The Republican Fire: Manet, Gambetta, and the War That Declared a French Republic. Sebastian Smee discusses how Édouard Manet's family wanted him to pursue law or the Navy, but he became a passionate, anti-autocratic Republican inspired by the 1848 uprisings. Manet established himself as an activist painter, creating works protesting Napoleon III's policies. Léon Gambetta became Manet's friend and the leading moderate Republican lawyer. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 began under Napoleon III, but the French were crushed. When Napoleon III surrendered and went into exile, a Republic was declared in Paris. The victory was bittersweet: Paris was immediately surrounded by Prussian troops, and the entire male population joined the National Guard. However, France was defeated, leading to a humiliating surrender in January 1871. The trauma was reflected subtly in the Impressionists' art.

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