Catholic royalism in the department of the Gard, 1814-1851

Abstract

The thesis attempts to examine the character and motivation of the Catholic royalist movement in the Gard from the fall of the First Empire to the eve of the Second Empire. The thesis proceeds chronologically, with six chapters and a conclusion. In chapter one, the origins of the Catholic royalist movement are traced to the antagonism between Catholic and Protestant elites in the late eighteenth century, and to the subsequent ascendancy of the Protestants during the Revolution and the Empire. During the First Restoration, Catholics resented the moderation of the royal government. The Hundred Days gave them a pretext to plan the counter-revolution they desired. Chapter two presents the White Terror of 1815 as a calculated measure, designed to eliminate the Protestants as a political force, and to ensure Catholic royalist domination in the department. Chapter three examines the unsuccessful struggle of the Catholic royalists to retain their grip on the Gard during the "liberal phase" of the Restoration. Chapter four presents the revival of Catholic royalist dominance after 1820., when the murder of the duc de Berry discredited the liberal policies of Decazes, and the ascendancy of Catholic royalism until 1830. Chapter five examines the transfer of power to the Protestant bourgeoisie after the July Revolution. Until 1833, Catholic royalists waged a "guerilla" campaign against the Orleanist authorities, but the failure of military opposition led many young Catholics to challenge the July Monarchy in elected assemblies. By the 1840's, there was a strong Legitimist opposition group in the Gard. In chapter six, the effects of the 1848 Revolution on Legitimism are studied. Universal suffrage gave Catholics a numerical majority in the department, but revealed a split between the notables and the working classes. Nevertheless, in 1851, the coup d'etat received the support of the Catholic population, while it was resisted by the Protestants. The conclusion stresses the local nature of Catholic royalism in the Gard, and the importance of sectarian rivalry in sustaining it