Uprising In France

There is a massive uprising in France that is spreading to other countries. Has anyone noticed something interesting with regard to the timeframes?

France actually had two revolutions. There was the French Revolution of 1789 that I often write about here and consider as the "Big Bang" of the modern political era. This set the global pace for the overthrow of monarchy in favor of republics. But it ultimately resulted in the emergence of Napoleon as the prototype of the modern dictator.

After the time of Napoleon the monarchy was restored but in a limited form, this time as a constitutional monarchy. The second revolution was the series of revolutions that swept Europe in 1848. This is what ended the monarchy for good, although these revolutions of 1848 were more about social conditions.

The present uprising in France is a repetition of 1848, rather than 1789. It is seeking improved social conditions, particularly in education, rather than the overthrow of the government. 

1848 was also repeated in 1968. This was also a year of great uprising. Student protests and strikes paralyzed France. The U.S. was convulsed with race riots, protests against the Vietnam War and the violence at the Democratic National Convention.

We know that anniversaries are important in the repetition of revolutions. Not date anniversaries, because revolutions tend to be extended events, but year anniversaries. 

The first anniversary that is obvious is that the fall of Communist governments in Eastern Europe in 1989, in one country after another, happened on the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution. The Storming of the Bastille was the signature event of the French Revolution. The corresponding signature event of 1989 was the opening of the Berlin Wall and the "storming" of people through it.

1968 would have been on the 100th anniversary of 1848, except that there was a twenty year delay, which I believe was caused by the interruption of the world wars. But this twenty year delay is reflected in the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring, beginning in 2009, was very much a reenactment of Eastern Europe in 1989, but it had been delayed by twenty years. 

Now what do you notice about the present uprising in France? Considering that these are drawn-out events, there is as much time from the French Revolutions of 1789 and 1848 as there is from 1968 to the present uprising in 2026.