The organisations set up during the siege of Paris laid the foundation of the Commune. Women organised their own Vigilance Committee in Montmarte, the political centre of the working class. Clubs, many of them for women alone, where also centres of intense activity.
After France's surrender to Bismarck, the new government of Adolf Thiers had to disarm the people of Paris in order to morning of March 18, Thiers felt under control, and ordered the French troops into the working-class districts of Paris to remove the city's cannons.
But, as Louise Michel re "The army fraternised with the people instead of shooting them down. That triumph of the popular cause is perhaps chiefly due to the intervention of the women, who covered the artillery with their own bodies, and even placed Take a step back from the class struggle, world capitalist crisis, the collapse of Stalinism, meetings, pickets and demonstra. tions. Enjoy 6 days of education debate and fun in scenic North Wales at our residential summer school. This year's main theme is Wormen's Iberation with shorter themes including Europe, Ireland, Nationalism and culture. At only £95 waged/£35 unwaged, can you afford not to go? Please write for more information to: Socialist Outiook, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU Page 10 Feb 27, 1993 No. 38 themselves at the muzzles of the guns to prevent them being fired."
The measures affecting women Tenants could cancel their lease, and could not be evicted for a period of time. Pawnshops were prohibited from selling The 3rd Socialist Outlook Summer school their articles, particularly tools tor without tools a worker had no chance of employment. The Commune decreed that people could freely withdraw up to 20 francs of their clothing. furniture, linen, bedding, books and tools from the pawnshops. A 600 franc pension was ranted to the widow of any lational Guard who had beer killed defending the Commune, and a smaller pension for each child. In neither the case of the women nor of the children was their Commune interested in the legal relationship. This decree, dealing a blow to the clerical-feudal institution of marriage, was, in the eyes of Communard Arthur Arnould: "an act of justice as well, for it is time to have done with that iniquitous prejudice, that legal bararism, which in what binage, as opposed to legal mamnase, stikes only at the weak; the seaucea woman and ine innocent child." In another decree, a food pension was given to any woman T who asked for separation from her husband. Consistent with the democratic nature of the Commune, mission of three men and three women proposed secular free education for all children, based on scientific principles. While the Commune held power for only two months, the educational In addition to the Clubs, other formsof women sorganisations existed. There was a women's section of the Montmarte Vigilance Committee, the Union des Femmes (a section of the International), and a variety of local committees and societies. Their functions varied.
Some sent their best speakers to agitate at the Clubs. The Montmarte Vigilance Committee hunted people who refused to defend the Commune, ran workshops, aided impoverished women and recruited women to the medical units.
But despite the heroism of the Commune, Paris itself was invaded on May 21 by Thiers' army.
Louise Michel, one of the great figures of the Commune, states that in the last desperate battles within the section Paris itself, the women "flinChed at nothing They ciled themselves much more specdily to the inevitable."
The history of the Commune illustrates the validity of the conclusions drawn by Andre Leo; she pointed out that women had not helped de throne the Emperor and God simply to let men take that place themselves. "The revolution means - since we must take its side-liberty and responsibility for every human being, with common rights as their only limit and without any privilege of race or sex"
The experience of 1871 showed the world the power of women, organised and ready to throw off their yoke of oppression. As Louise Michel noted, "In rebellion alone woman is at ease, trampling upon both prejudice and sufferings. All intelligent women will sooner or Jater rise in rebellion."
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