April 1834: La Guerre des Rues, I

Abstract

THE UPRISING OF APRIL 1834 WAS THE FIRST planned insurrection, different in character from 1830 and 1832. The militants of the Société des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen (SDHC) were self-conscious about their role as the avant-garde, and awkwardly attempted to stir the masses with republican rhetoric and signs. They forced passersby to work with them, even if it meant laying only a single paving stone on a barricade. They asserted control of the neighborhoods, set up patrols and sentinels, and requisitioned supplies from local stores, in an attempt to establish an alternative authority. They made great efforts to capture the hearts and minds of the masses, and they were absurdly confident of victory. But the whole exercise failed miserably, even (as the next uprising would show) as a learning experience.