The Paris Commune

Paris Commune, the first and probably only successful form of communist/anarchist government.

Can it survive? Doubtful, Napoleon III wouldn't take a bunch of cocky lefties very well.

Have ago anyway. See if you can get a scenario with not only a red France, but see if you can spread the revolution without getting brutally butt-f*cked by the monarchies of Europe.

I will slap myself if this has been done before. Begin!
 
Here's something I was thinking about the other day - suppose the French government extends an amnesty to those communards willing to go into exile in Algeria before they retake Paris and start killing tons of people, and most of them accept.

IIRC, many of those arrested got labor sentences in Algeria, but this wouldn't be quite the same thing. You would need some reason for the government to be more wary of using harsher methods to punish the revolt.

It isn't really plausible, I know, but the idea of a majority radical/socialist pied-noir settler population in Algeria is interesting.

Edit: I know this isn't exactly an answer to the question in the OP but in one sense it could mean continuity of revolutionary thought and action, just not in the same place.

Also, I actually posted this same thread last summer, and it got literally no responses. Boo hoo for me. I saw this one and got excited - the Paris Commune is pretty interesting to me.
 
Communist Algeria? It could work, reminds me of the Irish nationalists in Australia. Though my idea was more about the spread of the revolution, maybe Marx and Engels start one in Britain?

I think that either a lot people don't know about the commune, or just don't think it could have survived so leave it alone. It could have done quite well I think, if the communards had repulsed the French army (some how) then maybe more cities would rebel?
 
Paris Commune, the first and probably only successful form of communist/anarchist government.
If the Paris Commune counts, I don't see why Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War wouldn't count as well.
Have ago anyway. See if you can get a scenario with not only a red France, but see if you can spread the revolution without getting brutally butt-f*cked by the monarchies of Europe.
The Communards might have more support if the arrayed German forces had been able to penetrate deeper into France and defeated Republican forces in a couple more battles-- that way, at least, it might've been possible to give Communards in Lyon, Narbonne, and other cities a boost in support from further-dissatisfied citizens. Would that have been enough to stage an effective coup against the government in Versailles? I don't think it's terribly likely, but a rapid coup's the only real chance the Communards have got, in my opinion. A full-out civil war would probably lead to German (and possibly British) intervention, which would doom the Communard cause.
I will slap myself if this has been done before. Begin!
Pretty certain that the subject's been brought up once or twice before, but it's a nice topic of discussion when it doesn't devolve into a "it's absurd, it could never work, it'll just turn into a dictatorship or crumble when somebody just lifts a finger" vs. "it'll be an egalitarian utopia, it's brilliant, it's only a twist of fate which has denied it it's fair chance" fight
 

Sachyriel

Banned
when it doesn't devolve into a "it's absurd, it could never work, it'll just turn into a dictatorship or crumble when somebody just lifts a finger" vs. "it'll be an egalitarian utopia, it's brilliant, it's only a twist of fate which has denied it it's fair chance" fight

Which is why I'm going to read and not write in this thread.
 
True, I don't want this to get to political.

As a socialist myself, I'd like it to be the uptopia. But I'm a realsit and know that the dictatorship is just as likely.

Probably it would weave between the two. Standard of living may be quite high untill the 1930s but you could get the occasional crisis leafing to dictatorship (probably like the Roman kind).
 
I don't think the commune of Paris had a lot of chances of surviving.

First, the commune was only limited to Paris itself. Basically, it was a Paris vs the Rest of France. One city against its whole country, it could only end in the defeat of the Communards.

Besides, France had just lost the War against Prussia and the last elections had given power to a monarchist majority as the Monarchists were the only one proposing peace with Prussia. Given how rightists were some of the Monarchists of the time, I don't think they would have let live such a leftist movement like the Commune.
 
There was a TL about something similiar, called "War of the classes". It was very good, you may want to read it.
 
First, the commune was only limited to Paris itself. Basically, it was a Paris vs the Rest of France. One city against its whole country, it could only end in the defeat of the Communards.
Yes but Ofalof said about how similar movements were springing up in other major cities. If the Prussians smash the French a bit more, then they could have the oppertunity to rise up.

And what about Files idea of the communards being exiled to Algerian labour camps where they could start a violent revolution. That could actually be a very intresting take on Arab socialism...

There was a TL about something similiar, called "War of the classes". It was very good, you may want to read it.

Really? Could I have a link please, as every noob will tell you the search feature on this site just gives up with more than one word.
 
There was a TL about something similiar, called "War of the classes". It was very good, you may want to read it.
Is, not was-- I'm just real slow with this next update.

It's also not about the Paris Commune, but some American attempts afterward.
 
Yes, there were communes in other cities, namely Marseille, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Le Creusot (a major industrial town at the time), Toulouse, Narbonne, and Limoges (the Red City, birthplace of the CGT), but all were short-lived.

Honestly, I can't see how the Commune could have succeed. The peasantry was overwhelmingly in favour of peace and quite afraid of the Socialists, and they formed the vast majority of the National Army at the time. Bismarck might have preferred a weaken, isolated, radical France but, utlimately, The new Germany would have helped the Government to crush the Commune, maybe with Italian help.

As for the Communard Algeria, I think it wouldn't have worked at all, or at least it would have been a white-only Commune. Many Communards were deported in New Caledonia, where many settled even after the republican governement pardoned them. They were neither friendly to the Kanaks, nor very inclined to promote socialism when they were granted their civil rights again. A very notable exception is Louise Michel, however.
 
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