A Short History of the Paris Commune

by Ernest Belfort Bax

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A SHORT HISTORY

 

OF THE

 

PARIS COMMUNE.

 

BY

 

E. BELFORT BAX,

Author of "The Religion of Socialism," "The Ethics of Socialism," "Life of Jean Paul Marat," "German Society at the End of the Middle Ages," "Manual of Philosophy," etc., etc.

 

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REPRINTED FROM "JUSTICE."

 

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London:
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY PRESS, LIMITED,
37A, CLERKENWELL GREEN, E.C.
1895.

PREFACE.

 

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The Commune of Paris is the one event which Socialists throughout the world have agreed with single accord to celebrate. Every 18th of March witnesses thousands of gatherings throughout the civilised world to commemorate the (alas! only temporary) victory of organised Socialist aspiration over the forces of property and privilege in 1871.

The Commune, it is said, did little of a distinctively Socialistic character; it made made many mistakes; it was infatuated with the idea of decentralisation. All this is true. What constitutes the importance of the Commune in history is not certainly the measures that it enacted, is not even its admirable conduct of the administration of a great metropolis under circumstances of extreme difficulty; it is the fact that the Commune is a landmark as being the first administration manned by the working classes, having for its more or less conscious aim the reorganisation of Social conditions—the transformation of a Civilised Society into a Socialist Society. It is this question of aim as symbolised by the red flag, which is the central one. For, however nebulous may have been the views of some of those that took part in it that such was the aim of the movement has been recognised by friends and foes alike.

What meant the blood-frenzy of the Versaillese? What meant the tacit or avowed approval of the capitalistic press throughout the civilised world, at the most hideous carnage known to history, but the desperate rage of threatened class-interests? We all recognise that those who died under the red flag in 187 1 died for Socialism, and a nobler army of martyrs no cause has ever had.

In dedicating this little book to the Social-Democratic Federation, I should say that its initiation is due to my old friend Harry Quelch, now editor of Justice, in the columns of which journal it originally appeared in serial form.

Chapters (not listed in original)

• Chapter I: Introduction
• Chapter II: Prologue
• Chapter III: The 18th of March
• Chapter IV: The Central Committee and the Reaction
• Chapter V: The Election of the Commune
• Chapter VI: The War Begins with Disaster for the Commune
• Chapter VII: Concerning Various Matters
• Chapter VIII: The Internal Administration and Policy of the Commune
• Chapter VII: The Freemasons, The Committee of Public Safety, and Rossel
• Chapter X: The Last Days of Paris
• Chapter XI: The Entry of the Versaillese
• Chapter XII: The Barricades
• Chapter XIII: The "Commune or Death"
• Chapter XIV: The Commune is Dead!
• Chapter XV: The Civilised World and Its "Thrill of Horror"
• Chapter XVI: The Hostages
• Chapter XVII: The Lessons of the Commune
• Appendix