(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "Q" is for "quarrel")
Welcome to another in the exciting series titled
“Berowne’s Mediocre Adventures.”
This week: My participation in the French Revolution.
No, not that one,
not the one in the 1700s. The more
recent one, back in 1962. Didn’t know
there was a French Revolution in ’62?
Well, there was, or just about; it got snuffed out at the last minute. And I was there.
A bit of background.
When WWII ended, there was a general thrust for independence on the part
of various geographical possessions throughout the world. The major powers lost most of their colonies.
France lost Indo-Chine
– Vietnam – one of its two most important colonies. And French leaders were seriously resolved
that the other, Algeria, would remain French at all costs. You see, Algeria was different. It was not just a colony; it was legally
classified an integral part of France.
Yet around 1960 many felt that it was time for Algerian
independence. And the President of
France, our old friend Charles de Gaulle, was suspected of getting ready to
grant it.
This threatened French political right-wingers. So there was quite a quarrel going on between the right and the left, occasionally a violent quarrel. A group of generals actually formed an army,
the OAS, the “Organization of the Secret Army,” to assassinate de Gaulle and
take over the country. They planned a
real revolution.
They got things boiling by setting off bombs,
“plastiques,” planted in cafes and such places throughout the country. At the right moment, with the President
killed, thousands of OAS paratroopers would drop from the sky and take over all
governmental agencies.
France would cease being a republique and would become a military dictatorship.
It was in 1962 that young Berowne, somewhat ignorant of
the above, showed up to shoot a film to be titled “One Man’s Paris.”
I thought it odd that folks in the city were constantly
looking skyward, and that there was a lot of talk about “plastiques.”
I had gone to a place to rent a battery for my
camera. All they had was a really
ancient one; I think it must have been one of the first professional motion-picture
batteries ever built. It was an unsightly wooden,
clumsily put-together item, about the size of a shoe box, with wires for the
camera connection.
One day after a morning’s work, I stopped in a café and
took a coffee break. I was getting used
to French coffee – though that takes time, believe me. I placed my ragged-looking camera battery under
one of the tables and…
Suddenly the patron
rushed in and shouted, “Plastique!” and the whole joint, all the customers,
rushed full tilt out the front door.
As I sat there, pondering over this development, a couple
of gendarmes ran in and escorted me out of the place too. How they could have thought that
crummy-looking wooden shoe box was plastique was beyond me, but I guess they
were taking no chances.
Anyway, I convinced them the device was a camera battery and that
I was a de Gaulle supporter from way back.
Speaking of whom, the OAS later set up an elaborate squad
of snipers and machine-gunners at a special intersection to get the Prez as he
rode by. His car was riddled by bullets,
but Citroen had provided a special vehicle and neither de Gaulle or his wife
were hit.
With the President still alive and well, the Second
French Revolution just sort of fizzled out.
22 comments:
Fascinating stuff! I do remember (vaguely - I was 9) the disturbances of 1962.
wow- I do not remember that, but then I was barely married, already pregnant and working my first real job. Thanks for the history lesson! Cheers!
Wow! What an experience! Lucky they didn't shoot first and ask questions later! Your story reminds me somewhat of the boy who had made his clock for school (Muslim) and they thought it was a bomb when he took it to class.
I like to read your stories I like the way your mind works.
I like the way your comments work...
That's quite an interesting story. I knew there was a lot of controversy in France and Algeria over independence, but I had forgotten that there was an actual assassination attempt.
Ah.. what an experience... the way the world might have turned...
French police (gendarmes) do tend to be a bit touchy don't they? 5 years earlier in 1957 on our honeymoon we were strolling up the Boulevard St. Michel after a pleasant dinner when we were surrounded by a mob of protesting students from the nearby Uni. They were being pursued by a gendarmes and we couldn't extricate ourselves from the cordon. It was only my bad french that finally persuaded them that we really were innocent honeymooners and we were finally let go! We escaped down the metro and when recovered came to the surface again a few stations away!
I worked for Citroen for 26 years and we were always proud of the de Gaulle connection and the fact that bursting tyres made no difference to the car's ability to continue at speed thanks to it's hydropneumatic suspension. Blimey, you've started me off on my pet subject - sorry!
Visit Keith's Ramblings!
I rented several DS cars; that suspension was fascinating. Does that still exist in France?
I enjoy your history tales. There is so much I don't know.
Thanks for visiting. I was wanting to write badly to use that prompt...but I pulled it off. Should have trashed it, too.
Similar to Kathe, in 1962 I was a young mother with three little ones ~~ woefully ignorant of world and political affairs. You post is fascinating!
As is your comment, Helen. Thanks.
Beeing born late in 62 ... i have not been part of it, nore knew about it ;-)
Have a nice abc-day/-week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
Fascinating historical post and photos for Q
Happy Week to you,
artmusedog and carol
De Gaulle was not my favourite character but glad he escaped the French revolutionists. There were a lot of things going on in 1962 - we were in reach of long range missiles, should they be fired from Cuba, and I was expecting our last child, - but there, that's a different story. My husband and I got caught in a protest march in Lille, after arriving off the Chunnel and I must say the police were kind and extricated us.
Fascinating as always Mr. B...
I am embarrassed that I don't remember this at all. I was married at the time and not very interested in politics. I am grateful that the Gaulle could prevent the creation. of a military dictatorship. Great story Berowne! Thanks.
Wil, ABCW Team.
I like your quizzes Berowne - though can rarely solve them - good to have a puzzle reprieve and a fine slice of history as only you do ;)
Great story I enjoy reading history as people lived through it in their own words. I could just picture the cafe clearing out leaving you bewildered by their flight!
Great story Browne "Vive le Québec libre!" "Long live free Quebec!" was ushered by that man. Charles DeGualle was not a favorite here in Canada accept to separatists but no one here wanted him dead.
Wowza! That was a one-of-a-kind experience.
The View from the Top of the Ladder
Oho that was one bit of history I was completely unaware about. You tell a tale well. Thank you.
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