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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com it's the morning of February 7, 1934 in Paris, France. 61 year old socialist politician Ed Edouard Ario hurries along a busy street in the center of the city. He holds his head down and tries to keep a low profile, but that's easier said than done because Arroyo is a three time Prime Minister of France and one of the country's best known politicians. He's trying to be inconspicuous because last night a far right demonstration descended into battle with police near the French National Assembly. Now the air still fizzes with tension as the last few demonstrators roam the streets. A nearby protester throws a rock through a shop window and Ario can't help looking up. His momentary lapse proves costly because a young woman recognizes his familiar mustachioed face. She calls to the group around her and in seconds they've surrounded him. Ario panics and tries to push through the crowd, but one of the demonstrators punches the politician and he falls to the ground. Aereo curls up in a ball as the protesters kick him and then drag him to to his feet. For a moment Ario thinks they're going to let him go, but then he hears one of the attackers say they should throw him into the river Sen. They begin to drag him toward the nearby water and Erio wonders if this is how his life will end, beaten and then drowned by fascist hooligans. But suddenly Ariel is yanked backwards out of the gang's clutches. The young man pushes him away from his attackers and tells him to run. Herio doesn't need more encouragement than that, stumbling away as fast as his bruised legs can carry him. Former Prime Minister Edouard Heirio will later discover that his savior was a young communist who happened to witness the attack. But the politician's rescue won't be the only close call following the violent demonstrations in Paris, France's entire democracy will only narrowly escape a fascist takeover after the crisis of February 6, 1934.
- [02:30]
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- [03:32]
Lindsey Graham
From Noiser and Airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is February 6, 1934 fascists riot in Paris. It's October 24, 1922 in Naples, Italy, 12 years before Edouard Erio's lucky escape from a fascist mob, 39 year old Michele Bianchi stands proudly at the back of an outdoor stage as he watches Fascist leader Benito Mussolini address a huge political rally. Tens of thousands of Italians have come out to hear Mussolini speak and the stage trembles beneath Michele's feet as the crowd roars its approval. Michele is one of Mussolini's principal lieutenants and together they're about to lead a revolution. Only four years ago, World War I came to an end. Although Italy was on the side of the victorious allies, their success came at a high cost when economic shortages hit. After the war, Italy's political system began to fragment. Left wing socialists and radicals gained popularity and a far right movement sprung up to counter them. The most powerful of these was the nationalist Fascist Party. Today its leader Mussolini has announced a march on Rome to demand the resignation of the left wing government. If the Italian Prime Minister does not quit, the Fascists promise they will take over by force. As Mussolini's rousing speech comes to an end, Michela leads a procession away from the stage. Thousands of fascists dressed in the black uniform of the party's paramilitary wing, then begin the 100 mile march to Rome. But Mussolini doesn't join them. He decides to travel to Milan to whip up support for the coup in Italy's second biggest city. So Michele has responsibility for leading the Fascist column as it winds its way toward the Italian capital. Four days later, the Marchers reach the outskirts of Rome. There, Michela has the Blackshirts set up camp where he attends hurried negotiations with the Prime Minister and the Italian king, Victor Emmanuel iii. Initially, there's a stalemate. The Prime Minister declares a state of emergency and prepares for a siege. But within hours, Michele receives word that the King is determined to prevent civil war and has demanded the Prime Minister's resignation. Soon the fascists are invited to form a government. And once in power, Mussolini quickly dismantles Italy's political establishment and sets himself up as a dictator. The success of this march on Rome signals the beginning of a shift to the right in European politics. Mussolini's fascist takeover acts as a model for Adolf Hitler's unsuccessful beer hall putsch the following year. And it continues to inspire Hitler until he eventually seizes control of Germany in 1933. Later that same year, Mussolini's regime motivates another man to found his own far right group in his home country. On September 29, 1933, 37 year old Frenchman Marcel Bucard launches the Mouvement Franquiste at a torchlight ceremony in Paris. Unlike Italy, France has recovered well from the carnage of World War I, thanks to the reparations that defeated Germany was forced to pay at the end of the conflict. France has largely been rebuilt with its industry supported by generous subsidies. But even though the French economy has thrived, its political landscape is still unstable. France has an electoral system that encourages multi party coalition governments. This makes it difficult for any one leader to hold on to power for long. In the 15 years since World War I came to an end, France has been ruled by 21 different governments. Now Marcel aims to fix what he sees as a broken system by sparking a far right takeover. With his newly formed Mouvement from Quiste leading the way, Marcel models his new organization on Mussolini's National Fascist party. Like the Italian fascists, Marcel claims that he wants to protect his country's economy from foreign competition and strengthen its borders by enlarging the armed forces. Marcel also adopts the one armed fascist salute from Mussolini's party. And he starts a paramilitary wing with a distinctive uniform, the blue shirts. All of these nods to Mussolini earns Marcel some attention. Soon his new group is receiving funding from the Italian fascists. And Marcel makes it known that he wants the Mouvement Franquis to topple the French government, just like Mussolini did in Italy and Hitler in Germany. Within months of its founding, the Mouvement Franquis has around 10,000 members. But Marcel knows that a fascist revolution will need the backing of far greater numbers if it's going to achieve its goals. Luckily, a scandal will soon emerge that will turn the French people against their government and give Marcel the perfect opportunity to attempt a violent coup. You were made to travel the world and the seven seas and countless lakes and innumerable rivers and one perfect pond.
- [08:55]
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- [09:20]
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- [09:30]
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- [09:34]
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- [09:39]
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- [10:09]
Lindsey Graham
It's the evening of December 23, 1933 in Paris, three months after Marcel Bucard founded the fascist movement Mouvent Franquiste, 45 year old Alexandra Stavisky, rifles through his office stuffing papers and check stubs into a briefcase. He starts heading for the door, but pauses and turns back to his desk. There, he opens a drawer, takes out a pistol and puts it in his coat pocket. For more than two decades, Alexandre has made his living as a conman, embezzler and blackmailer. The French authorities have been investigating him for years, but his trial has been repeatedly postponed, leaving Alexandre free to continue his shady schemes. Recently, though, Alexandre's case has taken on political overtones. Several members of the French national assembly, including a cabinet minister, have been implicated in Alexandre's crimes. And it turns out that the prosecutor responsible for repeatedly delaying the trial is the brother in law of the Prime Minister, Camille Chouton. Now, many of the Prime Minister's opponents are claiming that the case has been shelved to protect a corrupt government. And the walls seem to be closing in on Alexandre. Earlier today, he received a phone call from an accomplice who told him that one of their associates has talked to the police. So Alexandre has decided it's time to get out of Paris. With his pistol tucked out of sight and a briefcase full of incriminating documents, Alexandre locks the door to his office and rushes downstairs to the street. Within minutes, he's speeding away in a car. He spends 16 days on the run from the law until a tip off alerts police to his hideout in a ski resort in the southeast of France. Police officers surround the property, but when they bang on the door, all they hear in reply is a single gunshot. Officers break in to find Alexandre on the floor, a gun in his hand and a bullet wound to the head. Although Alexandra is still alive, his injuries prove fatal and he dies in the hospital Several hours later. The death of a conman with links to some of the most powerful politicians in the country causes a sensation. Within days, rumors swirl about Alexandre's last moments. Many claim that the gunshot wasn't self inflicted and that in fact he was killed by police during the raid. And that the suicide note found in the villa was a fake. The whole affair, it's gossiped, is a cover up to protect corruption in France's government. Over the next few days, newspapers repeat the rumors and denounce the government of Camille Chautaun. Demonstrators take to the streets and demand the resignation of the prime minister. And by January 30, 1934, just three weeks after Alexandre's death, Prime Minister Chautaun realizes he has no hope of unifying the country under his leadership and he resigns. But his replacement doesn't relieve tensions in the country, because Edouard Daladier is from the same political party as Chautaun. And Daladier only further antagonizes the demonstrators with one of his first acts as prime minister. On February 3, he dismisses the chief of police. Daladier is suspicious of the man's politics and accuses the chief of being too lenient on the demonstrators that brought down the previous Prime Minister. It's a controversial move, and precisely the kind of opportunity Marcel Boucard has been waiting for. The leader of the fascist Mouvement, Francis, claims that the French government is now abusing its power. Marcel accuses the new Prime Minister of suppressing political opposition and overruling the wishes of ordinary French people. He calls on the members of his far right group to assemble in central Paris to storm the National Assembly. Marcel's chance to lead a French version of Mussolini's march on Rome. The protesters gather at the Place de la Concorde in central Paris on February 6, 1934. Within an hour of their arrival, they clash with police blocking the way to the national assembly. But it's not just Marcel's organization that has come to the French capital. Almost every far right leader in the country has echoed his call and summoned their followers to Paris as well. So as more demonstrators arrive, the police try to disperse the crowd by charging at them on horseback. But the protesters respond by throwing bottles and rocks. The situation is spiraling out of control and soon some police officers will open fire on the crowd, sparking more furious clashes on the streets of Paris. In the end, 17 protesters will lie dead, hundreds more police and demonstrators will be injured, and the French Republic will be teetering on the edge of Revolution.
- [14:42]
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- [15:48]
Lindsey Graham
It's late in the evening on February 6, 1934, at the national assembly in Paris. Several hours after a right wing demonstration turned violent, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier stands in the Chamber, pleading with his fellow lawmakers to listen. He's trying to outline his new government's domestic and foreign policy priorities, but those on the opposition benches keep interrupting him with snide remarks and insults. Insults. Eventually, Daladier can see that the debate is going nowhere and the assembly goes into recess. But as he leaves the chamber, the prime minister notices some of his colleagues looking out the windows with concerned looks. Joining them, Daladier can see a large crowd of demonstrators battling with police. On the other side of the river, the far right protesters are trying to force their way into the National Assembly. If they make it inside, there's no telling what might happen next. After all, in Italy, a similar situation a decade ago led to the fascists seizing power of the entire country. Daladier and the other lawmakers spend an uneasy night stuck in the national assembly building as running battles continue outside. Finally, at 8:00am the following morning, the guards announce that the streets have been cleared. France's political leaders flee the building through the back exit and are told to get home as quickly as possible, although former Prime Minister Edouard Heirio is spotted by a group of fascists and narrowly escapes being flung into the river. Although a fragile calm is soon restored in Paris, the riots fatally undermine the authority of Prime Minister Daladier. Realizing that he's lost the confidence of his colleagues in government, Daladier resigns on February 8, two days after the crisis began. Marcel Bouchors and the other far right leaders have succeeded in their aim of bringing down the government. But the February crisis does not signal the complete overthrow of France's political system. Instead, Daladier is replaced by a 71 year old elder statesman, Gaston Du Mer. Gaston Du Mer gains support from a broad coalition, including ministers from across the political spectrum. And thanks to this new prime minister's steadying hand, the influence of far right groups like the Mou Franquis begins to wane. Instead of becoming a dictatorship like Italy or Germany, France's parliamentary democracy stands strong. And soon the nation will line up against those fascist European powers and help defeat them in World War II. A war that could have been very different had France tipped Into Revolution on February 6, 1930. 1934. Next on History Daily, February 7, 1900. The Black Death comes to America, but the man charged with defeating it finds his greatest challenge comes from politicians from Noiser and Airship. This is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohamed Shahzeeb Sound design by Misha Stanton Music by Lindsey Graham this episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves. Edited by Joel Callan Managing producer Emily Burke Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.