Revolutionary Violence and Political Fallout
Explosions of Change: The Orsini Affair’s Impact on European Politics
L'attentat d'Orsini devant la façade de l'Opéra le 14 janvier 1858 Vittori, H. , Peintre En 1862 2e moitié du 19e siècle Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris P302 CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris
On a cold evening in Paris, January 14, 1858, the sound of exploding bombs echoed through the streets as Felice Orsini hurled explosives at the Emperor of the French. Napoleon III’s carriage. He was there to kill the ruler of France. He failed. Instead, he triggered a cascading chain of events that would alter European history, break Austrian power south of the Alps, and even bring down the British government.
As Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie made their way to the home of the Paris Opera, at Salle de la rue Le Peletier, the evening’s expectant atmosphere was shattered by the sudden, deafening blasts of Orsini’s bombs. The first bomb was thrown, a roar at the front of the carriage, blasting the horsemen. The second was for the steeds; the explosion shattered the carriage glass, and from the horses came screams of pain, unlike any whinny. The final bomb of the deadly trio landed under the carriage, and the blast wave swept over the bystanders, wounding a valiant policeman rushing to defend his emperor.
Over one hundred Parisians were wounded. Eight died, most of them the emperor's military guard, heroes of the empire, dying for the honor of the name of Bonaparte and the glory of France. The bombs killed two horses. Amidst the panicked screams of the crowd, shrapnel tore through the air, leaving several dead while the imperial couple narrowly escaped unharmed. The carriage was strongly built with iron to protect the floor and walls. The ground shook, but the emperor was shaken. He saw the opera William Tell to show he was unhurt and reassure the public, yet he was changed.
