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Abstract At the turn of the twentieth century, Parisians believed they lived in the greatest city in the world. But Paris came to a halt in January 1910 when the river that provided much of the cityˇ¦s life quickly became an instrument of destruction. Following weeks of torrential rainfall, the Seine overflowed its banks flooding thousands of homes and sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing for safety and higher ground. This most modern of cities seemed to have lost its battle with the elements. But in the midst of the disaster, despite decades of political division, scandal, and deep tensions between social classes, Parisians rallied to help one another and rebuild. Leaders and people answered the call to action in the cityˇ¦s hour of need. This newfound ability to work together proved crucial just four years later when France was plunged into the depths of World War I. Jeffrey H. Jackson is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Environmental Studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of Paris Under Water: How the City of Light Survived the Great Flood of 1910 as well as Making Jazz French: Music and Modern Life in Interwar Paris and co-editor of Music and History: Bridging the Disciplines.
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