Commune of Paris is also known as Paris Commune or French Commune de Paris.
In the hot bed of socialist revolt against the French Republic that lasted from March 18 to May 28, 1871, much of Paris had been destroyed. The insurrection occurred in the wake of France’s defeat in the Franco-German War and the collapse of Napoleon III’s Second Empire (1852–70). Communist forces under Louis Auguste Blanqui battled the National Guard in their efforts to capture the city and overthrow the French government.
The working-class revolutionaries also tried to erase all symbols of the “bourgeoisie,” or the upper-class of society. They harassed or killed many priests and wealthy citizens during their uprising. By May 28th, 1871, after the “La semaine sanglante” (“The Bloody Week”), the communist rebels had set ablaze and destroyed many monuments, artworks, and architecture. The Nôtre Dame, the Hôtel Dieu, and the magnificent collection of pictures in the Louvre had thankfully escaped demolition.
Below you can find a series of pictures that will give you an idea of the Paris before and after communist’s destruction in 1871.
rue Royale
rue de la Paix
Vendome column
Fort d’Aubervilliers
la Rotonde
Porte Maillot
La Villette
Palais de la Légion d’Honneur
Palais de Justice
Palais de Justice
de l’Arsenal
Ministère des Finances
rue Royale
Royal Street
Avenue de la Grande Armée – Avenue de la Porte-Maillot
Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
boulevard St Martin
Boulevard Voltaire
rue Rivoli – rue St Martin
rue Rivoli – rue St Martin
rue du Sommerard – boulevard Saint-Michel
Balard
porte de St Ouen
la maison de Thiers
Demolition Thiers house
Place du Château d’eau – place de la République
de la Villette
rue de Lille
rue de Lille
Gare Montparnasse
de l’Hôtel de Ville
Tour Saint-Jacques
Palais-des-tuileries
tuileries Pavillon de l’horloge
Photos from Paris Zigzag