Summary Of Harvey's 'The State Of Paris In 1850'

Paris in 1850 was in an precarious condition. In the Prologue, Harvey compares the state of Paris to a double straitjacket, each of which fortified the other. The first straitjacket refers to the economic crisis that occurred during the late 1840’s. During this time, there appeared to be an upsurge of rural workers coming into Paris from the countryside searching for employment or assistance. With this sudden increase in the population of Paris came a high rate of unemployment and an overaccumulation of capital wealth. This surplus of labour, however, was problematic, since employment was scarce in comparison to the population. Predictably, this situation instigated thoughts of reformations in the capitalist system in place. This economic catastrophe, Harvey argues, is one of the reasons that urged Louis-Napoleon and Haussmann to

Paris was becoming increasingly incompatible with the complexity of capitalist economy in its organization of production and consumption. Streets were overcrowded and obstructed with barriers that made it practically impossible to efficiently run the circulation of goods. Harvey argues that this, in addition to the political and economic circumstances, not only caused confusion and fear that threatened the capitalist system, but also triggered a socialist sentiment that frightened the bourgeoisie. Thus, many of them fled Paris in fear of communist revolution. Harvey claims that in order to ease the social tensions that threatened the city, the Emperor adopted, with the Haussmann’s support, the goal to ameliorate the efficiency of the commerce in Paris and to appease the working classes through the construction of new physical infrastructures. Through the building of a new Paris, the Emperor hoped to gain the favour of both the working class and the bourgeoisie, while also contributing to the improvement of the economic