that dignity by society! But nah he’s the ruined woman who was seduced and abandoned by someone who promised hermarriageand then went off and died after making her look for a fool, while she was making excuses for him, and everyone knows what a chump JC was for it! Was WWX lying all along? Was is ever even real ?
(JC gets the answer to that question when WWX breaks it off at the temple by telling him nah, it was only duty to JC’s family that made stick by JC’s side. Probably not how WWX meant it! But wow, way to put it the least personal possible way. WWX’s most intimate organ in JC’s body had nothing to do with feelings for JC or JC as a person. Way to make sure JC never, ever reaches out for fear of being that nagging, clingy, shrewish, needy embarrassment of a person)
I'm an early 40s year old French, Bisexual, Jewish woman. I will post pics from my fandoms; which currently are mainly video games. I also love anime, manga, books,comics, roleplaying games and TV shows. Check out my list of fandoms. Dreamwidth account AO3 account pinboard account (fic recs) Listography account (stuff I read/watch)
