The Paris Commune was the government of Paris established in the early days of the French Revolution. It controlled power over the National Guard and thereby gained great strength in political affairs during the Legislative Assembly era. The leadership of the Commune used its position to great effect, sometimes massacring the citizenry when events proved too riotous or fears of counter-revolution were raised.
History
During the early days of the French Revolution, the city of Paris established a government to manage its affairs and bring order to the chaos caused by the upheaval. After the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, city government was established at the Hotel de Ville, with famed astronomer Jean-Sylvain Bailly elected mayor.
Initially supporting the constitutional monarchy, Bailly and the Paris Commune helped to quell mob violence and further unrest. However, on July 17, 1791, petitioners assembled on the Champ de Mars to call for the removal of King Louis XVI. The crowd became riotous and Bailly ordered the National Guard, under command of the Marquis de Lafayette, to open fire on the citizenry. Public outcry forced Bailly from power, replaced by Jerome Petion de Villeneuve.
As the Legislative Assembly began to collapse in 1792, the Paris Commune seized power over the city. They demanded possession of the royal family, holding them in the medieval Temple fortress. On August 28, the Commune assembled a list of names called the "opponents of the revolution," and began mass arrests. Early the following month, due to fear of the invading Prussian army and the collapse of the Legislative Assembly, mobs invaded the prisons to kill those arrested. Nearly 1,200 people were executed in just a few short days.
The Paris Commune continued for a few more years, essentially losing power to the National Convention when many of the leaders were guillotined. It was disbanded in 1795 with the rise of the Directory.
Significance
When the storming of the Bastille happened, the strength of the Parisian militia was obvious and the revolutionaries of the city knew that it was necessary to its defense to control its power. The Paris Commune was central in formalizing the militia into the National Guard, an organization that defended the interests of the Revolution. Under command of the Marquis de Lafayette, a veteran of the American Revolution, the National Guard helped prevent counter-insurgency and promoted a more stable city even as the national government was going through radical revisions. The Paris Commune was the driving force behind many of the events in the early part of the Revolution.
Function
With the strength of the National Guard and having many working class radicals known as the sans-culottes, the Paris Commune was able to support the national government as it went through its many changes. With the establishment of the Constitution of 1791, the Legislative Assembly was formed. One challenge that was immediate was that no deputies from the National Constituent Assembly were allowed into this new assembly, causing the membership to be inexperienced and knowledgeable. For the next year, it drained the treasury, allowed the military to collapse, and let enemies invade France's borders. The Paris Commune was the de facto leadership for the city and used its power to extort concessions from the Assembly.
Features
The Hotel de Ville, along with being city hall for the Commune, was the site of other great events of the French Revolution. The night after the storming of the Bastille, the mayor of Paris, Jacques de Flesselles, was assassinated for being a royalist ushering in the new Paris Commune. It also was famous for being the scene in which Maximilien Robespierre and his fellow Jacobins made their final stand before being guillotined at the end of the Terror.
Both mayors of the Paris Commune were eventually disposed of during the Reign of Terror. Jean-Sylvain Bailly was guillotined on November 12, 1793, and Jerome Petion de Villeneuve committed suicide in June of 1794; his body was found half-eaten by wolves.
Considerations
Reigning over two of the most violent massacres of the early Revolution, the Paris Commune showed its willingness to use its power to prevent a counter-revolution. The massacre at the Champ de Mars was a changing point for the Commune, as its strength was used in support for the royalists despite public outcry. The leadership was ousted and a more radical element entered the scene, signaling the coming of the bloodiest chapter yet. The September Massacres showed the level of violence that was soon to envelop Paris and the rest of France in a precursor to the Reign of Terror.
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