French Republic. During the Franco-Prussian War of โ71, the French National Guard had defended Paris, and working-class radicalism grew among its soldiers. Following the establishment of the French Third Republic in September under French chief-executive Adolphe Thiers from February and the complete defeat of the French Army by the Germans by March , soldiers of the National Guard seized control of the city on 18 March.
The Communards killed two French Army generals and refused to accept the authority of the Third Republic; instead, the radicals set about establishing their own independent government. The Commune governed Paris for two months, promoting policies that tended toward a progressive , anti-religious system of their own self-styled socialism , which was an eclectic mix of many 19th-century schools of thought. These policies included the separation of church and state , self-policing , the remission of rent, the abolition of child labor , and the right of employees to take over an enterprise deserted by its owner.
The Commune closed all Catholic churches and schools in Paris. The various Communards had little more than two months to achieve their respective goals before the national French Army suppressed the Commune during the semaine sanglante "bloody week" beginning on 21 May The national forces still loyal to the Third Republic government either killed in battle or executed an estimated 10, to 15, Communards, though one unconfirmed estimate from put the toll as high as 20, National army forces took 43, Communards as prisoners, including 1, women.
More than half of the prisoners had not fought, and were released immediately. The Third Republic tried around 15, in court, 13, of whom were found guilty, 95 were sentenced to death, to forced labor, and 1, to deportation mostly to New Caledonia. Many other Commune supporters, including several of the leaders , fled abroad, mostly to England, Belgium or Switzerland. All the surviving prisoners and exiles received pardons in and could return home, where some resumed political careers.
Engels wrote: "Of late, the Social-Democratic philistine has once more been filled with wholesome terror at the words: Dictatorship of the Proletariat. Well and good, gentlemen, do you want to know what this dictatorship looks like? Look at the Paris Commune. That was the Dictatorship of the Proletariat. When the news reached Paris the next day, shocked and angry crowds came out into the streets. Republican and radical deputies of the National Assembly proclaimed the new French Republic , and formed a Government of National Defence with the intention of continuing the war.
