Hugo in Les Miserables mentions a character presenting a yellow passport, yet all the googling only mentions is as a permit for prostitution in imperial Russia. It may be helpful that a character is an ex-con.
Calling all monarchists: absolutist, semi-absolute, constiutional, parliamentary, etc. Basically the scenario is this: Both Louis XVIII and Charles X die in 1814, leaving Louis XIX duke of Angolueme is now the next King. Assuming by act of God, you were placed in the mind of King Louis XIX, how would you shape France? What would you do to make the monarchy respected and popular again? How would you keep the monarch from becoming a figurehead? How would you deal with Napoleon if he manages to escape from Elba? What would you do to rectify your lack of heir assuming that you'd live to your 80's? Would you go to the couuntryside and build a new royal army from the monarchist peasants?
It's an unusual take on our usual discussions between the three French houses, but I think it is important to bring up. It would be interesting to find out how much some of us think that the French monarchist identity/ideology is based on the candidate in question.
My curiosity is basically in two parts:
Do you think most French monarchists categorically long for any monarch (of the three lines) to take the throne, or do you think they want their specific claimant to take the throne?
If there was a change in public opinion and strong political movement to restore the monarchy in France, would monarchists form a united front to restore a claimant from any of the three houses (Orléanists and Bonapartists supporting a Bourbon candidate if that would mean the best chance of success for example), or would they refuse to offer support unless it's for their preferred house?
I heard also the french used a pure white flag during the american revolutionary war. Would that have not been also have seemed associated with surrendering, and a breach of etiquette if those soldiers continued to fight after appearing to surrender?
I know the Bonapartists did get their wish with the Second Empire, but I'm asking both before Napoleon III's accession, and then after his fall but before the death of Louis-Napoleon. What exactly was their appeal? Nostalgia?
Madrid, 1975.
The dictator, Francisco Franco, dies and the State of Spain is dissolved. The last regime that existed was the Spanish Republic, however, as Franco dies, there was skepticism over whether that regime should be returned.
The military was in favour of continuing the regime while democrats wanted a return a more egaliatrian system. Out of this came the Bourbon restoration of the Spanish monarchy with Juan Carlos as king. It was a parliamentarian constitutional monarchy and many people welcomed it.
But what about outside of Spain? Half of Europe has that iron curtain splitting it and the western half we see the ever-growing European Economic Community with its headquarters in Brussels.
How did they receive it? After all, with Spain finally back, you would think they would try to scoop them up into the EEC. But this took 11 years after Franco died. How come?
What was going on around Europe when Spain was going through this transition?
