Ideologies Of The Paris Commune

Ideologies of socialism and democracy within the members of the Paris Commune were founded in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war, these ideologies would later dictate the actions of the French proletariat during the rise and rule of the Paris Commune. The Monarchy and the ruling elite at the time were becoming increasingly unpopular with the proletariat. Napoleon III attempted to recover the support of the proletariat through a war with the Prussians attempting to unite the people together, much like the wars that restored their faith in the ruling class previously. However, this war would result in a loss for the French army, furthering the crisis for the legitimacy of the French government. Succeeding the Prussian victory, the Paris

When the Paris Commune took power, they took actions that were shaped by this ideology to implement democracy and equality within their governing body. The Commune at its second meeting began to act on the ideologies that related to economics and politics. They prohibited the eviction for non-payment of rent, to alleviate some of the inequalities for the working- and lower-class proletariat. For many of the proletariat, the national pawnshop was a means to sell items to make quick cash for food. This resulted in many of the lower class selling essential items to eat or pay for more important items. To combat this, the Commune suspended the sale of items from the Mon de Péité and would later pass an order that any item that was worth under 20 francs would be able to be claimed by the original owner of the item for free. Food exports were prohibited to promote local buying and selling, and the commune subsidised local butcher shops to aid in this action. The commune’s ideology surrounding economics and politics also relates heavily to their main ideology of social equality. Their goals and actions surrounding economics was shaped by the past wealth inequalities that existed and birthed the ideology within the members of the