Aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera ( French idiom, meaning "

God helps those who help themselves The phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is a motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency. The expression is known around the world and is used to inspire people for self-help. The phrase originated in ancient Greec ...

"; literally, "Help yourself,

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

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 During the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830) and the July Monarchy (1830–1848), the Doctrinals (french: doctrinaires) were a group of French royalists who hoped to reconcile the monarchy with the French Revolution and power with liberty. Hea ...

party, including

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics prior to the Revolution of 1848. A conservative liberal who opposed the a ...

, who was president for some time,

Tanneguy Duchâtel Count Charles Marie Tanneguy Duchâtel (19 February 1803, Paris – 5 November 1867, Paris) was a French politician. He was Minister of the Interior in the Cabinet of François-Pierre Guizot (19 September 1847 to 24 February 1848), losing off ...

, Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne, Paul-François Dubois, Charles de Rémusat,

Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( , ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian. He was the second elected President of France and first President of the French Third Republic. Thiers was a key figure in the July Rev ...

and Éléonore-Louis Godefroi Cavaignac. The association's organ was first ''

Le Globe ''Le Globe'' was a French newspaper, published in Paris by the Bureau du Globe between 1824 and 1832, and created with the goal of publishing Romantic creations. It was established by Pierre Leroux and the printer Alexandre Lachevardière. Afte ...

'' and then ''Le National''. Charles Renouard was among the liberals who opposed the Bourbon Restoration. 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. Although intimate with Lafayette and others, the lawyer

Odilon Barrot Camille Hyacinthe Odilon Barrot (; 19 July 1791 – 6 August 1873) was a French politician who was briefly head of the council of ministers under President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1848–49. Early life Barrot was born at Villefort, Lozè ...

(1797–1877) took no share in their schemes for the overthrow of the government, but in 1827 joined the Aide-toi association. Aide-toi supported liberal candidates in the 1827 elections. The society was very influential in causing the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (french: révolution de Juillet), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after the first in 1789. It led to the overthrow of King ...

in 1830. 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. The society was allowed at first by the new government, but was dissolved in 1832.

Steering committees

References

Sources

* * which in turn cites: ** 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'' * * {{Tax resistance Bourbon Restoration French political catchphrases 1820s neologisms