History of Modern Paris: From Louis XIII to World War I

In the first class, The Versailles Kings: Power, Enlightenment, and Revolution (1611–1789), we will trace the rise and fall of the French monarchy from Louis XIV’s “Sun King” era to the Enlightenment critiques of Louis XV and the revolutionary fervor that toppled Louis XVI. The second session, Revolution, Empire, and Transformation (1789–1815), delves into the French Revolution’s radical changes, including the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Reign of Terror, and the rise of the sans-culottes. Under Napoleon Bonaparte’s imperial rule, grand projects like the Arc de Triomphe reflected his ambitions and victories in a new era of modernization and imperial prestige. The final class in this series will focus on the Second Empire and the Belle Époque (1853–1914) when urban redesign under the prefecture of Baron Haussmann introduced wide boulevards, parks, and modern infrastructure to Paris. In the Belle Époque, there was a cultural and artistic flourishing in the vibrant cafés and cabarets, and iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower embodied technological progress and the making of Paris as a beacon of modernity.

By examining familiar monuments, in addition to art, architecture, urban planning, and fashion trends, this course reveals how Paris became the “City of Light,” and a beacon of resilience and creativity during profound historical and cultural changes.