Alcohol Prohibition in France

[Hnau]

I watched a documentary that in the big cities of the United States, during the Prohibition days, a lot of money was spent in creating secret underground rooms under the urban sprawl for speak-easies and alcohol brewing, storing and trafficking. Tunnels were created for transportation in this literal underworld, entire mazes of rooms and tunnels for the alcohol trade. It was a big deal and has left a lasting imprint on many American cities. Just google it if you want to find out more.

I've always been interested in the Parisian Underground. Fascinating place... my goal is to make it even more fascinating by making it bigger and to harbor more secrets. Just plunge France into Prohibition, and its likely that the Parisian Underground would expand.

So, unrelated to my goal, how would Prohibition come to France? Almost all countries that abolished alcohol were Protestant-dominant, barring Muslim countries... how would a Catholic country ban alcohol? Any ideas?

 

[MrP]

Well, I s'pose you could have a look at the radical elements in the French government. There was trouble replacing Joffre in WWI because several of the candidate generals were "devout Catholics" and thus unacceptable to the anti-clerical faction. But I think it'd be jolly tricky to do since wine was and is such a big thing in France and the country had economic woes during this period anyway.

ISTR seeing some balkanised France post-CP victory map. If you lop off major wine-growing bits and have Paris separate from them and run by some chaps who dislike wine (for whatever reason), you might have some luck. But I can't say I'm optimistic.

 

[Hendryk]

I'm reminded of this poster:

 

[Hnau]

I read about Absinthe prohibition in France... when did that take place exactly? Maybe we could spin that into something more serious...

 

[Hendryk]

I read about Absinthe prohibition in France... when did that take place exactly?

In 1915. But while the government did that to fight alcoholism, it was also intended to support wine producers

While several organizations lobbied the government to enact stricter legislation against alcoholism at the turn of the 20th century, they mostly targeted the stronger liquors. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about the issue, but AFAIK there was no serious call to ban all alcoholic drinks. Wine--and beer in northern France--was simply too much a part of life.

 

[Fellatio Nelson]

Absinthe was also blamed for French soldiers returning to the trenches still drunk from leave. Not the machines guns or artillery.

And the wine growers made a big thing out of a drunken brute who killed his wife and kids back in c.1905, after having been drinking all day. Apparently he'd drunk beer and wine too, but the absinthe he had with it was blamed.

 

[Dan1988]

I'm reminded of this poster:

I guess Québec is lucky that they didn't have anything like that.

 

[Hnau]

Well, what if there was only a limited prohibition of all alcoholic drinks except for wine? That's possible, is it not?

 

[Mark E.]

I think Quebec banned distilled liquor for a short time.

Before the 19th century, prohibition (where enacted) usually applied to distilled liquor only, not beer and wine. Even the devout Puritans drank beer.

As for France, prohibition of wine and beer would be quite a stretch.