The assassination of President Carnot.
A Nexus TV production
Chapter I - The Assassination
On June 24 1894 at 9 pm, Monsieur le President of the French Republic
Sadi Carnot was delivering a speech at the chamber of commerce in Lyon. The
President was in the city to attend the Exposition internationale et coloniale.
After attending a banquet at the Palais du Commerce, the headquarters of the
Chamber of Commerce, he took a seat in the back of a low convertible car,
accompanied by Dr. Antoine Gailleton, the mayor of Lyon. He planned to return
briefly to the Rhône prefecture before attending a performance at the city's
Grand Theatre.
The air in Lyon was thick with enthusiasm. After all, President
Sadi Carnot, a man of distinguished bearing and quiet resolve, had come to
honor the city's industrial achievements. He moved through the bustling streets
with an air of calm authority, his presence a beacon of stability in a rapidly
changing France.
On the evening of June 24th, the city shimmered
with lights and the hum of celebration. Carnot, ever the statesman, attended a
banquet in his honor at the Palais de la Bourse. The hall was a spectacle of
opulence, filled with the clinking of glasses and the murmur of high society.
Yet, amid the revelry, a shadow lurked.
Around 9:15 PM, the convoy entered Rue de la
République, with the President greeting the dense crowd, having just moved the
cavalryman on his right to gain a better view. At that moment, a 20-year-old
Italian anarchist named Sante Geronimo Caserio approached the presidential
carriage, pretending to hand over a document. He climbed onto the footboard and
stabbed the President of the Republic.
This man, an Italian anarchist named Sante
Geronimo Caserio, was driven by a fervent belief that the world could only be
righted through the blade.
In a heartbeat, the festive night turned to chaos.
Caserio, eyes alight with conviction, plunged a dagger into Carnot's chest. The
president staggered, a crimson stain spreading across his immaculate white
shirt. Gasps and screams echoed through the night as guards and officials
rushed to his aid.
Severely injured in the liver and portal vein, the
56-year-old Sadi Carnot was transported unconscious to the prefecture hotel.
Despite the care provided and the surgical intervention by Professors
Lacassagne and Poncet, the bleeding could not be stopped. The President bled
out for several hours, with a brief moment of consciousness. His death
certificate records that he died at 12:40 AM on June 25.
In the days that followed, Carnot was remembered
not just as a president, but as a martyr for the republic, his legacy forever
etched in the annals of French history.
Chapter II -
Biographies.
Marie François Sadi Carnot, born on August 11,
1837, in Limoges, France, was a prominent figure in the French Third Republic
and served as its fourth President. Carnot hailed from an illustrious family;
his grandfather, Lazare Carnot, was a renowned figure of the French Revolution,
often referred to as the "Organizer of Victory." This prestigious
lineage instilled in Sadi a deep sense of duty and patriotism from an early age.
His education at the Lycée Saint-Louis, École
Polytechnique and École des Ponts et Chaussées honed his technical acumen as an
engineer. Carnot began his career working on significant infrastructure
projects, paving the way for his entry into politics in 1871 when elected to
the National Assembly.
Holding ministerial roles, including Public Works
and Finance, Carnot built a reputation as a capable, moderate republican known
for integrity and effective administration. His presidency from 1887 focused on
stabilizing the Third Republic amidst social unrest and political complexities.
Carnot promoted economic development balanced with
social equity. Notable achievements included supporting
industrial/technological growth and emphasizing education - believing a strong,
educated populace was key. His calm, principled leadership blending technical
precision with political skills made him a reassuring figure during
transformative times.
Committed to republican ideals, Carnot's legacy
embodies values of progress and stability through thoughtful statesmanship in
an era of change. His formative years and presidency left an enduring impact on
the course of France.
Sadi Carnot’s legacy is that of a leader who
embodied the values of the French Republic, dedicated to progress and
stability. His formative years and presidency left an indelible mark on France,
illustrating the impact of thoughtful and principled leadership in times of
change.
Sante Geronimo Caserio, born on
September 8, 1873, in Motta Visconti, Italy, was a fervent anarchist whose life
was deeply influenced by the socio-economic hardships of his time. Raised in a
poor family, Caserio faced adversity from an early age, which shaped his
worldview and fueled his desire for radical change. As a young man, he worked
various menial jobs, experiencing firsthand the struggles of the working class.
These experiences led him to embrace anarchism as a means to fight against
systemic oppression.
Caserio's involvement in the anarchist
movement began in earnest during the early 1890s. He became an active
participant in anarchist circles, distributing literature, attending meetings,
and participating in demonstrations. Influenced by the writings and speeches of
prominent anarchist thinkers, he developed a strong belief in the necessity of
revolutionary action to dismantle oppressive structures.
During this period, Europe was rife with
political unrest, and many anarchists viewed direct action as a legitimate
means to achieve social justice. Caserio was particularly influenced by the
plight of the working class and the harsh measures employed by governments to
suppress dissent. His commitment to anarchist ideals grew stronger, and he
became increasingly involved in activities aimed at challenging the status quo.
Caserio’s dedication to his cause was
evident in his willingness to take significant risks. He believed passionately
in the principles of equality and freedom, and he saw the state as an
instrument of oppression that needed to be opposed. His activities brought him
into frequent conflict with authorities, who were determined to curb the
influence of anarchism.
Despite his brief life, Caserio’s impact
on the anarchist movement was profound. He exemplified the fervor and
determination of many young activists of his time, who were driven by a vision
of a more just and equitable society. Caserio's legacy is a testament to the
intensity of the ideological battles that characterized the late 19th century,
reflecting the deep divisions and the fervent quest for social change that
defined the era.
Sante Geronimo Caserio remains a
controversial and enigmatic figure, remembered for his unwavering commitment to
anarchist principles and his role in the broader struggle for social justice in
a tumultuous period of European history.
Chapter III -
historical context.
The Third French Republic in 1894 faced a
tumultuous landscape marked by economic instability, social tensions, and
ideological divides. Emerging from the fall of Napoleon III in 1870, the young
republic grappled with challenges in solidifying itself democratically.
Financially, the 1889 crisis had caused widespread
unemployment and worker hardship. Industrialization widened gaps between the
bourgeoisie and struggling proletariat. Politically, factions like monarchists,
republicans, socialists and anarchists vied for influence.
President Sadi Carnot, representing moderate
republicans, aimed to uphold republican principles while balancing competing
interests amidst this volatility. Anarchism gained traction, fueled by
capitalist injustices and limited worker rights. These movements rejected state
authority and advocated direct action.
Carnot's government cracked down on anarchist
propaganda and groups, viewing them as threats to order. Yet he also recognized
underlying grievances driving the unrest. His approach combined suppression
with social reforms and economic policies to improve working-class conditions.
The republic thus navigated a precarious path -
contending with radicalism while addressing root causes through balanced
governance. Managing this volatility emerged as a defining challenge for the
fledgling regime.
Despite these efforts, tensions between the
government and anarchists continued to escalate, culminating in acts of
violence and assassination attempts. The assassination of President Carnot in
1894 by the anarchist Sante Geronimo Caserio highlighted the deep-seated
divisions within French society and the challenges faced by the republic in
maintaining order amidst growing discontent. Caserio, an anarchist, thought
that President Carnot was responsible for not giving the grace to multiple
people in the anarchist movement, François Claudius Koënigstein aka Ravachol
(1892), Auguste Vaillant (1894) and Émile Henry.
Chapter IV Aftermath
Shortly after the attack, the procession
turned around and rushed toward the Rhône Prefecture building in Lyon's 3rd
arrondissement, while Dr. Gailleton provided first aid to the dying president.
At the prefecture, the wound was examined by numerous doctors and surgeons
summoned from Lyon's medical faculty. The surgical intervention was led by
Professor of Operative Medicine and Clinical Surgery Antonin Poncet, assisted
by Professors Jean Lépine, Louis Léopold Ollier, Fabre and Michel Gangolphe.
However, the surgeons could not stop the internal bleeding. President Sadi
Carnot died from massive hemorrhaging shortly after midnight (death pronounced
at 0:38 am) on June 25, 1894 in the premises of the Rhône Prefecture.
Initially, Cécile Carnot, the
president's widow, refused to allow an autopsy on her late husband's body. But
she eventually agreed after being persuaded by Antoine Gailleton on grounds of
national interest, provided the examination was conducted by Professor Ollier.
In the presence of about ten professionals, including Alexandre Lacassagne,
Antonin Poncet, Fleury Rebatel and the president's personal physician François
Planchon, Dr. Ollier could probe a 10-centimeter wound in the liver and confirm
a double severing of the portal vein.
Sadi Carnot was the first French
president to die in office, and the first to be assassinated. His state funeral
took place on July 1, 1894 at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. He was buried the
same day at the Panthéon, alongside his grandfather Lazare Carnot.
Caserio was tried in the Court of
Assizes on August 2nd and 3rd. He was assisted by the Italian lawyer Maître
Alfredo Podreider, born in Paris and working in Milan, and Maître Dubreuil, the
chairman of the Lyon bar association. The two lawyers wanted to plead insanity,
but Caserio dissuaded them, not wanting his family to be seen as crazy,
explaining: "I myself have never been insane, and although I find myself
in prison, I am not. If I killed the President of the Republic, it's not
because I'm insane, it's because of my anarchist ideals."
Before the court that condemned him to
death, he said among other things: "Well, if governments use guns, chains,
and prisons against us, should we anarchists, who are defending our lives, stay
locked up at home? No. On the contrary, we respond to governments with
dynamite, bombs, daggers, and knives. In a word, we must do everything possible
to destroy the bourgeoisie and governments. You who are the representatives of
bourgeois society, if you want my head, take it."
At the trial, indeed, Caserio never
attempted to deny his act: "Nothing has changed in me, and I would do
again, if it were to be done again, the act for which I am going to be
judged." He did not ask for the jury's pity either. The possibility was
offered to him to plead insanity, but in return he would have had to give the
names of some accomplices, which he refused to do ("Caserio is a baker,
not a spy").
Believing only in the values of anarchy,
he accepted the judgment and did not appeal.
At the end of the trial, Caserio was
sentenced to the death penalty and guillotined on August 16, 1894, at the
Saint-Paul prison in Lyon by Louis Deibler. In his cell, while waiting for the
execution, the priest from Motta Visconti was sent to hear his confession, but
he refused to listen to him and chased him away. On the scaffold, finally, just
before dying, he shouted to the crowd: "Courage, friends! Long live
anarchy!"
Chapter V
The assassination carried out by Caserio
led to the Parliament voting for the last and most notable of the so-called
"villainous laws" targeting anarchists, with the aim of completing
the repressive arsenal against anarchist activities, stripping them of all
forms of communication. This law was eventually repealed in 1992.
The "villainous laws" (lois
scélérates) were a series of legal measures passed in France in the 1890s to
crack down on anarchist movements after a wave of bombings and assassinations,
including the killing of President Sadi Carnot in 1894 by the Italian anarchist
Sante Geronimo Caserio.
The first two laws were voted in
December 1893 and May 1894, increasing penalties for provoking crimes against
the state and public safety. But Carnot's assassination on June 24, 1894 proved
to be the tipping point, leading to the harshest of the villainous laws on
December 28, 1894. This final law essentially criminalized anarchist thought
and expression, banning anarchist publications and meetings, and allowing
dissolution of anarchist groups. It was seen as violating freedoms of press,
association and expression.
The repressive climate stirred protests
and provoked a split within the anarchist movement between advocates of
violence and proponents of non-violence. However, the villainous laws remained
in force until being gradually relaxed in the early 20th century as anarchist
activities declined. The last of the laws was only officially repealed in July
1992 as an outdated relic.
Chapter VI Conclusions
Events in history often have political
repercussions that reverberate long after the events themselves are forgotten.
The assassination of President Sadi Carnot is a prime example, with its impacts
shaping French society for nearly a century.
As the first sitting French president
assassinated in office, this shocking act shattered notions of presidential
inviolability. It provoked a severe crackdown through the "villainous
laws" that restricted civil liberties for decades, stifling political
dissent and fostering societal apprehension toward radical ideologies.
Carnot's death intensified existing
tensions surrounding the anarchist movement during this turbulent period. The
repressive legal measures represented an overreaction, but stemmed from fears
over threats to the still-fragile Third Republic, which Carnot embodied.
More broadly, this event underscores the
importance of studying history's context. Major occurrences like assassinations
don't happen in a vacuum - they arise from and expose socio political
undercurrents. Examining root causes, motivations, and impacts provides vital
insights into a nation's fault lines during that era. Only through such
contextualized understanding can we learn from tragedies to build a more stable
future.
