During the hardships of the Franco-Prussian War working-class radicalism grew among soldiers.
In March 1871 soldiers of the National Guard seized control of the city. They refused to
accept the authority of the French government instead of attempting to establish an independent
government. These events entered history under the name of the Paris Commune of 1871. The
Commune governed Paris for two months. Their policies were directed toward a progressive
anti-religious system of social democracy including the separation of church and state
self-policing the remission of rent during the siege the abolition of child labor and the
right of employees to take over an enterprise deserted by its owner. The Commune was eventually
suppressed by the French national Army in May 1871. This book presents the history of Commune
from the point of view of the participants.
