Larger-than-life French chef Alexis Soyer helped revolutionize British cuisine in the Victorian period — but his widely reported personal encounter with France's 1830 revolution is just a tall tale.

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While men fight and die on the streets of Paris, France's feckless politicians try to muster the will to take decisive action of their own to address a revolution no one on either side expected.

A quick refresher on important dates so far:

• August 8, 1829: The Polignac ministry is appointed
• Early July, 1830: Marshal Bourmont captures Algiers; opposition candidates win French elections
• Sunday, July 25, 1830: King Charles X and his ministers approve the Four Ordinances
• Monday, July 26, 1830: The Four Ordinances are published in the Moniteur. Journalists draft the Protest of the Forty-Four. Initial protests. A mob attacks Polignac's carriage.
• Tuesday, July 27, 1830: Four newspapers publish in defiance of the Four Ordinances. Protests grow into riots. Marshal Marmont assumes command of Paris. Soldiers open fire on civilians. Initial barricades go up.
• Wednesday, July 28, 1830: Marmont is given dictatorial control of Paris, and sends out his three attack columns. Deputies meet with Marmont. By the end of the night, Marmont's columns all retreat.

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Marshal Auguste de Marmont was tasked with putting down Parisian rebels after the Four Ordinances of July 1830. There were only a few problems: he didn't have enough men or supplies, he opposed the Ordinances, and his bosses neglected to inform him of his new job.

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Visit thesiecle.com/episode42 to see maps and images about the fighting described in today's episode.

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Three French history podcasters come together to determine the most corrupt, idealistic, eloquent and idiotic figures — among others — from the Revolutionary, Napoleonic and post-Napoleonic eras. (Update: The original version of this file cuts out after 48 minutes. Re-download for a fixed version.)

Check out Age of Napoleon and Grey History: The French Revolution!

Submit your comments on this episode via Will Clark's link here.

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That escalated quickly! Find out how — and why — the people of Paris went from ignoring Charles X's coup on Monday, July 26, 1830, to engaging in street fighting with the French Army less than 24 hours later.

See a full annotated and illustrated transcript online here.

Learn more about the Barricades convention, July 12 - 14, 2024, here.

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Charles X's Four Ordinances in July 1830 threatened to impose strict censorship on France's opposition newspapers. So what were the journalists going to do about it?

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Everything you ever wanted to know about francs and sous, centimes and louis d’or, and the bewildering array of 19th Century French currency. What were all these coins? What were they worth? How did they compare to other currencies like pounds and dollars, how does that compare to today — and what does Charlemagne have to do with all of this?

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It's been five years since The Siècle first debuted! To mark the show's fifth anniversary, I'm joined by fellow history podcaster Everett Rummage of The Age of Napoleon podcast to answer listener questions and talk about history, podcasting, and more.

Check out the show's new YouTube channel, where I'm gradually uploading audio of back episodes.

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On July 26, 1830, Parisians woke up to four stunning proclamations from King Charles X, four ordinances rewriting French politics and public life. Join me to explore what these Four Ordinances did, how Charles could issue them, and how they came to appear in Parisians' morning newspaper.

Visit thesiecle.com/episode39 for an annotated transcript, including images of the Four Ordinances in the July 27 Moniteur. Become a patron on Patreon to receive an ad-free fee.

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In 1830, France's slow-moving political crisis builds to a fever-pitch, as King Charles X goes to war with his liberal opposition at home, and the Regency of Algiers abroad. Amid military and electoral campaigns, Charles X will face a decision that could reshape his reign.

The Siècle's 5th anniversary is coming up on January 22, 2024. I'm hosting a special Q&A episode (with a guest moderator you might know!) and want your questions! Please email david (at) thesiecle (dot) com by January 13, 2024, with any questions you want considered for inclusion in that episode — about the show, about 19th Century France, or even about me.

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In the late 1820s, Napoleonic intrigues and a brutal assault by flyswatter combined to turn French attention across the Mediterranean to the Ottoman Regency of Algiers. Join Prof. Ashley Sanders to explore the cosmopolitan world of Ottoman Algeria that the Bourbon Restoration faced under Charles X.

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Visit thesiecle.com/episode37 for a full transcript of this episode.

The Siècle is part of the Evergreen Podcasts network.

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