Paris Commune

Paris Commune
Part of the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War
Date18 March – 28 May 1871
(2 months, 1 week and 3 days)
Location
Paris, France
Result

Revolt suppressed

  • Disbanding the Second National Guard by the French government
Belligerents

France French Republic

 Communards
National Guards
Commanders and leaders
France Patrice de MacMahon
Strength
170,000 On paper, 200,000; in reality, probably between 25,000 and 50,000 actual combatants
Casualties and losses
877 killed, 6,454 wounded, and 183 missing 6,667 confirmed killed and buried; unconfirmed estimates from 10-15,000

The Paris Commune (French: Commune de Paris, pronounced [kɔ.myn də pa.ʁi]) was a revolutionary government that took power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.

Cause

Historical context

On 2 September 1870, France was defeated in the Battle of Sedan during the Franco-Prussian War, and Napoleon III was captured. When the news reached Paris, angry people came out into the streets. Empress Eugénie fled Paris and the government of the Second Empire collapsed.

Republicans of the National Assembly created the French Third Republic, and formed a Government of National Defence to continue the war.

References

  1. ↑ "Les aspects militaires de la Commune par le colonel Rol-Tanguy". Association des Amies et Amis de la Commune de Paris 1871. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Milza, 2009a, p. 319
  3. ↑ Tombs, Robert, "How Bloody was la Semaine sanglante of 1871? A Revision". The Historical Journal, September 2012, vol. 55, issue 03, pp. 619–704
  4. ↑ Audin, Michele, "La Semaine Sanglante" (2021)
  5. ↑ Rougerie, Jacques, La Commune de 1871, p. 118