Creation of the Paris Commune & Its Communist Myth 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Extra Information & Sometimes Corrections if Needed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Project France Playlist- ru-vid.com/group/PLsGkrS0GwoS6ivoJge_lU8dXys0AqIKlK 0:46 There where also sizable republican movements (and in some socialist movements) in other major cities in France at the time. But Paris was by far the most leftist of these cities harboring the largest number of Marxists, Anarchists, etc. 1:12 Brother not son. 2:10 Wrong picture for Copenhagen and the Danish 1848 revolution. This is the correct picture- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_Revolution_(Denmark)#/media/File:Folketoget_i_K%C3%B8benhavn_1848.jpg 3:05 Jacobins not to be confused with the Jacobites and Jacobitism which was an English political movement not French. 3:49 Hotel De Ville was the main administrative building of Paris at the time and held the council of National Defense and later the council of the Commune. It also held all Paris records which where destroyed along with the building in a fire during the bloody week. It is unknown who started the fire. 3:57 Also the wages of workers and worker conditions during the Second French Empire fell drastically in Paris. Baron Haussmann notes that more than half of Parisians live in "poverty bordering on indigence", even if they work eleven hours a day. 8:16 'Memoirs of Louise Michel', page 61 9:29 It is debated whether 4 of those moderate leftists from Paris where actually radicals or not as some of their ideas where more liberal rather than Marxist or Anarchist, therefore in the video I say they're all radical while showing the more nuance debate with an asterisks on the screen. With that said all of them where for the continuation of the war. Same debate goes for the monarchy supporters and how really monarchist where some of them as in the end the council did establish the Third French Republic not a monarchy, even though the council had a majority of monarchists. 9:44 1830 not 1930 obviously. 12:01 The picture of the kids actually comes from Paris during the Second French Empire to showcase just how bad the condition for lower class people in Paris where (even kids had to work to sustain the family). But the idea is there as after the siege Paris was economically in a disaster and this disaster hit the lower classes the most. 12:59 This is usually given as the starting date for the commune. 13:06 Paris did elect mayors for various areas of the city in November 1870, this was done by the Government of National Defense to placate the Parisians, however these mayors where directly responsible to the government and there was no city council so in effect the mayors acted as just middle man for the main government control of the city. 13:25 It wasn't even the first time a commune was declared in Paris, there was a commune in Paris during the first french revolution as well, although this one didn't have such a socialist charter as the one in 1871 for obvious reasons 14:34 'Memoirs of Louise Michel', page 217. 16:53 Ok the commune did nationalize some stuff but never any factories or big businesses or the bank. They nationalized things like Thiers' house in Paris which they then sold off with all the possession in it. All the restarting of production and self management by workers was meant to start up the economy of the city despite the fact that many business and factories where closed by their owners who left the city due to fears of an insurrection. The laws were meant to be temporary to give people work not revolutionary or communist. 18:33 Jacques Rougerie, who had earlier accepted the 20,000 figure, wrote in 2014, "the number ten thousand victims seems today the most plausible; it remains an enormous number for the time." Rougerie, Jacques, La Commune de 1871," p. 118 The Paris Commune wasn't even unique in that period as other cities like Marseille and Lyon also established independent administrations in the aftermath of the Franco Prussian war. These cities where just like in Paris divided among more radical people and less radical people. But none of them came to be communist as portrayed by Marx or Engels. 19:33 Engels also praised the Commune as did Lenin and many other socialists. However there where some on the left that criticized the commune and also not all praises made by the men mentioned where necessarily fully positive as all of them had their own opinion as to why the commune didn't succeed even though it was so "perfect". 19:33 To all those Marxist in comment section arguing that Marx never praised the commune or never said it was communist. To the first one look at the quote from Marx's Civil War in France on the screen, it's a clear statement that Marx did in fact praise the Commune. Second another quote from the same piece by Marx "The Commune, they exclaim, intends to abolish property, the basis of all civilization! Yes, gentlemen, the Commune intended to abolish that class property which makes the labor of the many the wealth of the few. It aimed at the expropriation of the expropriators. It wanted to make individual property a truth by transforming the means of production, land, and capital, now chiefly the means of enslaving and exploiting labor, into mere instruments of free and associated labor ... if it is to supersede the capitalist system; if united co-operative societies are to regulate national production upon common plan, thus taking it under their own control, and putting an end to the constant anarchy and periodical convulsions which are the fatality of capitalist production - what else, gentlemen, would it be but communism, “possible” communism?" By the ending of that quote it's clear that Marx did in fact saw the Commune as communist or at least having a possibility to achieve communism which is all that matters in the point of the video. The fact that Marx praised the commune and called it communist (or possible to achieve communism) meant that the Commune became very mythical in the eyes of later communists like Lenin. Which I wanted to point out wasn't true as the Commune was never really communist despite the saying of the USSR or even today's Communists. It wasn't even marxist or as said in the video a whole revolution of the proletariat as pointed out by Marx (if you choose to disregard the communist point) that's what the video was pointing at. The funny thing is that the information Marx had about the commune wasn't very accurate. His sources of information were either news papers which were very hyperbolic and portrayed the commune as either perfect or as the spawn of evil and from his son in law who visited the Commune as an ambassador of the First International. Marx's son in law account of the commune and what he saw is so inaccurate that historians today don't even treat it as a primary source about the commune because it does not agree with any other sources from the Commune. He basically made the Commune seem far more communist and idealistic than it actually was. This is also partly the reason why Marx was so positive about the Commune. So in the end the funny thing is the information about the Commune that made Marx rethink a lot of his ideas wasn't actually very accurate. I bet there is some sort of a philosophical angel here about truth, subjectivism, and objectivism but that's beyond my scope.

France lost its army, its capital being sieged, its emperor captured, it's new republic has no option but to surrender. Paris: I didn't hear no bell.

Legend has it the Prussians are still camping in front of Paris

The famous communist red flag actually comes from France at this era. It almost became the French flag if Alphonse Lamartine had not defended the tricolor flag in an absolutely stunning speech, I recommend people to read it ! Funny story the Russian communist before having their anthem sang La Marseillaise (the French anthem) and Lenin and Stalin viewed themselves as the soviet versions of Danton and Robespierre.

Honestly I had no clue how much chaos was happening before and during the Commune. Great video!

Bruh imagine being a German soldier and you see the French killing each other

*Govt of National Defence:* *_We are the State!_* *Bismark:* *_giggles_* *Govt of National Defence:* *_Nervous Sweating_* Great video it was awesome of you to setup this collab for us!

So basicly make Paris a city state and France will become more stable?

"Flew over the siege line in a balloon" an extremely frenchvway to escape a siege.

Parisians: let’s establish a republic where the people will choose their own destiny People: *choose to vote for monarchist* Parisians: wait that’s illegal

Even though the Paris Commune was not itself communist, it remains a valuable case study from which genuinely communist revolutionaries could refine their ideas and analysis.

Brief correction, Marx didn't view the Commune as a "communist state" but as an example of what a "dictatorship of the proletariat" would look like, i.e., a society where the working class as a whole held absolute power. It actually caused him to completely reevaluate his position on the state, later writing that much of the proposals in the Communist Manifesto, especially relating to nationalisation, had become antiquated.

The rebuilding of Paris by Napoleon III was largely meant to prevent further revolts. Narrow, winding streets were easy to barricade so they were widened and straightened. These long straight streets were connected by open plazas that were intended to be artillery parks that would have a clear field of fire from one plaza to another. Essentially Paris was turned into an inside-out fortress designed to control its revolting inhabitants.

I just read an absolutely fantastic historical novel, In the Shadow of the Fire, by Herve Le Corre, set in Paris during the Commune. I had no idea about any of this history! What an amazing and devastating story. Thanks for the excellent context in this video.

I am extremely happy that you talked about this. It’s an extremely interesting topic.

Is it better to say that the commune influenced Marxism more than Marxism influencing the commune

The amount of work that goes into these videos is insane, amazing work!

I don't know if this has been already mentioned, but the Paris Commune in many ways was a very nationalistic event, as well. Many of the workers who participated in the Commune would later become supporters of the ultranationalist Boulangiste movement and many French Fascist parties regurarily celebrated the memory of the Paris Commune.

SIGMA RULE 174: Only dethrone the old King to install yourself as Emperor.

Paris: We want a Republic, let the people be heard! The people: We actually really want a monarchy Paris: YOU'RE WRONG, THE PEOPLE MUST BE GUIDED

Communists understand the character of the Paris Commune quite well. Marx thought the Communards were doing things wrong, but he supported them anyway because he wasn't a dogmatist. He knew, and we know, all about Blanqui, Proudhon, Fourier, and the whole early history of what we call "utopian socialism", and we regard the incoherent, eclectic, anarchist character of the Commune as one of the main reasons it was defeated. It shows the need for a professional, unified revolutionary organization led by the most class-conscious workers. Lenin didn't imagine that the Commune was marxist. We honor the Communards because they were the first workers to seize power. That's all. The Taiping Rebellion is similarly upheld by Chinese marxists as a pre-scientific precursor to the modern Communist movement. I don't disagree with anything in this video, other than the misrepresentation of Marx's views and those of the Communist movement in general.

Underrated history channel

The Paris commune is quite interesting because outside of France and communist countries, it wasn’t well known, except for historians. Within communist countries, it is taught according to their ideological line. Thus, I think most people who watches the video probably knows the commune as that event in the French aftermath of Franco Prussian war. The rest, the minority, probably educated in communist country or self-proclaimed communist read about it from communist writers, have the image that the commune is as a revolutionary communised state. The remarkable thing, to me, is that the Prussian casualty at Sedan during the Franco Prussian war was probably only 1.5 times more than the amount of people died during the Bloody Week. That’s pretty remarkable.

SOME CLARIFICATIONS: there were not marxists at the time, marx hd not even finished das kapital and was not so popular outside germany, most of the founsel of the comune were communards and anarchites and the name of the comune did have a socialist notion, not communist but seen as a different institution of the low classes than the normal communes otherwise the Anarchists would had not joined marx was not really fond of the commune there's a letter critique with that name that can be read anywhere where he rejects the participation and Anarchists basis , giving him the conclusion only a strong state could be successful. the books and diares of pierre proudhon and louise michel can give you inside on how was the life under the commune, as it os the story of the anarchit call3d revachol socialism was very popular for the masses due to the horrible acts both of conservatives and the new republic which aren't mentioned here, it wasn't incompetence of the generals to suppress the rebellion but rather the overwhelming flow of people that guarantee their capture. the commune ended because the counsel believed that prussia would not intervene so they focused on ending the republic and this one asked the prussians for support, that's were more socialist movement realized they care more about conserving the system than the nation so the break from political struggle (voting, legal participation) become rule for future movements. also the letters of errico malatesta about the commune are a good read

Nice video! I watch other RU-vidrs that you are in projects like this together, but I must say that you make the best videos. Love from Slovakia.

As always, nice video Laser! The paris commune is truly an interesting topic!

Hey I am a longtime viewer and I have to compliment you on your progression as a speaker and as an english speaker. really really high qualitiy now!

I do believe the Alphonse de Lamartine quote from the Revolution of 1848 is somewhat applicable to the Paris Commune. “....Citizens, for me, the red flag, I am not adopting it and I’ll tell you why I’m against (it) with all the strength of my patriotism. It’s that the tricolour has toured the world with the Republic and the Empire with your freedoms and your glory, and the red flag was that around the Champ-de-Mars, dragged into the people’s blood”

The Franco-Prussian War was insane honestly.

Reminds me of the Contemporanean History course I took at uni that had a few classes on revolution in France. The last class was about the commune just the week prior to the fire at Notre Dame. The interesting fact was that about 30% of the class was a very intense debate over the debate about destroying the very cathedral that the clmmunards held sometime in the beginning of the commune. The next week, when we came back, everybody sits down as the professor walks in silently and exclames "look what you've done" referring to the fire.

In Nizhegorodian Oblast' we have settlement named "Память Парижской Коммуны" or "Memory of Paris Commune". And no one knows, how we should name locals.

Parisians in 1789, 1792, 1830, 1832, 1848, 1871: King man bad.

You are far to kind to Thiers, making him sound like a banal common politician. You are also too kind to the interim government. The basic sequence of events is ok, but not the political interpretation and analysis. I can only hope that viewers don't take this as the last word. There are many others who have covered this period. Even, I would suggest reading books about as this as I did when I learned about it before YT existed. One could even read literature, such as Emile Zola's book "Paris" which is the third volume of his trilogy "Les Trois Villes". The first two are good reads too.

Let's be glad this didn't lead to a revolution where some crazy guy just started chopping people's heads off.

The relationship of socialism and the commune is close-knit because of a simple fact: The commune was the first popular revolt headed by the social class which socialist ideology mainly appealed to, the urban poor or proletariat. Of the 400k people in paris, 200k participated in the elections for the new commune, mostly from the arrondissements (city districts) of the urban poor. In practice, it had the intention of keeping itself as an entity under the French government while espousing social democrat ideals for the new commune, but the government of the commune had little control over one of its most important parts: The National Guard. This brings us to one very important moment which the video did not mention: that the national guard tried to storm Versailles at one point, being easily repulsed by the French standing army. They thought a frontal assault would do it, but the standing army had prepared for the eventuality of an attack (either by newly emboldened Prussians or the much more likely option of riled up communards). This gave grounds for the army to enter Paris and in comes the bloody week. The numbers of the bloody week are debated and, if the rather well accepted toll of 20k is to be believed, means that 10% of the people that supported the commune and 5% of the entire Parisian population was killed. As well, the role of women, testified by the survivors of the bloody week, has been huge in the commune, but it is hard to encase everything in one video, I must agree. There are tales of young women going around the city during the bloody week trying to help wounded people who had been shot by the army or by radicalized communards. If anyone wishes to learn more of the commune after this awesome introduction by M. Laser, please give the wikipedia article a read, it's a much more in-depth summary of the events taking place during these two and a half months of Parisian idealism.

Out of curiosity, why wasn't there a mention of Patrice de Macmahon? Didn't he play a pretty important role in putting down the commune?

2.10 Budapest: painting of revolutionaries, Vienna: painting of revolutionaries, Berlin: painting of revolutionaries, Prague: painting of revolutionaries, Copenhagen: Painting of soldiers returning from the "Victory" in the first Schleswig war in 1849 having nothing to do with revolution, hmm one of those have nothing to do with the 1848 revolutions, but exactly which one eludes me.

Solid 8/10 video, not enough Jarosław Dąbrowski, at least you addressed this omission at the end. :P Seriously though, for anyone wondering, Jarosław Dąbrowski (also spelled as Jaroslav Dombrowski) was a Polish noble-born immigrant, a veteran of the anti-Russian January Uprising of 1863/4 (and previously an officer of the Russian Imperial Army), who briefly commanded the forces of the Paris commune and died fighting.

I am so glad this project exists :) thank you all, historian youtubers

This is excellent work on a complex topic that people still interpret through a purely idealistic manner. I appreciate how well researched and nuanced this video is, it dispels myths and contradicts communist propaganda on the subject that I've seen on RU-vid. History can be easy to manipulate for ideological purposes, which makes good history and good historians all the more valuable

If you want a song about the bloody week: Le Capitaine: "au mur" is a beautiful one, showing how most citizens were just normal people and how the government in Versailles ruthlessly executed them.

It’s kind of ironic, the revolutionaries chants of “the people’s will”. No, it’s the will of the people..... of Paris. The rest of France seems to have very little input, and it’s super disingenuous that a small part of the country gets to decide the fate for the rest. How is that any better then an autocracy?

The prussian just chillin outside of paris on the bloody Week

If I know anything about the modern perception of the commune, it is this: amongst anarchist circles, especially ancoms the commune's anniversary is still celebrated as an action of resistance by the proletariat. I can say personally, as an anarchist myself, I have a lot of admiration for the idea of the commune as a proletarian revolution, but I know it wasn't.

One of the best videos about this subject. Congratulations 👏

Sounds like CHAZ but on hardcore mode.

Damn Paris has really been cringe for a long time

Sooo Paris was the Portland, Oregon of the 1830's?

France’s worst problem is Paris.

the list of genocidal alumni of the Sorbonne is impressive

Paris be like “yay democracy! Wait? Why is everyone voting wrong? STOP VOTING WRONG YOU BIGOTS!!!”

Man I thought I had ants on my iPad. Started freaking out.

The more i learn about French history, the more i am convinced that Paris is the source of all its problems. Lilke, geez even without the monarchy too much power is centralized in that one city and whatever happens there affects the rest of the country.

excellent work. unbiased and accurate. (tiny improvements would be apt, but hey). thanks for not taking sides

The archbishop of Paris was taken hostage and murdered by the Commune's forces

I came into this expecting anti leftist dogmatism. I found delightful nuance. Thanks!

Ah the revolution... the national sport of France

10:20 some nerve of the French to complain of Prussian smell

These (mis-)interpretations of the Paris Commune led to the fall of the International Workingmen's Association (aka The First International), because two of the main leading figures, Marx and Bakunin, greatly disagreed over what was to be learned from the Paris Commune. Marx adopted a far more authoritarian tone than he had previously, insisting that The International must not only form Parliamentary parties (party, singular, but; multiple countries throughout the world) but that The International must be the director of these parties, so that these parties can seize control of the state and therefore the means of production. Bakunin naturally had a more anarchist or anarcho-syndicalist. The crushing of the Paris Commune had further confirmed his fear of the power of the state. Marx held sway over The First International and had Bakunin expelled. Many Marxists say that Lenin deviated from Marxism, but I contend that Lenin was a true Marxist in exhibiting the same authoritarian tendencies that Marx exhibited. I'm sorry that I cannot do this topic more justice, but it is my opinion that this great split between Marxists and Anarcho-Syndicalists (instigated primarily by the former) doomed the Socialist movement and Bakunin's prediction about Marxism leading to a tyrannical state was essentially correct.

Umm... the Paris Commune did have a big effect on Marx's own ideas, so to say the Paris Commune had nothing to do with Communism isn't giving the full context. Marx was so influenced by what happened there that he later even updated the Communist manifesto to include the idea of a "dictatorship of the proletariat" specifically because of how many times the monarchy/aristocrats in France dominated the will of the people and suppressed them from establishing their own government. So yes, it wasn't officially "Communist", but it can be defined as being socialist.

The Paris Commune wasn't a communist state but definitely it wasn't a city council only, if you read the "Declaration of the Paris Commune to the french people", you can see they demanded the "total autonomy of the commune(of every commune) and the later federation of all communes in a central government, the communes would have a series of powers by its own will, and then transfer the rest of powers not claimed to the central government, and not the reverse, where central government has all power and concedes some powers to the cities. So basically the Paris Commune was the effort to establish a Communalist and Federal France.

I remembered that there were non-leftists elected in the paris commune, but they would leave as the national guard was becoming increasingly agitated and they were worried for their lives. Maybe I'm mixing up the national government with the commune idk

Oh, I would’ve loved to have been able to throw a rotten tomato at Robespierre’s face as he was drug screaming up the scaffold. Very happy that Napoleon stepped in and put a stop to the madness of the Revolution.

I see. So Parisians lived in complete dream world where they didn't live just because the Germans didn't want to massacre them to the last man.

My Grandfather had an Uncle who had been part of the Paris Commune. My Grandfather, at the time, was a young child living in New York City and only remembered his Uncle as an grumpy old man who refused to speak English. The Uncle was apparently exiled and made it to NYC because he had family already living there.

Very informative! Well done.

heads up everyone. Best book is Lissagaray’s Histoire de la Commune BUT note how the style changes half way through. The best bit is his on the ground description. then all of a sudden the tone changes and it looks more like Marx's 'history' - explanation he was married to Marx's daughter and Karl edited the final version

Paris commune: Executes priests and “spies” Also Paris Commune: No death penalty!

All of your videos really are masterpieces of research, and very clear to follow, thanks ! I would just have one recommandation, that is not even very long to edit : could you show (permanently or periodically) the date on an angle ? I don't always have the time scale of what's happening in mind, so it could be interesting just to show the month for example

Could you make a video in the future about the, Mexican revolution? I really struggle to understand who is who and why the fight in the late war, but I understand all of your videos, if you see this, thank you :D.

You're missing the point. The reason why the Commune is considered one the great popular revolts and communist experiences is because of the communards themselves and not because of their "representatives". It's the experience of popular struggle, as described by people like Louise Michel, that make the day-to-day reality of the Paris Commune an example of communism in action, not the top-down redistribution via state channels. After all, according to Marx, communism results from the dissolution of the state...

Arise, ye toilers of all nations! Be shed of misery and woe!

10:25-10:30 “fiery but mostly peaceful”

You have done a great job explaining this very complicated situation in history. Thank you.

The "march on Versailles" is a pretty important event to miss in a summary.

City dwellers overestimating themselves

Good topic and great explanation, thanks!

Excellent video. I have truly enjoyed it.

The Paris Commune is considered the first communist revolution in the world because it was the first revolution led by the population itself where workers obtained the means of production, Although there are arguments saying that this would be temporary, Anarchists and utopian socialists had more than 50% of the city's council seats, With approximately 1/3 of the city being collectivized among the city's workers, But despite all this, it impossible to say that the Paris Commune was a 100% communist movement, Since there were still 2/3 of the factories working normally.

100 years of French history in a nutshell Paris: burn, kill, Vive la revolution!!!! The rest of France: Um, No.

Honestly it was really kind of the French to come up with such a tragic tale to entertain the Prussian troops whilist they waited.

I'm making my way through the playlist now! Viva la France! ⚜ Anyway, what if Napoleon III won the Franco-Prussian War?

So many political implosions within a century

The Workers took the Factories and controlled them, the Political power was also by the Workers' Commune, even the "Police" (the National Guard) were controlled by the Workers. So it had Communist characteristics.

Very interesting video, on the election you mentionned Alsace also largely voted for pro continuation of the war republicans.

Leftists not executing priests and Christians challenge: Impossible

If the French Army and the Thier's Government hadn't put down the rebellion of the Paris Commune wouldn't the Prussians have restarted the war and the blockade of Paris? The Prussian troops were litetary surrounding Paris and they controlled a huge part of France during all of this. If the Thier's government hadn't put down the rebellion would France have been in violation of the armistice they had sigend with Prussia?

Lasted 71 days - in 1871 - interesting...

You should do a colab with History Matters. You both have very interesting and funny videos.

This is similar enough to a cartoon for me to keep watching, which is a shame to say

Pontius Pilate sang Starman to Jesus and thats a fact

9:33 Had nobody told those Parisian leftists "No war but class war"?

Tres bon, mon ami.

I've read the biography of Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill's American mother. She was in Paris then and she said even the animals at the Paris Zoo were eaten.

Bruh did people really thought communes had something to do with communist

4:20 he said Persians

You gave my a wholy new perspective on the topic. Thank you!

Well, it was not as we know communism today, so what? It was the first time common people took the power and that is what matters for us.

Paris has not changed at all since.

The idea that only Paris and the countryside were republicans is wrong. Until the 2nd republic voting was not universal, only the rich could vote, and in the country side those people were landowner and noble who were monarchist but the vast majority of the peasantry wasn’t allow to vote and they weren’t fan all around France of the monarchy. You also portrayed the Parisian as people who are te versing elected government but this is wrong Charles X (1824-1830)and Louis-Philippe(1830-1848) favorite past time was to dissolve the assembly until the have a favorable assembly. Contrary to popular belief you can’t put the bonapartiste and the legetimist in the same basket, if they Parisian hated the Bourbon, they did liked the Bonaparte in fact Paris massively supported Louis-Napoleon in the 1848 election and the republicans were supported in southern France and in Brittany not really urban place, and in 1850 a law is passed in France that limit the electoral college to people who stayed in the same place more than 3 years, for most of the provincial popular class wich regularly change home to find another job it mean that they can no longer vote, only the Parisian working class could still vote and be the only one represented. It worth noting that Louis-Napoleon had little to no power during his reign, he was really old amd his minister hold most of the power he himself said : “ I am the only republican of my cabinet”. It is also worth noting that a majority of the republicans candidate in the 1871 legislative election were unknown to the peasantry, while the monarchist candidate were the local Clerc, landlord or noble who more well know, in fact most monarchist will quickly fall into irrelevancy as the republicans became more organize and make proper electoral campaign