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. The history of the paris commune of 1871 by march, thomas. Firstly, and most obviously, you generally know how it ends badly, in the case of the paris commune. Combining claims about the importance of truth and. The paris commune was described by marx himself as a sphinx karl marx and friedrich engels, on the paris commune, moscow, 1971, p. Was there anything actually successful about the paris. Publication date 1896 topics paris france history commune, 1871 publisher. The civil war in france was originally published by marx as only the third address here comprising chapters 3 through 6 separated into four chapters. The parisian workers strove, in extremely difficult.
In march of 1871, the citizens of paris declined the authority of the french government. The paris commune arose in 1871 as the victorious prussians. Paris commune and attempts by parisian mayors to mediate between. Roar editor jerome roos spoke to her about the communes legacy, its impact on 19 th century radical thought, and the revival of. Kristin ross is professor of comparative literature at new york university. It is also possible to combine work with borndigital sources with issues. The paris commune lasted for only 64 days in 1871, but during that short time it gave rise to some of the grandest political dreams of the nineteenth centurybefore culminating in horrific violence. May 16, 2001 the paris commune of 1871 was one of the greatest and most inspiring episodes in the history of the working class.
One of three classes into which french society was divided before. The paris commune of 1871 arose, victoriously from the ruins of the second empire and, after seventytwo epochmaking days, it succumbed heroically under the hail of bullets of the versailles counterrevolution. And after bakunins death in 1876 this position was developed furtherespecially in switzerland by refugees from the paris commune such as elisee reclus. On march 18th of 1871, radical workers and artisans organized in the national guard decisively took control of the city as the regular french army fled. Gould university of chicago although sociologists increasingly recognize the importance of networks in social movement mobilization, efforts to understand networkfactors have been hampered by the operationalization of network factors as individuallevel variables. The commune of 1871 was the first real attempt at a new working class society. Marxs tribute at the close of his historic address testifies to the fealty of the worlds proletariat to the memory of the valiant communards and to the cause in behalf of which they fought. Karl marx and the paris commune clr james from 18 march 1946 issue of labor action, newspaper of the workers party of the united states c. Apr 15, 2016 the paris commune was in essence the first large scale experiment in socialist governance.
The republican alliance, joining with the clubs and the vigilance committees, planned a new uprising which was swiftly suppressed on the 22. However, anarchists argue that the commune did not go far enough. The impact of the paris commune in the united states. The role of british and american newspapers and periodicals. But even more important for my understanding was the dramatic, fully documented and very clearly explained exhibit at. The city of paris was built for defence against various threats. In my book, the paris commune reemerges freed from that historiography, and offering a clear alternative to the centralism of the socialist state. At the same time the commune has never, in my opinion, fit easily into the role that french national history tries to make it play as a kind of radical sequence in the establishment of the republic. Paris commune members, many of whom were called what, considered themselves ordinary patriots. The same thing happened with regard to the principle of government. This new young government took part with the people of paris in building a new kind of society. The paris commune is often said to be the first example of working people taking power.
For this reason it is a highly significant event, even though it is ignored in the french history curriculum. Those in the commune in paris had an average age of 37. Marseilles joining the popular struggle in paris, was sung at the beginning and. The history of the origin of the commune is the history of the fall of the empire of louis napoleon after the francoprussian war. Publication date 1896 topics paris france history commune, 1871. 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 impact of the paris commune in the united states samuel bernstein phe paris correspondent of the new york world reported in april j 1871 that the commune had been plotted by the international work ingmens association. Although it was carved a hundred years later, it is a reliable source to use as it displays the success of the paris. The political nature of the paris commune of 1871 and. This post is getting fairly old, but im going to assume that youd still like an answer. After the defeat of the paris commune, the marxist interpretation of the commune was widely propagated throughout the world, including in china. Shachtmans brief history of the paris commune from his pretrotskyite period.
The representatives of the former government in versailles had an average age of 62. In an historical sketch of the events of the movement known as the paris commune of 1871, it is desirable to start with the endeavour to fix that movement in its true historical perspective. The days of the commune a street production of the play by bert brecht 1949 cardboard is the language of protest zoe beloff and jonathan kahana in conversation zoe beloff is an artist and professor at queens college. In march of that year, the workers of paris, organized into the parisian national guard, defeated troops sent by frances leader, louis thiers, to. Reenacting the paris commune and the battle of stalingrad. The first paris commune was filled with bourgeois delegates and headed by jeansylvain bailly.
Parisian collective memory and the paris commune of 1871. 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. In the words of the most famous anarchist of the time, mikhail bakunin, the paris commune was a clearly formulated negation of the state. Established in paris, it lasted for 72 days march 18 to may 28. What is important is what you learn from the events discussed. The 1871 paris commune, which began during the defeat of the french. The paris commune of 1871 was one of the greatest and most inspiring episodes in the history of the working class. The petty bourgeois radicals and the socialistic idealists, respecting legality and the men who embodied a portion of the legal state the deputies, the mayors, etc.
Manifesto of the paris communes federation of artists. Those within the commune didnt break with the ideas of representative government. The paris commune became insurrectionary in the summer of 1792, essentially refusing to take orders from the central french government. Thanks to the economic and political development of. The working class people were able to replace the state government with their own branch of government and held power until.
Speech made in a womens club, the communards of paris, 108. A brief history of the worlds first socialist working class uprising. The commune was, in a far higher sense than the june insurrection of 1848, the most tremendous event in the. Following the disastrous french defeat in the francoprussian war, hungry and politically disenchanted parisians took up arms against their. Workingmens paris, with its commune, will be forever celebrated. The paris commune is an epochmaking achievement of the revolutionary working class. It lasted for nine weeks, until government troops led by adolphe thiers. The paris commune in shanghai dukespace duke university. Multiple networks and mobilization in the paris commune, 1871. The many fortresses on this map illustrate one aspect of this fact, but the city itself was constantly being rebuilt throughout the 19th century to better defend the central government against the population of the city itselfand the population occasionally rearranged the city to defend itself against the government. The paris commune, marxism and anarchism there are a few sure things about reading history books. Anniversaries of the commune, like other anniversaries of notable events in socialist and labor history, have been occasions to celebrate workingclass. The paris commune of 1871 arose victoriously from the ruins of the second empire and, after seventytwo epochmaking days, it succumbed heroically under the hail of bullets of the versailles counterrevolution. He was a pioneer in the development of a revolutionary socialist current within the international which advocated the abolition of the capitalist.
The paris commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western europe ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. Days later, the commune was elected, immediately declari. The parisians, reeling from defeat in the francoprussian war set up their own revolutionary administration. The workers of paris, joined by mutinous national guardsmen. It occurred in the wake of frances defeat in the francogerman war and the collapse of napoleon iiis second empire 185270. On karl marx and the 75th anniversary of the paris commune. Sep 29, 20 the paris commune 1871 one of the most inspiring and greatest events for the working class in history is the paris commune of 1871.
Paris commune 1871 bibliography of works in english this is a work in progress please contact me with corrections and suggested additions. 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. The founding of the paris commune was a natural historical phenomenon evoked by the profound social contradictions in french society. On karl marx and the 75th anniversary of the paris commune the american working class is not yet as familiar as the european working class with. The power of bonapartism, which had skilfully utilized the struggles of the classes to perpetuate its own rule was being confronted by the. By proclaiming the freecommune,thepeopleofparisproclaimedanessentialanarchistprinciple,whichwasthe. Th the paris commune y max shachtman the fall of second empire. French revolutionary thought after the paris commune, 18711885. Th paris commune y max shachtman the fall of second empire.
Paris commune of 1871 the first proletarian revolution and the first government of the working class. The paris commune, 1871, reissed as the fall of paris, the seige and the commune, 18701871 penguin, alistair horne recounts how maenads from the mob squatted and urinated upon them. The commune also did away with the old kind of bureaucratic government. Manifesto of the paris communes federation of artists red. The civil war in france the paris commune chapter was. Lessons from the paris commune university of oxford. The paris commune during the french revolution was the government of paris from 1792 until 1795. The commune was, in a far higher sense than the june insurrection of 1848, the most. The paris commune became insurrectionary in the summer of 1792, essentially refusing to take orders. It only lasted a mere two months, but its legacy has set the ground work for every worker revolution to come. Space limitations prevented me from including anything written by eugene varlin 18391871, an outstanding member of the paris section, and later federation, of the international. 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. The paris commune was a popularled democratic government that ruled paris from march 18 to may 28, 1871.
The fall of france and the formation of the paris commune. The paris commune was the municipal government of the french capital, formed after the overthrow of the citys bureau and provost of merchants on july 14th 1789. In 1891, on the 20th anniversary of the paris commune, engels put together a new collection of the work. Never has a revolution more surprised the revolutionaries. The paris commune 1871 one of the most inspiring and greatest events for the working class in history is the paris commune of 1871. 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 political imaginary of the paris commune verso, 2015, is a masterful study of the ideas and aspirations driving the historic revolt. She works across a range of media including film, projection performance, installation and drawing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Commune tried to combine the various small associations of workers into. The paris commune has always had a special place in the hearts and minds of revolutionaries, and can inspire todays activist generation with the potential for power to the people. Karl marx, excerpts from the civil war in france in the marxengels reader, 639. Now, the paris commune occupies a peculiar position in the history of the proletarian movement. The paris commune was in essence the first large scale experiment in socialist governance.