The paris commune is often said to be the first example of working people taking power. The paris commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western europe ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. The paris commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western europe, ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. Moreover there are certain aspects of the crisis of 1870 through 1871 which are open. Following her penal transportation she embraced anarchism. This article was published on the iwls theoretical magazine marxism alive n. The life and death of the paris commune by john merriman. The life and death of the paris commune of 1871 by john merriman. In 1871, the working class of paris, incensed by their lack of political power and tired of being exploited, seized control of the capital.
It occurred in the wake of frances defeat in the francogerman war and the collapse of napoleon iiis second empire 185270. The paris commune, functioning between march 18 to may 28 of 1871, was spawned by the francoprussian war. Despite lasting just 72 days, those few short months in 1871 were felt across the world. He was the author of numerous books including no one left to lie to, for the sake of argument, prepared for the worst, god is not great, hitch22. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the four great traumas that. Profoundly internationalist and including in its leadership a number of inspirational female revolutionaries, the commune opened up new emancipatory and libertarian possibilities and tools that. The parisian workers strove, in extremely difficult circumstances, to. The parisians, reeling from defeat in the francoprussian war set up their own revolutionary administration. Commune of paris, 1871, insurrection of paris against the french government from march 18 to may 28, 1871. The paris commune and the anarchist movement, freedom pamphlet no. Germanys victory created discontent among the parisian workers who were already unhappy over growing economic inequality and food shortages. When blood flowed in paris streets washington post.
In a tremendous revolutionary movement, the working people of paris replaced the capitalist state with their own organs of government and held political power until their downfall in the last week of may. Why does an organization of short duration and subject to savage reprisals still. The first few chapters of this book are all about the paris commune, and the rest of the book tracks the lives of paschal grousset, henri rochefort, louise michel, and many of the other paris communards, in addition to building up a general history of the anarchist movement from 1871 to 1914. Louise michel and the paris commune of 1871 workers world. An anarchist analysis of the paris commune of 1871, showing how it was.
The paris commune of 1871, the first instance of a workingclass seizure of power, has been subject to countless interpretations. From 18 march to 28 may 1871, the two million residents of paris ran their city as an autonomous commune, established fortythree worker. On 18 march 1871, enormous sections of the parisian working. But in 1871 the people of paris, who have overthrown so many governments, were making only their first attempt to rebel against the governmental system itself. The paris commune, marxism and anarchism anarchist writers. For this reason it is a highly significant event, even though it is ignored in the french history curriculum. There is no more reason for a government inside a commune than for a government above the commune. The commune of paris, the child of a period of transition, born beneath the prussian guns, was doomed to perish. What is most obvious is how ignorant most marxists are on this. The paris commune and the anarchist movement by nicholas walter. It stands alongside the 1789 revolution, the ascent of vichy, in 1940, and odd though it. This volume provides a comprehensive synthesis of the flood of recent research on the paris commune. These writings seek the illuminate the place of the commune within the global history of working peoples resistance. The paris commune was a radical socialist and revolutionary government that ruled paris from.
An anarchist and an irrepressible rebel, she spent much of her life on the run from police, in jail, or in danger of being locked away in mental asylums, as was the fate of so many feisty or defiant women. I loved reading this collection of paris commune essays by some of my favorite anarchist thinkers. Benjamin schwartz makes some really astonishing remarks p. A massacre to wipe away the example of the parisian workers in the annals of the years preceding the paris commune, massacres similar to the one that bourgeoisie carried out ferociously after the. Karl marx, excerpts from the civil war in france in the marxengels reader, 639.
Known as the red virgin, louise was a great character from one of the greatest popular rebellions in history. The spirit of an event consecrated in anarchist legend is captured in these documents. The power of bonapartism, which had skilfully utilized the struggles of the classes to perpetuate its own rule was being confronted by the. On the morning of march 18, montmartre wakes to find the walls plastered with a proclamation. Anarchism in france can trace its roots to thinker pierrejoseph proudhon, who grew up during.
There are a few sure things about reading history books. List of books and articles about paris commune online research. It also discusses the marxist and leninist analyses of the commune, showing how alien leninism is to the spirit of the commune and to the genuine marxist theory of the state. Profoundly internationalist and including in its leadership a number of inspirational female revolutionaries, the commune opened up new emancipatory and libertarian possibilities and. Inspired by the marxist politics and revolutionary goals of the international workingmens organization also known as the first international, workers of paris united to overthrow the existing french regime which had failed to protect the city from prussian siege, and formed the first.
Following the 1871 paris commune, the anarchist movement, as the whole of the workers movement, was. The civil war in france by karl marx, history of the paris commune of 1871 by prosperolivier lissagaray, the women incen. The national guard, the workers militia that was defending paris from the besieging prussian army, rang the alarm at dawn. Paris surrendered to the prussians on 28 january 1871, and in february adolphe thiers, the new chief. The paris commune of 1871 played an important role in the development of both anarchist ideas and the movement. Many working class tendencies, anarchist, anarchosyndicalist, left social democratic, communist and left communist justifiably pay homage to the defenders of the paris commune and claim its traditions. The political imaginary of the paris commune by kristin ross. The paris commune was a popularled democratic government that ruled paris from march 18 to may 28, 1871. This book is the outstanding history of the commune, the heroic battles fought in its defence, and the bloody massacre that ended the uprising.
The history of the paris commune of 1871 by prosperolivier. Speech made in a womens club, the communards of paris, 108. The seventythreeday paris commune of 1871, the largest urban insurrection in modern history, was a prelude to the revolutions of this century. It was frances regular army, following orders from the capitalistmonarchist parliament sitting in the parisian suburb of versailles. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the greatest and most inspiring episodes in the history of the working class. An introduction to the commune can be found in section a. The journalist brian doherty has called her the french grande dame of. The paris commune of 1871, an uprising against the french government, erupted after frances humiliating defeat in the francoprussian war. Freedom press london the paris commune freedom anarchist pamphlet. Commune of paris, insurrectionary governments in paris formed during 1792 the french revolution and at the end 1871 of the francoprussian war. The commune of 1871 could be nothing but a first attempt.
The paris commune was one of the most momentous and influential moments in the history of the workers movement. It also discusses the marxist and leninist analyses of the commune, showing how alien leninism is to the spirit of the commune and to. The national assembly, which was elected in february 1871 to. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the four great traumas that shaped modern france. Paris, 1871 is a collection of classic anarchist and.
In patronizing tones, adolphe thiers explains thatfor the sake of public order, democracy, the republic, the economy, and their own skinsthe honest people of paris must turn over the cannons, along with the criminals by whom they have been led astray. Proudhon, marx and the paris commune anarchist writers. The francoprussian war had led to the capture of emperor napoleon iii in september 1870, the collapse of the second french empire, and the beginning of the third republic. Paris commune 1871 bibliography of works in english this is a work in progress please contact me with corrections and suggested additions. The first few chapters of this book are all about the paris commune, and the rest of the book tracks the lives of paschal grousset, henri rochefort, louise michel, and many of the other paris communards, in addition to building up a general history of the anarchist movement from 1871 to 1914 12. The best one ive read on that is the paris commune 1871 by stewart edwards, which comes from a sympathetic antiauthoritarian approach.
An anarchist analysis of the paris commune of 1871, showing how it was influenced by anarchism and what lessons anarchists drew from it. When returning to france she emerged as an important french anarchist and went on speaking tours across europe. Louise michel was the incendiary french leader of the 1871 paris commune. The history of the origin of the commune is the history of the fall of the empire of louis napoleon after the francoprussian war. Correlation between the paris commune and the occupy wall street. Its genesis lies in a list of material in my personal collection and a further list of works i was looking for, hence the lack of some bibliographical details. Frank jellinek did an orthodox communist book with the same name, and alistair horne did a very interesting military history called the fall of. These writings seek the illuminate the place of the commune within the global history of working peoples resistance to. But by its eminently popular character it began a new series of revolutions, by its ideas it was the forerunner of the social revolution. Eyewitness reports, accounts of participants, and archival documents are used by the author to illustrate the many facets of a revolution that was unplanned. On march 18 1871, after france was defeated by prussia in the francoprussian war, the french government sent troops into paris to try and take back. It seems rather curious that a writer claiming to interpret thoughts of mao tsetung nyr, february 8 should apparently be quite ignorant of some of the better known works of marx and lenin.
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