How the Eiffel Tower Almost Wasn't Built: The Controversy That Defined Modern France

The Eiffel Tower, the ultimate symbol of Paris, was almost never built. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the furious public debate that surrounded Gustave Eiffel's audacious project for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. They delve into the protests of the 'Committee of Three Hundred'—a group of artists and intellectuals who denounced the tower as a 'monstrous' blot on the cityscape—and examine how the tower became a lightning rod for deeper tensions in the Third Republic: between tradition and modernity, art and industry, and the legacy of the French Revolution. Along the way, they discuss the tower's innovative construction, its role as a wireless telegraph station, and how it was saved from demolition to become a beloved icon. This episode offers a fresh angle on a familiar landmark, revealing the controversy that shaped not just a monument, but modern France's identity. #EiffelTower #GustaveEiffel #ExpositionUniverselle1889 #ThirdRepublic #Paris #HistoryOfFrance #FrenchArt #IndustrialRevolution #CommitteeOfThreeHundred #JulesVerne #CharlesGarnier #ModernArchitecture #BellePoque #WorldsFair #FrenchHistory #Controversy #History #FexingoHistory #FrenchRevolution #NapoleonBonaparte Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo