June 1st, 1968 (Part One)
7:00 A.M., Paris, 7th Arrondissement. Grimaud is tired of this having continued for as long as it had. He keeps almost barging into Pompidou’s bedroom but restrained himself. If Pompidou wanted, he could shut down this whole operation, destroy everything they had been building up to. Grimaud needs to convince Pompidou to step down, let him and the generals handle the situation, and trust that he would be left alone through all this. He had honed his skills in talking down people over these past few weeks, and thought himself pretty up to this challenge. By this point he has the whole conversation mapped out in his head, the points he’d bring up, the counter-arguments. Just as he’s about to gently tap on the door, Lalande approaches, rolls his eyes, and smashes the door open. “Monsieur Pompidou, you are relieved of your duty!” Pompidou, still half-asleep, responds, “Fantastic. Tell de Gaulle he can go fuck himself for making me wait this long”, and closes his eyes. Grimaud, still somewhat in shock, asks nobody in particular “Do we need that room?” Someone answers “Not unless you want to sleep there.”
"A lot of people were never told they weren't welcome anymore, they just sortof stopped showing up when they realized their job was useless. If you peered into the offices of the Matignon those few days it'd be very interesting, I think. Suits replaced with fatigues, empty rooms became brimming with life and vica versa."
-Édouard Balladur in an interview with L'Humanité.
8:00 A.M., Paris, 5th Arrondissement: Applause thunders through the auditorium. The students are finally in control once again. Anti-capitalism, anti-consumerism, anti-imperialism, real true revolutionary thought had retaken the initiative of the popular movement. The last peep from the government was heard a little after noon yesterday, and that was the rigor mortis of the limp National Assembly, the last word from the real power in the Matignon was over 24 hours ago. The mistakes of 71 were avoided with the sack of the Elysee; they had seized power and the seat of it. Of course, some object, saying that the reaction was still gaining strength, and that the students needed to take the Matignon itself, not just an empty palace. These figures were given a smile and a nod, with assurances that the reaction would fall in time, and probably on it’s own weight. Outside the University, pursuant to a measure passed by the Council for Maintaining the Occupations, the students began erected barricades once more.
“Noting the occupation of the Elysee,
Acknowledging the crumbling nature of the bourgeois government,
Further noting the unwillingness of traditional leftist actors to act,
Seeing the great opportunity within these developments;
The Council for Maintaining the Occupations hereby resolves to:
* Declare the beginning of the 5th French Revolution, and everything that entails;
* Rename the Council for Maintaining the Occupations to the Council for the Revolution;
* Begin the reconstruction of barricades to protect the Council and the Revolution;
* Create a sub-committee for the purpose of refining the Council and the rules for it so it might be better equipped to assist in the direction the Revolution as a whole.
Adopted by simple majority, with a vote of:
321 members in the Affirmative;
14 members in the Dissenting;
15 members in Abstention.”
-Resolution
of the Council for the Mainting of the Occupations regarding the Revolution in France, also known as 'The Revolutionary Resolution', or 'Resolution 3501'
9:00 A.M., Paris, 10th Arrondissement. Rochet knows immediately who is behind this. After their conversation last night, he already had his suspicions. The factory occupation committees were barely loyal to the unions - and therefore Seguy - it was student racials through and through. Seguy probably considered it a tactical move to consolidate his own power, but even then allying with the students in any form was playing with fire. Eh, Seguy is just an idiot that didn’t understand the importance of making weak allies. You always have to be in control, and your allies have to understand that. You need to be able to go it alone at a moments notice. Speaking of weak allies, Rochet has a call to place to a certain monsieur Mendes-France.
"R: Is this Monsiuer Me-
F: Yes.
R: I know you of all peopl-
F: I can guess what you're here for, Rochet.
R: Pierre, if you would please le-
F: Look, Waldeck. I'm not going to play these rhetorical games you always partake in. I know what you want, you know what you want, so just tell me, and we can both get on with our lives quicker.
[Silence is heard for a few moments.]
R: I'm forming a body to shape the direction of the left's participation in the coming crisis. I was wondering if I had your support.
F: You're trying to spin up the PCF's Politburo into a national one. And you want me subordinate to it.
R: I mean I wouldn't put it that way, this body is entirely separate from th-
F: Chairman.
R: What?
F: I want to be Chairman of this politburo, this body, this whatever you want to call it. I want to be the one calling the shots. And don't stuff it with your guys, either.
R: I'm not su-
F: Look. I'm popular. I'm effective. I've had national power before. Just say yes, Waldeck.
R: I'll give you a call back.
F: Why don't you do that, yeah.
[Mendes-France hangs up]
I'm just trying to be a civil, rational leftist actor. That's all I want. Why does everyone think I'm some sort of mastermind?"
-A phone call between Pierre Mendes-France and Waldeck Rochet.
10:00 A.M., Paris, 7th Arrondissement. “I’ve used every favor I had to pull this off”, Grimaud thinks. “Every station in France is going to carry this speech, both television and radio. Every newspaper is going to print this. We are going to retake the popular momentum, we are going to reassert ourselves as the rulers of France.” They couldn’t’ve picked a more iconic spot to do it - right in front of the Eiffel Tower. It’s some very overt messaging - they are France. Metz, Grimaud, Lalande, they are France at its core. Or at least that was the intention. There’s a big air of tension within the men - this speech could either launch them into the annals of French history as liberators and champions of freedom, or as last-ditch defenders of the old order. Time would tell, they supposed. By 30 minutes after the speech, the flags are taken down, the cameras dismantled, and no trace of the junta anywhere.
"My fellow Frenchmen. I stand here at this historic place of French culture and identity to deliver to you this message, one of utmost importance. I am Paris Police Prefect Maurice Grimaud, and I have been appointed by acting President Messemer to serve as Prime Minister and more generally leader of the country through this crisis. With the Presidency vacant and President of the Senate Monnerville not present, the responsibility falls to the Government, and the most responsible minister of such, Messemer, has stepped forward to act as President. We shall guide the country through this crisis and towards a peaceful resolution. We are not saying this from the UDR, or any other party - we are Frenchmen above all, and we hope all Frenchmen can rally behind us: Gaullist, Centrist, Socialist, Communist, poor, rich, young, old. While de Gaulle may no longer be with us, his spirit still embraces France. We appeal to those in the streets: Yes. Change is possible. We sympathize with your struggles, and want you to know that they have real weight, they matter to us. We appeal to those afraid in their houses: We understand. You are scared There are certainly malicious actors that seek death and destruction. Do not think we are for them, we are for order and peace, but we are also for measured change and hope for the future. We are the Front for the Salvation of France, and we hope you'll join us in our efforts to save and progress Liberte, Egailte, and Fraternite. Thank you."
-Grimaud's address to France on the formation of the Front for the Salvation of France, also known as 'The Salvation Address'
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We're finally back on track! And don't worry, Friday's update will be longer.