The Story of France: Revolution, Empire, and National Identity — Fexingo History

In this episode, Lucas and Luna uncork the story of wine in France — not as a drink, but as a force that shaped politics, class, and national identity. They trace how Roman vineyards in Gaul laid the groundwork for medieval monastic viticulture, and how the church became the largest landowner and winemaker in France. The conversation dives into the 1789 Great Fear, when peasant uprisings targeted...

The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most famous artefacts of the Middle Ages — but what is it actually depicting? In this episode, we unravel the story behind the 70-metre-long embroidery that chronicles the Norman Conquest of England. We explore who commissioned it (likely Bishop Odo of Bayeux, William the Conqueror's half-brother), the political context of Harold Godwinson's oath to William, the B...

In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer in the French army, was convicted of spying for Germany and sentenced to life on Devil's Island. But the evidence was flimsy, and a shadowy network of anti-Semitic officers had framed him. Over the next twelve years, the Dreyfus Affair tore France apart—pitting the army and the Catholic Church against republicans, intellectuals, and the emerging hu...

In Episode 99 of The Story of France, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising origin of the French tricolour — a flag that began not as a symbol of unity but as a revolutionary compromise. They trace its roots to the summer of 1789, when Lafayette proposed combining the blue and red of Paris with the white of the Bourbon monarchy. Along the way, they uncover the older meanings of each colour: blue f...

In 1214, on a muddy field in Flanders, King Philip Augustus defeated a coalition of English, German, and Flemish enemies in a battle that historians call the first truly 'national' victory for France. This episode unpacks the Battle of Bouvines — the strategy, the brutal cavalry clash, and the propaganda that turned a feudal king into a national hero. We explore how Philip used the battle to seize...

This episode explores the Fronde, a series of civil wars in mid-17th century France that pitted the nobility, the parlements, and the urban poor against the young Louis XIV and his chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin. We focus on the pivotal Siege of Paris in 1649 and the role of the Prince de Condé, who switched sides from royal general to rebel leader. The episode highlights how the uprising, thoug...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore François Mitterrand's Grands Travaux — the ambitious public works that reshaped Paris in the 1980s and 1990s. From the glass pyramid of the Louvre to the modern arches of La Défense, they unpack the political, cultural, and architectural significance of each project. Learn about the history behind the Opéra Bastille, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising history of the Eiffel Tower, from its controversial origins as a temporary structure for the 1889 Exposition Universelle to its transformation into a beloved symbol of Paris. They discuss the fierce opposition from artists and intellectuals, the engineering marvel of Gustave Eiffel's company, the tower's close call with demolition, and its rol...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Palace of Fontainebleau, a thousand-year-old royal residence that became the stage for Napoleon Bonaparte's final goodbye before his exile to Elba. They discuss the palace's Renaissance origins under Francis I, the famous horseshoe staircase, and the dramatic events of April 20, 1814, when the Emperor bid farewell to his Old Guard. The conversation also...

In 1798, a young General Bonaparte set sail for Egypt with 40,000 soldiers and 167 scientists. This episode unpacks the bizarre, ambitious, and world-changing collision of military conquest and Enlightenment science known as the Egyptian Campaign. We follow the Battle of the Pyramids, the disastrous Battle of the Nile, and the strange partnership between Napoleon and the scholars of the Commission...

In 1793, the French Revolution faced a rebellion from within. In the western region of the Vendée, peasants and nobles alike rose up against the revolutionary government in Paris. This episode explores the causes of the uprising: the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the conscription levy of 300,000 men, and the brutal repression that followed. We discuss the Catholic and Royal Army, leaders like...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the remarkable journey of the fleur-de-lis, from its ancient origins as a stylized lily or iris in Mesopotamian art to its adoption by French kings as the emblem of divine right. They explore how Clovis I supposedly received the symbol from heaven, how Louis VII made it a royal coat of arms, and how the Capetian kings transformed it into a propaganda tool for...

In this episode of The Story of France, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising origins of the croissant. Far from being a French invention, the croissant traces its roots to the Austrian kipferl, brought to Paris by a Viennese artillery officer turned baker, August Zang, in 1839. Zang's Boulangerie Viennoise on Rue de Richelieu introduced Parisians to the light, flaky pastry that would become a nat...

In the spring of 1871, as the Franco-Prussian War ended and the Third Republic was born, Paris erupted in a radical experiment in self-governance: the Paris Commune. For 72 days, working-class Parisians, inspired by socialist and anarchist ideas, ran the city under a red flag, implementing progressive policies like workers' cooperatives, separation of church and state, and free education. But the...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna descend into the tunnels beneath Paris to explore the construction of the Métropolitain — the city's iconic subway system. They discuss the engineering challenges of building beneath a medieval city, the rivalry between architect Fulgence Bienvenüe and the Compagnie du chemin de fer métropolitain de Paris, the Art Nouveau entrances designed by Hector Guimard, and ho...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Panthéon in Paris — a neoclassical mausoleum that holds the remains of France's most revered citizens. From its origins as a church built by Louis XV to its revolutionary repurposing in 1791, the building's history mirrors France's political upheavals. Learn about the murals of Sainte Geneviève, the pendulum of Léon Foucault, and the controversies over w...

We all know the croissant as the quintessential French pastry, but its origins tell a much more complex story. In this episode, Lucas takes Luna through the surprising history of the kipferl, the crescent-shaped bread that arrived in France with an Austrian princess. We trace the transformation from a simple Viennese roll to the flaky, buttery croissant we know today, visiting the bakeries of 1830...

Before the Revolution, French intellectual life revolved around the salon — a private gathering hosted by women who controlled conversation, patronage, and ideas. This episode explores how salonnières like Madame Geoffrin, Julie de Lespinasse, and Madame du Deffand turned their drawing rooms into the power centers of the Enlightenment. We discuss their strategies for managing egos, the unwritten r...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the creation and legacy of the Napoleonic Code, the legal foundation that reshaped France and influenced civil law worldwide. They trace its origins from the chaotic patchwork of pre-revolutionary customary and Roman laws to the ambitious project led by Napoleon Bonaparte and his drafting committee, including Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès. The conversatio...

In the glittering dance halls of Montmartre during the Belle Époque, a scandalous new dance scandalized Paris and captivated the world. The cancan, with its high kicks, cartwheels, and flashes of lace, was more than mere entertainment. It was a rebellion against social norms, a celebration of female liberation, and a symbol of the democratic spirit of France. This episode traces the dance from its...

Episode 82 of The Story of France takes us to 1870 and the Franco-Prussian War, focusing on the brutal Siege of Paris that followed Napoleon III's capture at Sedan. Lucas and Luna explore how the Prussian blockade starved the city for four months, forcing Parisians to eat zoo animals, pets, and rats. They discuss the crucial role of the new National Guard, the failed breakout attempts like the Bat...

In the early 13th century, northern French knights marched south on a crusade against fellow Christians — the Cathars of Languedoc. What began as a campaign to suppress heresy became a war of conquest that ended the independent Occitan culture and brought the south under the French crown. This episode follows the key events: the murder of papal legate Pierre de Castelnau, the siege of Béziers wher...

In 1627, Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of Louis XIII, laid siege to the Protestant stronghold of La Rochelle. The city, a Huguenot bastion on the Atlantic coast, had long defied royal authority with English support. This episode follows the brutal 14-month siege, which ended with the surrender of the starving city and the fall of the Protestant political cause in France. We explore Richel...

In 1801, Napoleon Bonaparte signed a revolutionary agreement with Pope Pius VII that ended a decade of religious conflict in France. The Concordat of 1801 recognized Catholicism as the religion of the majority of French people, not the state religion, and gave the state control over bishop appointments while the Pope could invest them with spiritual authority. This episode explores how Napoleon, f...

The French tricolour is one of the world's most recognisable flags, but its origins are surprisingly accidental and deeply tied to the early days of the Revolution. This episode traces the flag's birth in July 1789, when Lafayette combined the blue and red of Paris with the white of the Bourbon monarchy to create a cockade that symbolised national unity. We explore how the tricolour evolved from a...