Catholic Royalism in the Department of the Gard 1814–1852

The history of a counter-revolutionary movement in southern France.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Author)

9780521522304, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 8 August 2002

232 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.3 cm, 0.35 kg

The Gard in southern France was the scene of extensive bloodshed in 1790, when opponents of the Revolution tried unsuccessfully to prevent change, and again in 1815, when they sought revenge through a carefully prepared White Terror. The revolutions of 1830 and 1848 also provoked violent conflict in the Gard, and even when the department appeared to enjoy tranquillity, political and social relations there were soured by intimidation and fear. This study shows how the royalist counter-revolutionaries were able to polarise opinion by emphasising the Protestantism of their opponents. Anti-Protestant sentiment, accentuated by the association of Protestants with the political and economic institutions of the Revolution and Empire, produced a counter-revolutionary movement in which local considerations predominated. The Catholic royalist leaders' ambition to achieve maximum autonomy for their particular royaume du Midi brought them into conflict not only with central government but also with their proclaimed loyalty to the Bourbons.

List of maps
Preface
List of abbreviations
1. The department of the Gard in the nineteenth century
2. The preparation of a counter-revolution
3. 1817 to 1830
4. The July Revolution
5. Opposition to the July Monarchy, 1832 to 1848
6. The Second Republic
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]