The Long History Short Podcast

Why Do the French Riot So Much? ft. Dr. Ed Berenson, NYU

2026-11-01

In this episode of the Long History Short Podcast, I sat down with Dr. Ed Berenson of NYU. He and I discussed the recent riots (or protests, if you prefer) in France, in the context of other violent and semi-violent political action, from the French Revolution of 1789 all the way up to the more recent Yellow Vest Movement, and all the unrest in between. We discussed the demands of this group of students, the political culture of France, the relationship between the Catholic Church and the French state, the May 1968 protests, and whether the hangover of "Vichy Syndrome" made Emmanuel Macron seem weak. We also discussed how this will affect the April election in 2027, and whether it will push the French people toward Marine Le Pen or Jean-Luc Melenchon. For more on the spread of these protests: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/30/cost-of-living-protests-to-spread-to-germany-and-reignite-in-france-on-halloween For the ways that today's student protests are calling back to the May 1968 Protests: https://time.com/article/2026/10/07/student-protests-france-signs-may-1968-strikes-police-clashes/ A historical overview of how these protests have been fermenting since 2018's Yellow Vest Movement: https://thedispatch.com/article/french-protests-discontent-macron-yellow-vest-movement/

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49

Último episodio

2026-11-01

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Interviews with historians about the background of events happening around the world. Join your host, Brian Stahl.