Delescluze common paris 1871 father duchene marianne ferry. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the four great traumas that. The paris commune, functioning between march 18 to may 28 of 1871, was spawned by the francoprussian war. The paris commune was a popularled democratic government that ruled paris from march 18 to may 28, 1871. Paris, 1871 is a collection of classic anarchist and. The life and death of the paris commune by john merriman. 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. Frank jellinek did an orthodox communist book with the same name, and alistair horne did a very interesting military history called the fall of. Anarchism in france can trace its roots to thinker pierrejoseph proudhon, who grew up during. It occurred in the wake of frances defeat in the francogerman war and the collapse of napoleon iiis second empire 185270.
Commune of paris, 1871, insurrection of paris against the french government from march 18 to may 28, 1871. Louise michel and the paris commune of 1871 workers world. The paris commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western europe ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. Speech made in a womens club, the communards of paris, 108.
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. It also discusses the marxist and leninist analyses of the commune, showing how alien leninism is to the spirit of the commune and to. 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. The paris commune was one of the most momentous and influential moments in the history of the workers movement. Proudhon, marx and the paris commune anarchist writers. The paris commune of 1871, the first instance of a workingclass seizure of power, has been subject to countless interpretations. The national guard, the workers militia that was defending paris from the besieging prussian army, rang the alarm at dawn. On the morning of march 18, montmartre wakes to find the walls plastered with a proclamation. It was frances regular army, following orders from the capitalistmonarchist parliament sitting in the parisian suburb of versailles. This book is the outstanding history of the commune, the heroic battles fought in its defence, and the bloody massacre that ended the uprising. Commune of paris, insurrectionary governments in paris formed during 1792 the french revolution and at the end 1871 of the francoprussian war. From 18 march to 28 may 1871, the two million residents of paris ran their city as an autonomous commune, established fortythree worker.
Paris surrendered to the prussians on 28 january 1871, and in february adolphe thiers, the new chief. 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. The paris commune, marxism and anarchism anarchist writers. The paris commune and the anarchist movement, freedom pamphlet no. The parisian workers strove, in extremely difficult circumstances, to. The commune of 1871 could be nothing but a first attempt.
Germanys victory created discontent among the parisian workers who were already unhappy over growing economic inequality and food shortages. These writings seek the illuminate the place of the commune within the global history of working peoples resistance to. The civil war in france by karl marx, history of the paris commune of 1871 by prosperolivier lissagaray, the women incen. An anarchist analysis of the paris commune of 1871, showing how it was. The paris commune and the anarchist movement by nicholas walter. 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. 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. 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. These writings seek the illuminate the place of the commune within the global history of working peoples resistance. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the four great traumas that shaped modern france. The paris commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western europe, ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. An anarchist analysis of the paris commune of 1871, showing how it was influenced by anarchism and what lessons anarchists drew from it. The parisians, reeling from defeat in the francoprussian war set up their own revolutionary administration. Benjamin schwartz makes some really astonishing remarks p.
The paris commune of 1871 played an important role in the development of both anarchist ideas and the movement. The political imaginary of the paris commune by kristin ross. List of books and articles about paris commune online research. 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 history of the paris commune of 1871 by prosperolivier. When returning to france she emerged as an important french anarchist and went on speaking tours across europe. 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. The power of bonapartism, which had skilfully utilized the struggles of the classes to perpetuate its own rule was being confronted by the. Karl marx, excerpts from the civil war in france in the marxengels reader, 639. Paris commune 1871 bibliography of works in english this is a work in progress please contact me with corrections and suggested additions. Despite lasting just 72 days, those few short months in 1871 were felt across the world. The life and death of the paris commune of 1871 by john merriman. Why does an organization of short duration and subject to savage reprisals still.
It stands alongside the 1789 revolution, the ascent of vichy, in 1940, and odd though it. What is most obvious is how ignorant most marxists are on this. 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. Following her penal transportation she embraced anarchism. Following the 1871 paris commune, the anarchist movement, as the whole of the workers movement, was. In 1871, the working class of paris, incensed by their lack of political power and tired of being exploited, seized control of the capital. Known as the red virgin, louise was a great character from one of the greatest popular rebellions in history. The seventythreeday paris commune of 1871, the largest urban insurrection in modern history, was a prelude to the revolutions of this century. Profoundly internationalist and including in its leadership a number of inspirational female revolutionaries, the commune opened up new emancipatory and libertarian possibilities and. 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. 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. 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. The commune of paris, the child of a period of transition, born beneath the prussian guns, was doomed to perish.
The paris commune of 1871 was one of the greatest and most inspiring episodes in the history of the working class. On 18 march 1871, enormous sections of the parisian working. The spirit of an event consecrated in anarchist legend is captured in these documents. 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 best one ive read on that is the paris commune 1871 by stewart edwards, which comes from a sympathetic antiauthoritarian approach. Eyewitness reports, accounts of participants, and archival documents are used by the author to illustrate the many facets of a revolution that was unplanned. When blood flowed in paris streets washington post. 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.
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. Freedom press london the paris commune freedom anarchist pamphlet. I loved reading this collection of paris commune essays by some of my favorite anarchist thinkers. This article was published on the iwls theoretical magazine marxism alive n. This volume provides a comprehensive synthesis of the flood of recent research on the paris commune. The national assembly, which was elected in february 1871 to. 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. But by its eminently popular character it began a new series of revolutions, by its ideas it was the forerunner of the social revolution. Moreover there are certain aspects of the crisis of 1870 through 1871 which are open. The paris commune is often said to be the first example of working people taking power. Louise michel was the incendiary french leader of the 1871 paris commune. Correlation between the paris commune and the occupy wall street. There are a few sure things about reading history books. The paris commune was a radical socialist and revolutionary government that ruled paris from.
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