History: Paris 1800 - 1914

A look at the history of Paris in the 19th century from the Napoleonic period to the Belle Epoque. We will reference the great art movements of the period including Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, the operettas of Offenbach, the operas La Traviata and La Bohème, and modern-day musicals like Les Misérables and Moulin Rouge!, examining how much these works actually reflect what was happening in the city at the time. We will also cover the phenomenon of the salons and how their hostesses could often wield considerable political power; Haussmann’s massive town-planning project that made the city what it is today; the class system in Paris and how the bourgeoisie capitalised on gains they made in the Revolution; the various 19th century revolutions and rebellions, including the Paris Commune, which resulted in huge loss of life and imprisonments and exile for many of the participants; the notorious Parisian Courtesans, the influential mistresses of the rich and famous; the history of the Cancan, which developed from a ballroom dance into an entertainment for the tourists during the 19th century; and why Bizet’s opera Carmen was such a failure when it was first performed in 1875.