The Debacle
Quick Summary
La Débâcle (1892) is a novel by Émile Zola that is part of his 20-novel series, the Rougon-Macquart cycle. The series chronicles the natural and social history of a family under the Second French Empire.123
La Débâcle specifically depicts the defeat of the French army by the Germans during the Battle of Sedan in 1870, and the subsequent anarchist uprising known as the Paris Commune. Zola uses multiple character perspectives to capture the war's events and the social upheaval that followed. The novel is known for its detailed portrayal of military and civilian experiences during this tumultuous period in French history.132
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Émile ZolaLifeHis novel La Débâcle (1892), which was openly critical of the French army and government actions during the Franco-German War (1870–71), drew vitriolic criticism from French and Germans alike. Despite Zola’s undisputed prominence, he was never elected to the French Academy, although he was nominated on no…
Read MoreHis novel La Débâcle (1892), which was openly critical of the French army and government actions during the Franco-German War (1870–71), drew vitriolic criticism from French and Germans alike. Despite Zola’s undisputed prominence, he was never elected to the French Academy, although he was nominated on no…
Read More- Émile ZolaLes Rougon-Macquart
La Débâcle (1892; The Debacle) traces both the defeat of the French army by the Germans at the Battle of Sedan in 1870 and the anarchist uprising of the Paris Commune. Zola superimposes the viewpoints of numerous characters to capture the vividness of individual vision while at the…
Read MoreLa Débâcle (1892; The Debacle) traces both the defeat of the French army by the Germans at the Battle of Sedan in 1870 and the anarchist uprising of the Paris Commune. Zola superimposes the viewpoints of numerous characters to capture the vividness of individual vision while at the…
Read More