History of Aquitaine
The 19th century saw many changes: Napoleon and his Empire, two Restorations of the Bourbon princes and then Empire again with Napoleon III…
The previously dynamic economy of Aquitaine was hit hard, first of all by the blockades and requisitions of the Napoleonic Wars, then by growing English domination of maritime trade, and lastly because the industrial revolution did not gain a firm foothold in the region.
But things were not all so bad for the people of Aquitaine! The people of the Landes were benefiting from the transformation of the region’s marshlands into one of the largest forests in Europe, and the hub of the local economy. In Perigord, they were playing their role in the construction of the railroads (Bordeaux-Paris 1848). Basques and Béarnais, meanwhile, were seeing the arrival of the first tourists coming to enjoy the benefits of spa towns and seaside resorts, led by Eugenie – the wife of Napoleon III.
The outstanding dates in history before we reach our present century were without a doubt those of the two world wars. In 1914, Bordeaux played host to the French government for a few days. And in 1940, in the wake of the capitulation of France, Charles De Gaulle flew to England from the airport of Bordeaux in Mérignac, on 16 June.
In the period between the wars, Aquitaine developed a passion for all things aeronautical. Aviator Hélène Boucher practised her flying skills in Mont-de-Marsan, the famous aircraft La Croix du Sud, flown by Mermoz, came out of the factory in Biscarrosse, and the Société Nationale de Construction Aéronautique du Sud-Ouest, later to become Dassault, developed its activities with eight factories at its peak in 1940.
Today, aerospace is still one of the key sectors in the region, employing many in Aquitaine. Other dynamic sectors are agriculture, wine, the food industry and wood, along with tourism and the tertiary sector in general.
Perhaps some of the region’s 21st-century inhabitants will be lucky enough to become webmasters here at the Regional Tourist Board.
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