Franco-Prussian War.
As a result of being pressured into War with
Prussia without any allies, Nepolean
(ruler of France) was captured in
1871. These events led to the Republic War, however, disaster struck once again
and Paris was sized by the Germans and Prussians, who alongside demanding massive
reparations, also took Alsace and Lorraine.
The French however, in an attempt to resist the
Prussian take-over of Paris, took residence within it. At this point, the
Germans were also surrounding Paris, leading to pandemonium, not to mention a
short supply of sustenance. An armistice was then signed by the French government,
leading to the payment of yet more reparations to Germany. The humiliation
France had suffered in this period of time was immense, and the public were not
remotely impressed.
The Paris Commune
The Paris Commune of 1871 was
hugely important because it is perhaps one of the first examples of the working
class combining forces in an attempt to take power. It therefore also developed the movement of
anarchy, not to mention socialism, and Marx saw it as a confirmation of his
ideas regarding communism.
After being defeated during the
Franco-Prussian war, the French government tried to send in troops to “regain
the Parisian National Guard's cannon to prevent it from falling into the hands
of the population”. The troops however
were met by a huge rowdy crowd, and refusing to fire at their own people, turned
against their officers, beginning the French Commune.
Parisians elected a council
during the free elections, who desired to recreate France as a “confederation
of communes”, in an attempt to create a new society. The commune combined traditional
representative democracy with their new socialist ideas. This angered
anarchists who noticed that the commune was not allowed to act for itself but
instead had to rely on governors. This Council opposed this anarchist minority
and called for it to be defended by the French army, after ignoring the general
public consensus.
On the 21st
of May, Government troops entered the city and fought for a whole week. 30,000
communards met their deaths, and even though the major “event” is ignored on
the French history curriculum, it marks
a massive milestone in European history.
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