| 1789 :
during the French Revolution, armed farmers gangs burn cattles to
destroy records with all the written lords' rights. In
January 1790, departments
are promulgated.
Citizens from
Bordeaux, moderated and federalist, are called "girondins"
; citizens from Toulouse, radicate and centralized, are called
"jacobins". In 1793, Tallien came and settle Terror in
Bordeaux, and then stop it thanks to his girl friend
Thérésia
Cabarrus. In 1808, Napoleon troops go through Bayonne and through
Catalogne to impose continental blockade on Portugal and to
impose Napoleon's brother on Spain throne. Creation of Tarn et
Garonne department in 1808. Development of tabacco production
in the South-West of
France. Mr Maine de Biran write his philosophical works.
Bernadotte, born in Pau, becomes, thank to Napoleon's army, the
king of Sweden. We can also mention the lightweight perigordin Orélie-Antoine,
king of
Patagony. In 1814, the English army pass through the Pyrenees, is
victorious close to Toulouse and takes Bordeaux. In 1815,
Languedoc is one center of White Terror (from the lords). In 1822,
the first bridge (done in stone) spans at Bordeaux the Garonne
river. From 1838 to 1856, to avoid the Garonne fluctuations, a
lateral canal is built from Toulouse to Agen about.
1856
:
Bordeaux and Toulouse are linked by the railway (and Sète
the
year after). In 1858 at Lourdes, 18 apparitions of the Virgin
Lady in front of Bernadette Soubirous and a crowd bigger and
bigger. Biarritz is a vacation resort of the Second Empire.
Development of bullfight. Started
at the end of the century XVIII by Brémontier,
pine plantations are extended to clean up the Landes ; Portuguese
oysters are implanted in Arcachon ; mainly, Bordeaux vintage
wine are defined.
Bordeaux become for a short time the capital of France in 1871.
Mr Mistral found the Felibrige
in 1876. Bordeaux
stops to create money from gold for private people. Phylloxera
crisis on the vineyard from 1875 to 1890 about (this crisis is
deeper due to the competition of the Algerian vineyard).
1906
:
the coming back of the Sunday vacation helps the start of the
"foot-ball-rugby"
in the
South West. In 1907, wine revolt with Mr Marcellin. Edmond
Rostand Writes "Cyrano de Bergerac" and Pierre Loti
"Ramuntcho". The South West is called a political
radical land with the Third Republic ; Jean Jaurès comes
from
Toulouse and the communist/socialist Vincent Auriol from the
Languedoc. Delcassé is a minister, and Foch a famous
general.
Begining of the demographic decline.
1915-17
: during
the World War I, transfer in the South West, far from the front,
of industries of arms, textiles (military clothes), chemistry
(explosives)
and aeronautics (Latécoère). Between the two
world wars,
immigration from Belgians, Italians and Spaniards.
Latécoère
set up Aeropostale company, and one of his engineer the SNCAM. In
1939, Spanish republican governement takes refuge at Toulouse.
1940
:
Bordeaux becomes again for a time the capital of France with the
start of the war. During the World War II, the region is cut by a
demarcation line/border for 2 years, to be totally occuped by
Germans in 1942. The South-West is liberated by Resistance
fighters in 1944.
1951 : Lacq gaz and
Parentis
oil (1954) discoveries. Caravelle plane built by Sud-Aviation (then
it will be Concorde plane)
1964 : creation of administrative
regions : Aquitaine,
Midi-Pyrénées and
Languedoc-Roussillon 114 000 km2 (20% of the surface of
continental France). At Bordeaux, bridge Saint-Jean is built in
1965, and pont d'Aquitaine in 1967. But from 1962 to 1982,
Bordeaux population decrease from 300.000 to about 200.000
unhabitants ; Toulouse grows up to 400.000 unhabitants. Plane
Airbus A300 starts in 1972. Development of agriculture (wine,
hybrid corn, fruts and
vegetables) and industries of food, of chemistry (unfortunately
famous since AZF explosion at Toulouse), of planes (Airbus), of
space (Ariane), of electronics (Motorola), and various new
technologies.
1982 : The "Two
Seas"
motorway is opened. The old Canal du midi, with one hundred about
locks and maximum 300 tons barges (vs european 1350 tons, and
international 3000 tons) becomes tourist. The Humanity world
heritage get Lascaux caves (1979), Canal du Midi (1996),
Carcassonne city (1997), St Jacques de Compostelle roads (1998)
and St Emilion center town (1999).
3rd
millennium : have the forecast of
the constitution of a larger region
Garonne-Pyrénées with
7,3 M of inhabitants (wich means anywal less than in Belgium, or in
German Bavaria or in Spanish Andalousia) within Europe ?
But this is an other Story...
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