Barricade

Barricade (from the French barrique - 'barrel') is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction.

Contrary to a number of historical sources, barricades were present in various incidents of the great French Revolution of 1789, but they never played a central role in those events.

They were, however, a highly visible and consequential element in many of the insurrections that occurred in France throughout the 1800s, including in the revolutions of 1830 ("the July Days") and 1848 (in both February and June.)

Other Parisian events included the June Rebellion of 1832, which was smaller in scale, but rendered famous by Victor Hugo's account in Les Misérables, the combat that ended the Paris Commune in May 1871, and the more symbolic structures created in May 1968.

Its spread across the Continent was aided by the circulation of students, political refugees, and itinerant workers through the French capital, where many gained first-hand experience of one or another Parisian insurrection.