Historical Background
Because the financial world is closely linked with politics, L’argent encompasses many historical events, including:
- The 1860 Druze massacre of Maronite Christians in Syria
- France's invasion of Mexico (1861-1867)
- The construction of the Suez Canal, opened in 1869
- The Austro-Prussian War, including the Battle of Königgrätz at Sadowa in 1866
- The Third Italian War of Independence (1866)
- The Universal Exposition of 1867
- The publication of Das Kapital in 1867 and the advent of Marxism
- The 1882 collapse of the Union Générale bank
By the end of the novel, the stage is set for the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and the fall of the Second Empire.
Read more about this topic: L'Argent
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