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Introduction to Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux is a city in southwestern France, the capital of the Région Nouvelle Aquitaine and the capital of the Gironde (33) department. Bordeaux is an important industrial and commercial city in southwestern France, as well as the political, economic, cultural, transportation and educational center of this region.

Bordeaux was once the capital of the old French province of Guienne, historically part of the Gascogne region. Bordeaux is a European military and aviation research and manufacturing center, as well as the core of France’s strategic nuclear bomb research and physical experiments.

The Bordeaux region is rich in tourism resources and has many beautifully preserved medieval castles. Bordeaux is therefore also known as the World Wine Center . Every two years, the Bordeaux Wine Industry Association holds a grand international wine exhibition – Vinexpo.

History

Bordeaux was founded by the Celts around 300 BC and called it “Burdigala”. He means “dwelling in low-lying places”. The name speaks to the geography of Bordeaux. With the evolution of history, “Burdigala” gradually became “Bordigala”, “Bordale”, “Bordèu”, and finally “Bordeaux” (Bordeaux). In 60 BC, Bordeaux was ruled by the Romans. At that time it was already a bustling port called Budigala. Especially with Spain and Britain.

During the imperial period, this place was the capital of the province of Aquitania, which stretched from the Pyrenees to the Loire. Emperor Diocletian, with its vastness, once divided the province into three, and the scholar Desimus. Magnus Orsonius grew up in the city, which he described as square, surrounded by walls, and the main educational center of Gaul. After the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a period of political turmoil around Bordeaux.

In 732, Abdul Rahman’s army sacked Bordeaux after defeating the Duke of Oude. Subsequently, Bordeaux was patronized by pirates. It was not until the early 10th century, when the dukes of Aquitaine made it a duchy, that the situation in the area returned to stability.

Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited the Duchy and married Henry, Earl of the Plantagenet dynasty. In 1154, her husband succeeded to the English throne as Henry II, and Bordeaux became a British territory. It was not until the Hundred Years War that Edward the Black Prince used it as a base for 20 years and was respected by the locals, and his son Richard II was also born here. During the reign of England, the place enjoyed great freedom.

From 1235 onwards, the mayor was elected. The city and the ports of England flourished in trade, and even took the surrounding towns of Saint Emilion and Libourne to participate in Bordeaux. leading alliance. The city was annexed to France after the French defeated the English at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. The 17th century was a period of turmoil, because of the French religious wars, the city’s citizens were slaughtered and trade declined.

It was revived in the 18th century through triangular trade, which shipped arms and wine to Africa in exchange for slave trade to the West Indies, bringing back sugar and coffee, and many of the city centre buildings were built from that period.

The Gironde party was founded here during the French Revolution, but the party suffered severe setbacks during the period of terror. During the Napoleonic Wars, due to the British blockade, Bordeaux was in a difficult situation. In 1814, he announced his support for the Bourbon family, prompting Louis XVIII to make his nephew the Duke of Bordeaux.

With the laying of railways, port facilities were greatly improved, trade with West Africa and South America increased, and the city prospered. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, the French government moved the capital to Bordeaux for the first time as the Germans approached Tours. After the outbreak of the First World War, in August 1914, the German army approached Paris, and the French government moved the capital to Bordeaux for the second time.

After the outbreak of World War II, in June 1940, the German army occupied Paris, and the French government first moved to Tours, and then to Bordeaux for the third time. A minority led by Prime Minister Paul Reynolds called for a fight to the death and asked for emergency aid from Britain and the United States.

His supporters included Charles de Gaulle and Mandale, but they were overthrown within days. Bordeaux surrendered after being bombed by the Germans and then bombed by the Allies for becoming German submarines and air bases. In August 1944, the city was liberated mainly by French troops. After 1945, the city continued to expand with many new suburbs. In 1801, the city had only 90,000 people, in 1901 there were 250,000, and in 2001 it was over 900,000.

It is the birthplace of the Girondists of the French Revolution and the hometown of outstanding figures such as Montesquieu and Montaigne.