The French stormed the Bastille, a notorious prison, on this day — July 14– in 1789. A tumultuous turn of events ensued, starting with the execution of King Louis XVI. Events began swirling out of control as ideas and politics kept taking increasingly bizarre twists until Napoleon came along to restore order.
In short, the French Revolution did not lead to freedom, as our July 4th did. Quite the contrary, after years of sending their political opponents — and the public at large — to the guillotine, the French ended up with an Emperor. Napoleon, indeed, had quite the run, and his legacy carried on long after his death. There was even a Napoleon III. The French monarchy was restored as well for some time.
At any rate, France celebrated Bastille Day this year with a huge military parade (taking a lesson from Trump, are they?) down the Champs-Élysées, which ends at the Arc de Triomphe, a monument Napoleon commissioned to honor his military victories. (Interestingly, Trump is now copying the idea for a similar arc in D.C. Donald Bonaparte?)
I was in Paris for the 200th Bastille Day in 1989. Doubtful I can live long enough for No. 250, but it’s a good day today — and every July 14 — to break out the champagne and celebrate wherever you are, if only for celebration’s sake.
