The Universal exhibition of 1889 took place in Paris during the third French Republic. It was managed by Charles Adolphe Aphand, George Berger, Charles Garnier and Gustave Eiffel. The opening ceremony took place on the sixth of May 1889 and it closed on the thirty-first of October 1889. We are going to tell the story of the Universal exhibition of 1889.

The context :

        -The political instability:

In 1889 the universal exhibition of Paris took place during a French politic al crisis. Indeed, the third French Republic had been run by four Prime ministers during its preparation. During the opening ceremony President Carnot was the victim of an assassination attempt. French politics were very unstable at that time.

                            -Criticisms :

         The universal exhibition of Paris was very criticized, by the monarchies of Europe and by lots of artists. So the monarchies of Europe, considered that manifestation as a republican propaganda because it celebrated the centenary of the French revolution of 1789. Besides the Eiffel tower in itself was criticized the artists. Indeed, they considered steel was not a noble material, likely to make a work of art.

                   The making :

                            -Technical progress :

         Every universal Exhibition permitted to discover some new techniques that of 1889 was no exception. It was at that moment that Edison presented his phonograph and the electric lighting. The German Benz  presented the first petrol car. These three inventions were real revolutions for mankind.

                            -The building :

During this exhibition, people discovered improvements for buildings. The buildings, until that moment, were all made of plaster, bricks or stones. Gustave Eiffel, with his metallic Tower, showed iron could be controlled. The palace of machines, highlighted the control on steam, on screws, on gears, on pistons and on glass. Thus, the universal exhibition allowed man to show technological progress.

                   A great success :

                            -Its popularity :

At the time, the entire world was talking about the 1889 universal exhibition. Indeed it was the most popular of all with 32,250,000 visitors. That year, 49 countries took part in it and 60,000 exhibitors were there.

                            -Its heritage 

         Nowadays, the exhibition has left us the Eiffel Tower as our heritage, whereas it should have been destroyed, just as the palace of the machines was. The Eiffel Tower is now one of the most visited monuments of the world. We have also inherited the technical progress of that time.

         The 1889 universal exhibition started in an atmosphere of political crisis in France but, in spite of this, it met a great success which contributed to the expansion of France. It also permitted to develop building methods.