Saturday, October 6, 2007

Three Outlines for a Report on the Paris Commune{4}

V. I. Lenin
1
In Memory of the Paris Commune [SQUIGGLY]
Celebration of the greatest working-class uprising of the 19th century.
Historical outline.
1. France under Napoleon III.
Imperialism. (S. 45)
—retribution for June 1848. Napoleon III. —Expropriation of France by a gang of brigands.
&alpha. Bonapartism
{ the workers not yet capable the bourgeoisie no longer
{5} }
β. Rapid industrial development. Plutocratic orgies. Flourishing of speculation. Corruption.
γ. —Workers’ movement—
I.A.A.{6} 1862 London exposition —1864 foundation
Proudhonism Blanquism
S.10
2. Dynastic war. Rescue of a band of adventurers—c h a u v i n i s m.
Left bank of the Rhine. On to Berlin (especially after 1866)
July 19, 1870 war declared.
German pronouncements (Wilhelm I): Verteidigungskrieg.{1} (S. 20 in a speech from the throne: war against Napoleon III, not against the French people; idem Aug. 11, 1870 in a manifesto to the French on crossing the border.)
3. Workers’ protest.
First Address of the General Council of the International

—French manifesto of July 12, 1870 (S. 16) (and provincial resolutions on July 22, 1870) (S. 16-17) Manifesto of Paris members of the international of July 12.
— German protest (meeting at Chemnitz) (S. 18) (meeting at Brunswick on July 16, 1870) (S. 18)—Berlin section of the International.
—Address of the G e n e r a l C o u n c i l of the International 1) J u l y 2 3, 1 8 7 0 against the war.
4. Outcome of war.
Sedan Sept. 2, 1870.
Napoleon III prisoner of war. Deb&ahat;cle.
{11}
Collapse of corrupt regime.
Proclamation of the republic Sept. 4, 1870 by workers in Paris.
Power in the hands of rascals, Louis Philippe’s Minister of Police T h i e r s, General T r o c h u. Jules Favre, Jules Ferry, Ernest Picard.
( power—to the delegates of Paris in the legislative corps )
. . . “Government of national defence” . . . .
[ National defence = arming of the workers = revolution. Government of popular betrayal. Defence . . . against the Paris workers. ]
5. Advice of the International.
Second Address of the General Council (Sept. 9, 1870) (S. 25).
Transformation of the defensive war into an offensive one.
Central Committee of the German Social-Democratic Workers’ Party protested against annexation of Alsace-Lorraine.{12} (Arrest of Bracke and others.)
Not to allow oneself to be provoked to “desperate folly”.
Not to be deluded by national memories of 1792.
“Organise your own class calmly and resolutely”, use p. liberty.{13}
6. Siege of Paris.
Comedy of Trochu (never!) and Jules Favre (not an inch of soil!).{14}
Comedy of defence: Guiod writing to Susane about one of the latter’s protégés: let him go to Mont Valérien, he said, where the guns are being allegedly fired off.{15}
Surrender of Paris. Jan. 28, 1871.
7. National Assembly at Bordeaux.
Under the terms of the surrender (Jan. 28, 1871)
— Chamber of Junkers. Reactionaries. — Comedy of peace with Paris. U r g e t o d i s a r m P a r i s (“disarmament of the revolution” Sept. 4, 1870). Alliance with the German army against Paris.
(S. 34), the National Assembly must be convened within 8 days (!). Thiers’ agitation for a r e a c t i o n a r y assembly, Legitimists, etc. (450 monarchists out of 750 members). Conspiracy against Paris: T h i e r s’ m e a s u r e s (S. 35).
[BOX:] [ The pretence that the guns of the National Guard belong to the state! A lie! S. 36–37. ]
1) anti-republican demonstration by the National Assembly
2) ambiguity of Thiers’ expressions
3) threat to Paris (déca-piter déapitaliser
{2} )
4) ban on republican newspapers
5) death sentence for Blanqui
6) appointment of Vinoy governor of Paris, Valentin, Police Prefect, D’Aurelle de Paladines, commander of the National Guard.
8. A t t e m p t t o t a k e a w a y t h e g u n s. M a r c h 1 8, 1871.
(from the Na- tional Guard). { Vinoy. Failure }
Manifesto of March 18: S.43. March 18, 1871. C e n t r a l C o m m i t t e e of the National Guard. March 26, 1871. Commune.
Commune. March 18. Government’s flight to Versailles.
(( clericals, Bonapartists, gendarmes. ))
[BOX:] [[ It was not the Commune but the indignant soldiers who shot Lecomte and Clément Thomas, the Bonapartist officers. ]]
Paris waging war against Versailles from early April. Begging Bismarck for troops (prisoners of war) (S. 57–58).
9. The Commune’s deeds.
Its m i n u s e s :
— lack of class consciousness (Proudhonists, Blanquists)
— lack of organisation
(( failure to take the bank and attack Versailles ))
— infatuation with nationalistic and revolutionary talk.
10. Its pluses:
A)
Political reforms α. separation of church from state (Apr. 2, 1871). Expropriation of church properties. Abolition of all state payments to the church. Free public education (S. 46)
β. abolition of standing army (March 30, 1871) (S. 46)
Working- class govern- ment
γ. abolition of bureaucracy. G o v e r n m e n t o f t h e w o r k e r s (S. 49). Regierungsf\"ahig.
{3} (1) All officials elective and removable (S. 46). Apr. 1, 1871 (2) Small salary, to be not over 6,000 francs (S. 46) [BOX:] managed to do with a quarter of the officials: Lissagaray, S.
&delta. Equal rights for aliens (March 30, 1871), a German — minister of the Commune{16} (S. 53). Participation of Poles (Dabrowski, Wróblewski). [BOX:] The banner of the Commune is the banner of a world republic
ε. Self-government of communes.
11. B) Economic reforms.
Transformation of the Paris of idlers and pleasure-seekers into a working-class Paris (S. 55–56).
{
—Bakers’ night work banned (Apr. 20) (S. 53).
—Fines banned (S. 53).
— The Commune won over a mass of Paris petty bourgeois ruined (elaborate) by Napoleon III (debts deferred) (S. 51). T h e C o m m u n e a d d r e s s e s the peasants (S. 51).
— Transfer of abandoned factories to workers’ associations Apr. 16 (S. 54): statistical c e n s u s of factories.
12. Last fight.
— Heroism of the Federals
(Election of mayors on Apr. 30 against the National Assembly. Thiers gives in to Bismarck: peace treaty signed at Frankfort on May 10. Approved by the National Assembly on May 21.)
— Week of bloodshed May 21–28, 1871 (S. 62).
Rifles not enough machine-guns.
— Balance 35,000 — —
20,000 killed 15,000 transported, etc.
(( Courts busy for several years. ))
Chorus of slander (S. 64–66).
13. Results and lessons.
Revenge by the bourgeoisie. Even the “national war” turned out to be a political fraud (S. 67). Country betrayed (alliance with the Germans: S. 66). Instability of bourgeois democracy. Dictatorship of the proletariat. Bismarck 1871. Confer 1904.
Written before March 9 (22), 1904
First published in 1934 in Lenin Miscellany XXVI
Printed from the original

2
1.
France under Napoleon III.
Government of Bonapartists. Industrial development. Working- class movement — {{ Proudhonism and Blanquism }} I. A. A.
2.
Dynastic war. (July 19, 1870)
Chauvinism On to Berlin. Left bank of the Rhine. — NB (German statements: Verteidigungskrieg.)
3.
Workers’ protest (work- ing-class attitude)
—French manifesto (Resolutions) —German protest —Address of the General Council of the Internation- al—w a r n i n g t o w o r k e r s: organise, NB w a t c h o u t f o r p r o v o c a t i o n s.
4.
Course and outcome of war.
—Collapse of corrupt regime. —Siege of Paris. —Proclamation of the republic on Sept. 4, 1870. French workers—their cause—utilised by the bourgeoisie. Government of “national defence”. (Rascals in its midst.)
5.
Defence of Paris. Comedy of Jules Favre (Trochu). —its surrender.
6.
Attempt to disarm the proletariat. March 18, 1871. T h e C o m m u n e.
7.
7. Versailles government. Chamber of Junkers, landowners (Ruraux, Krautjunker).
—comedy of “peace” with Paris
—bargaining with Bismarck
—alliance with the German army against the proletariat.

8.
T h e C o m m u n e ...
Its minuses —lack of class con- sciousness (Proudhon- ism and Blanquism) —lack of organ- isa- tion {{ failure to take the bank and to attack Versailles }} —interlacing of nationalistic elements.
9.
+A) P o l i t i c a l f r e e d o m {{
—separation of church from state —abolition of standing army —abolition of bureaucracy —equal rights for aliens. Participation of Poles —self-government of communes (the Commune).
10.
B) E c o n o m i c r ef o r m s
—bakers’ night work banned —fines banned —debts deferred —idle factories handed over to workers —binding character (mainten- ance, etc.) of any cohabitation with a woman —payment (pensions?) to all widows.
11.
Last fight:
Heroism of the Federals. Week of bloodshed. Balance: 35,000. Terrorism.
12.
Results and lessons:
Revenge by the bourgeoisie. Challenge to battle. Bismarck 1871 and 1904.
Written before March 9 (22), 1904
First published in 1934 in Lenin Miscellany XXVI
Printed from the original

3
I.
1. Napoleon III and his band.
2. Shame of France.
3. Bourgeoisie’s guilt in Napoleon III.
II.
1. Dynastic war against Germany.
2. French workers’ protest (Paris, July 12, and Manifesto of the International, July 23).
3. Wilhelm I’s solemn promise (Aug. 11). His deception.
4. German workers’ protest (Sept. 5, 1870) and their arrest.
III.
1. Republic Sept. 4, 1870. Won by Paris workers.
2. Seizure of power by swindlers (Favre, Trochu, Thiers—ticket-of-leave men
{17}).
3. “Government of popular defence”==government of popular betrayal. Fight against French w o r k e r s
IV. Marx’s warning (Manifesto of the International Sept. 9, 1870). Dupont’s letters.{18}
V.
1. Slave-owners’ and monarchists’ plot to disarm Paris.
2. Bordeaux and the transfer of the National Assembly to Versailles.
3. Dispatch of Vinoy, Valentin and de Paladines to Paris.
4. Monarchist speeches in the Assembly of “Rurals”.
VI. Start of civil war by Thiers: guns taken away March 18, 1871 (Lecomte and Clément Thomas killed).
VII. March 18, 1871. The Commune.
1. Republic + self-government.
2. T h e C o m m u n e’ s m e a s u r e s.
3. {{ Its two mistakes }} (( Failure to attack Versailles ” to take the bank
VIII. War against the Commune: begging Bismarck for soldiers, ignominious peace. Week of bloodshed May 21–28, 1871. 35,000 killed 20,000 according to {{ bourgeois newspaper }} estimates. 13,450 (including 157 women){19} sentenced by the courts (! after March 18 the courts were busy for another 5 1/2 years!).

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