Paris Commune

[ComradeRed]

k, i found this kick ass map
http://www.marxists.org/glossary/orgs/p/pics/paris-commune.jpg
but i need excrutiating detail, thanx comrades!

[Solace]

Details about what? For what? I don't understand.

[Hawker]

What the heck is this for?Looks to me like a battle map during the Siege of Paris during Napoleon's reign.

[ComradeRed]

really, i thought it was the defence of the paris commune.
But, i need to write something on the paris commune that is "unbiased".

[ComradeRed]

BTW, look at the key, i never knew the communards were in the napoleonic era.

[Monty Cantsin]

' i need to write something on the paris commune that is "unbiased"."

when did someone say that you write biase? or is it just cos there right wing fucks.

[ComradeRed]

there is going to be a AP European History class next year, which I want to take. But I have to write a paper on an event in europe, I chose the Paris Commune.

[Solace]

I’m not sure whether this is going to be helpful or not, but eh…

Marx published in 1867 the first chapter of Das Kapital.

Very disappointed by Napoleon III’s repressive policies, workers and small independent producers revolted during the franco-prussien war, in 1871.

In March of the same years, workers overthrew the government and took power. By making decision in a very democratic way, they made the Paris Commune. Marx declared in the name of the International that it was the first example of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the first example of socialism. It is said that the workers were governing themselves.

They voted many decrees on various subjects such as the max wages, the separation of the church and the state, the return of workers associations…). They got problems with the formation of the Comité du salut public; was it going to be a dictatorship (centralised powers) or the anarchy?

Two months after the creation of the Paris commune, the French and the Prussian armies united themselves against the workers. That was just sickening; they were ready to do everything to smash them. They entered in Paris in May 21st. It didn’t take much time for the armies to make the commune collapse. I think that if the workers had nationalised the Bank and the major firms, they would had a certain chance to win. But they didn’t. What followed was worse than anything seen during the French revolution in 1789. If I am not wrong, more than 100 000 were killed and thousands were sent to exil.

I don’t remember who said this, after the Commune ended:

“Paris is now free. The struggle has finally ended. Order, work and security will reign once more.”

Sickening. Simply sickening.

Marx then decided to translate his writings in French, he was helped by an ex-communard.

[Pete]

Okay I love maps, and I can read them too.

This is a map of Paris in 1871, from April to May

Versailles means the Government of France (I forget who it was.. I think it was a coalition of Monarchists and Republicans, as Napoleon III was captured by the Prussians during a war and was deposed). They are BLUE.

Communaltards means the forces of the Paris Commune. They are RED.

Prussians means Prussia, who France was at war with over a stupid not-even slight. This is the time of the Franco-Prussian war, we see the stupidity of Nobility leading to war and France lost this one badly. Soon Prussia will become the German Empire. They are BLACK.

The situation: The people of Paris, treated like shit by liberals and monarchists alike have been starving and
under war preasure. They rose up against the French Government and declared themselves AUTONOMOUS. A few other cities in the South of France did the same.

Problem: The French government and some reserve troops are in Versailles, which is near by and where the Imperial Court is. Also, the Prussians have been defeathing the French in the was, and are now marching on Paris.

So the outer wall of RED is the Commune's first positions, the BLUE arrows are the Versailles movement, coming from Versailles in the South West corner of the map.

Use the legend to see troop movement, but basically by May 20 the Commune had been pushed back, and the Versaille had moved Alterillery in and could easily bombard the Commune positions and towns.

The broken Red and Blue line things show the positions on the 20th of May 1871. Notice the Prussians seem
to be content to allow the French to fight amongst themselves.

Inside Paris the Red things are Blocades, and that is where the street fighting was done in 1830 and 1848 aswell. Read Les Miserables for an idea about how that turned out.

The solid thick blue arrows are the movement of the Versailes troops on the 21st of May, strangely enough you can see them coming from the Prussian lines. I guess they felt that a Republican government was better
than a bunch of Autonomous groups.

The Commune did hold out for some time afterwards though. Remember that.

Basically the Commune was slaughtered. Quite high death tolls.

The side effects? Under Prussian supervision a new government with the powers to make international
Treaties was elected, it was made up of Royalists because they promoted peace where ase the Liberals promoted War. And War is bad when the Enemy is occupying your capital.

Basically the Royalists made peace, lost Alsace and Lorainne, then went around looking for a new king and ever found it.

And thus the French Republic.


I could have a few inaccuarcies here, but this is going from the top of my head and we all make mistakes.

-Pete

[ComradeRed]

i found some stuff at marxist.com after extensive searching
http://www.marxists.org/history/france/arc...garay/index.htm (http://www.marxists.org/history/france/archive/lissagaray/index.htm)
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works...rance/index.htm (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1871/civil-war-france/index.htm)