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Paris Commune

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Paris Commune 150

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National Anthem of the Paris Commune (1871) ‒ “La Marseillaise de la Commune” (English Subtitles)

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The Paris Commune

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"Marseillaise de la Commune" - Anthem of the Paris Commune

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28th March 1871: The Paris Commune proclaimed, and Council met for the first time

The Paris Commune was a radical socialist and revolutionary government that ruled Paris from 18 March to 28 May 1871. The Franco-Prussian War had led to the capture of Emperor Napoleon III in September 1870, the collapse of the Second French Empire, and the beginning of the Third Republic. Because Paris was under siege for four months, the Third Republic moved its capital to Tours. A hotbed of working-class radicalism, Paris was primarily defended during this time by the often politicised and radical troops of the National Guard rather than regular Army troops. Paris surrendered to the Prussians on 28 January 1871, and in February Adolphe Thiers, the new chief executive of the French national government, signed an armistice with Prussia that disarmed the Army but not the National Guard.