Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera

Template:Infobox political party Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera (French idiom, meaning "God helps those who help themselves"; literally, "Help yourself, heaven shall help you"), simply called Aide-toi, was a French society that aimed to stir up the electorate against the government during the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830).

History

The term "Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera" began to be used by some political writers around 1824, and became the motto and title of the Aide-toi society. The purpose was to create opposition to the government by strictly legitimate means, mainly letters and political journals. The founders and active members were mostly from the Doctrinaires party, including François Guizot, who was president for some time, Tanneguy Duchâtel, Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne, Paul-François Dubois, Charles de Rémusat, Adolphe Thiers and Éléonore-Louis Godefroi Cavaignac.Template:Sfn

The association's organ was first Le Globe and then Le National.Template:Sfn Charles Renouard was among the liberals who opposed the Bourbon Restoration.Template:Sfn He was a member of the "Aide-toi" society and participated in the creation of the Globe. He was the lawyer for this journal, and contributed to it regularly from 1825 to 1827.Template:Sfn

Although intimate with Lafayette and others, the lawyer Odilon Barrot (1797–1877) took no share in their schemes for the overthrow of the government, but in 1827 joined the Aide-toi association.Template:Sfn Aide-toi supported liberal candidates in the 1827 elections.Template:Sfn The society was very influential in causing the July Revolution in 1830.Template:Sfn It gave a banquet presided over by Barrot for the 221 deputies who had signed the address of March 1830 to Charles X, and threatened to reply to force by force.Template:Sfn The society was allowed at first by the new government, but was dissolved in 1832.Template:Sfn

Steering committees

First committee	Template:Flatlist
Second committee	Template:Flatlist
Third committee (from the advent of the Martignac ministry)	Template:Flatlist
Fourth committee (in July 1830)	Template:Flatlist
Fifth committee (from August 1830)	Template:Flatlist

Sources

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  • Odilon Barrot, Mémoires (edited by Duvergier de Hauranne), 4 vols., 1875–1876. His personal relations with Louis Philippe and Napoleon, with his views on the events in which he was concerned, are described here.
  • Thureau-Dangin, Hist. de la monarchie de juillet
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