1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Learn Bolga bam Here. Within the English speaking world, 3 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: the French national holiday commemorating the anniversary of the storming 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: of the Bastille is commonly referred to as Bastille Day, 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: but it's not called that in France. There it's simply 6 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: called by its date, July fourteenth or cators julliet. And 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: I should put in here that I never took French, 8 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: but I looked everything up and I am trying many 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: apologies if I butcher the language anyway. Because the holiday 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: is celebrated during the summer and is marked by fireworks, 11 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: many non French often mistake it for France's version of 12 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: an independence Day. While its history is similarly steeped in revolution, 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: this French national holiday is related to the birth of 14 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: the French Republic, and furthermore, it's not the day Louis 15 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: the sixteenth was guillotined, and it's not part of the 16 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: story of Les miserab though it did start with a 17 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: prison break sort of, when a group of Parisians stormed 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: the Bastille prison on the east side of Paris on 19 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: July fourteenth, nine. They wanted weapons, and ammunition. Some prisoners 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: were freed, but the actions of the protesters had much 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: farther reaching consequences. The event took place within an already 22 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: contentious political period during which the third estate uh non 23 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: nobles and non clergy, sought equal representation and expressed anger 24 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: at the burden of taxation. The Best Deal was a 25 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: symbol of the unchecked powers of the French monarchy. While 26 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: the bourgeoisie or middle class, made political moves, Unrest grew 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: in the capital among the working class, leading to the 28 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: events of July fourteen and eventually culminating in the toppling 29 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: of the French monarchy and the beheading of Louis sixteenth. 30 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: In its seventeen for the icle, this episode is based 31 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: on How Stuff Works. Spoke with Shanita Miller, interim executive 32 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: director at Alliance Francais Atlanta. She said the storming of 33 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: the Bastille Prison was considered a demonstration against political tyranny. 34 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: This was one of the most defining moments of the 35 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: French Revolution, although not as politically important as other revolutionary 36 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: happenings in France, like the formation of the National Assembly 37 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of 38 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: Man and the citizen on August six of the same year. 39 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: The Storming of the Bastille came to symbolize the French Revolution, 40 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: and despite the many changes the French government has gone 41 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: through since then, it's currently on its fifth republic. July 42 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: fourteenth was named as the country's national holiday, but the 43 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: storming of the Bastille in nine is not the only 44 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: thing honored by the French On July fourteenth, they also 45 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: celebrate another event that took place exactly one year later, 46 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: the Fete de la Feracion. At twelve months after the 47 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: storming of the Bastille, France was an estate of relative peace. 48 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: Louis the sixteenth continued to reign, although with fewer powers 49 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: and the aristocracy had lost all privileges, and changes had 50 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: also been made in the way the clergy operated, according 51 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: to the BBC. To mark this optimistic phase of the revolution, 52 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: authorities hosted the Fete de la Federacion on the one 53 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: year anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, which included 54 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: a festival in Paris. Queen Marie Antoinette even displayed her 55 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: baby son and heir to the throne to the crowd. 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: It would take three more years for the monarchy to 57 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: be completely overthrown and totally abolished. It wasn't until seventeen 58 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: ninety three that Louis the sixteenth and Marie Antoinette were 59 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: sent to the guillotine for treason. So a few republics, 60 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: one emperor, and a restoration later. French leaders were interested 61 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: in finding a way to honor the beginning of republicanism 62 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: in France, and they looked back to July fourteenth. Whether 63 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: they were looking to the initial bestial event or the 64 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: fete was never explicitly stated. Nevertheless, in eighteen eighty the 65 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: official national holiday was declared. Miller said, July fourteenth commemorates 66 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: so many important moments in shaping a unified France. But 67 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: it's understandable why the French referred to this day by 68 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: its date instead of bestial Day. In France, calendars are 69 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: printed with Fette nacional on the date of July fourteenth. 70 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: Houstaff Works also spoke with Anna Cumby, a teacher who 71 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: lives in Toulouse, France. She said, the bestial day is 72 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: an English expression, I've never heard it used in French. 73 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: The word bastille now either refers to the neighborhood in 74 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: Paris where the Bastille once stood, or to the historical 75 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: event of the storming of the Bastille. Also, it's different 76 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: from the Fourth of July and that it's not necessarily 77 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: associated with being patriotic in the way Americans tend to be. 78 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: Our celebrations don't usually include flying French flags or wearing 79 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: them on our shirts, or singing the national anthem. Still 80 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: it's a big deal, especially in Paris. Under normal circumstances. 81 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: There are two days of celebration, with concerts, parades, and 82 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: other entertainment culminating in a thirty minute fireworks display set 83 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: off from the Eiffel Tower and the gardens of Rocadero. 84 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: Other French cities hosts similar celebrations, though they will be 85 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: muted this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. But if 86 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: you can't make it to France to take part in 87 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: the annual celebrations, there are plenty of options for Francophiles 88 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: around the world. Miller said, I always suggest looking up 89 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: your closest Aleance Francaise, Institute Francais or contacting local French restaurants. 90 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 1: These three groups will always find a way to celebrate 91 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: France's national day. Today's episode is based on the article 92 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: a Steel Day, the French holiday celebrating peace and revolution 93 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: on house to works dot com, written by carry wit Me. 94 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production of my Heart Radio in partnership 95 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: with house stuffworks dot Com and it is produced by 96 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the 97 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 98 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.