Seventy-five thousand soldiers once laid siege to a fortified town. That siege wasn’t on Rue du 14 Juillet. Let’s talk about Lille’s history and how it intertwines with the spirit of this very street.
Rue du 14 Juillet likely echoes with tales of resilience. Lille has seen sieges. It was taken by Vauban in 1667 and became French. However, discontent rippled through the people of Lille.
Vauban improved the city’s fortifications. This encompassed new districts. The Duke of Marlborough besieged Lille in 1708. Marshal de Boufflers commanded the Lille garrison numbering 15000 men. Boufflers surrendered. Coalition troops occupied the city for five years. Lille was returned to France in 1713.
In 1792, the Austrians besieged Lille again. Bombardment lasted from September 29 to October 3. The people of Lille resisted. Mayor François André led them. Albert de Saxe-Teschen lifted the siege on October 8. The National Convention decreed that Lille “has well deserved its fatherland.”
Now think about the people walking on Rue du 14 Juillet. They may recall stories of World War I. Lille was declared an “open city” on August 1 1914. The city regained strategic importance. German occupation lasted from 1914 to 1918. The people of Lille suffered atrocities. Louise de Bettignies and Léon Trulin resisted.
The “eighteen bridges ammunition depot” exploded in 1916. The explosion destroyed factories and houses. Civilians died. Was it sabotage or an accident?
The city was liberated in 1918 by British troops. The Lille crowd was jubilant. General Birdwood was made an honorary citizen of Lille.
The conclusion of the Munich Agreement brought relief in 1938. The town council named a street after Neville Chamberlain. This street was not Rue du 14 Juillet.
Rue du 14 Juillet may be named to honor the spirit of liberation. The echoes of resistance can still be heard. The street is now a place of everyday life. People walk along it without thinking about its rich history. Yet it is important not to forget it.