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This book is an excellent history of the Paris Commune. Its author Lissagaray was a direct participant and fought for the Commune on the barricades. He collected testimonies from the survivors in exile in London, Switzerland and consulted all documents available at the time to ensure accuracy. He was assisted by Karl Marx in the writing of this classic, which was translated to English by Eleanor Marx.
First published: in French, 1876
Translated: from the French by Eleanor Marx
Marxist.com version: taken from the Marxists Internet Archive (New Park Publications, 1976 edition). Further edited for Wellred Books, February 2021.
Table of Contents
- The Prussians enter Paris
- The coalition opens fire on Paris
- The eighteenth of March
- The Central Committee calls for elections
- Reorganization of the Public Services
- The mayors and the Assembly combine against Paris
- The Central Committee forces the mayors to capitulate
- Proclamation of the Commune
- The Commune at Lyons, St. Etienne and Creuzot
- The Commune at Marseilles, Toulouse and Narbonne
- The Council of the Commune wavers
- The Versaillese beat back the Commune patrols and massacre prisoners
- The Commune is defeated at Marseilles and Narbonne
- The weaknesses of the Council
- The Commune’s first combats
- The Manifesto and the germs of defeat
- Women of the Commune and the opposing armies
- The work of the Commune
- Formation of the Committee of Public Safety
- Rossel replaces Cluseret
- Paris bombarded: Rossel flees
- Conspiracies against the Commune
- The ‘Lefts’ betray Paris
- The new Committee at work
- Paris on the eve of death
- The enemy enters Paris
- The invasion continues
- The street battles continue
- On the barricades
- The Left bank falls
- The Commune’s last stand
- The Versaillese fury
- The fate of the prisoners
- The trials of the Communards
- The executions
- The balance-sheet of bourgeois vengeance