The Paris Commune: France's First Red Experiment

In this episode, we explore the Paris Commune of 1871, a radical socialist and revolutionary government that ruled Paris for two months following the Franco-Prussian War. We look at how the city was abandoned by Adolphe Thiers' national government in Versailles and left to its own devices after the surrender to Prussia. Lucas walks us through the formation of the Central Committee, the election of Communards like Louise Michel, and the fierce fighting during the Bloody Week when General Leon Galliffet led the Versailles troops back into the capital. We examine the social reforms attempted by the Federal Council and National Guard, including the separation of church and state and the abolition of night work for bakers. Luna asks about the legacy of this short-lived experiment and how it shaped future French politics, while Lucas details the brutal suppression that followed, leaving a scar on the French psyche that lasts to this day. #ParisCommune #LouiseMichel #BloodyWeek #FrancoPrussianWar #AdolpheThiers #LeonGalliffet #Communards #FederalCouncil #NationalGuard #Versailles #SocialistHistory #FrenchRevolution #1871 #WorkingClassHistory #EuropeanHistory #RadicalPolitics #FexingoHistory #HistoryPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo