The Paris Commune 1871

The Paris Commune 1871

Robert Tombs

Jun 1999, Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN13: 9780582309036
ISBN10: 0582309034
This title is printed on demand which may result in extended delivery times.
£30.99
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The Paris Commune was the biggest and last popular revolution in western Europe - ending the cycle of revolutions that started in 1789. The Parisians, reeling from defeat in the Franco-Prussian War set up their own revolutionary administration. Government troops eventually retook the city and took a terrible revenge: thousands died in the bloodbath that followed. The short-lived Commune and its repression cast a long shadow. It exposed deep divisions in French society and became a potent inspiration for the radical left. This stirring new study written with great zest, and a vivid sense of time and place lets the reader experience these tumultuous events at first hand and provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent research in both French and English.

Prologue: The Communes - A Narrative Introduction
1. Paris bivouac of the revolution
2. From people's war to people's revolution June 1870-March 1871
3. `The political form at last discovered'? The Commune as government
4. A new revolutionary people?
5. The Last Struggle
6. Consequences, Representations and Meanings
7. Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading
Chronology

  • Bang up to date - provides a comprehensive synthesis of the flood of recent research in both French and English on the background, events and significance of the revolution.
  • First general account in English for a generation.
  • Goes beyond the politics of the Commune to explore new aspects of interest such as gender, culture and community.
  • The author's recent acclaimed "France 1814-1914" in the "Longman History of France" series is already achieving "standard work" status.