A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - Ideas and Struggles: The Communes of Paris and Marseille (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The Paris Commune Through the Voice of an Unknown Woman ---- The "Voices 
from Below" collection from Plein Chant publishers features texts from 
the working class. The first volume, published in 1970, is titled "The 
Ascent," written by the worker Lucien Bourgeois. It was later expanded 
with "Memories" by Léontine Oudot, subtitled "The Commune, a Family 
Affair." Her style is truly that of the people: precise, moving, and 
denunciatory. She introduces us to her family, skilled workers: chair 
makers and linotypists. An uncle, a metal engraver and member of the 
International Workingmen's Association, and Camélinat, a bronze mounter. 
Life is hard in this neighborhood of the 11th arrondissement, both in 
terms of hygiene and working conditions. Fortunately, the banks of the 
Marne are nearby. ---- War is declared in 1870, and Paris experiences 
its first siege, enduring hunger and cold. Certain passages in the book 
are reminiscent of Victorine Brocher's *Souvenirs d'une morte vivante* 
(Memories of a Living Dead Woman). Léontine Oudot writes what she sees 
with her child's eyes, and "Here is the Commune." She listens to the 
adults and notes that "the Commune was defeated by espionage and 
betrayal; there was far too much talk and not enough action." Louise 
Michel makes a similar observation. Léontine's father is in Auteuil with 
the National Guard; they will have to retreat. The Versailles troops 
invade Paris. She describes the fires caused by incendiary bombs thrown 
by these same Versailles troops, the shootings. "The poor fighters who 
were captured in Père-Lachaise Cemetery, they are made to dig a trench, 
they go down into it, and the machine guns advance, dead or alive, they 
throw quicklime on them and cover them with earth; it is on the slopes 
leading down to the Communards' Wall that these crimes were committed." 
Where the anarchists gather during the commemoration of Bloody Week.

A Deep Republican Commitment

Let's return to Léontine and her family. They had to flee the 
repression, taking refuge in Saint-Maur before returning to Paris, 
always fearing denunciation. Working-class, the family could hardly 
stray far from the woodworking district, the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. 
Léontine became a wood gilder and lacquerer. The family's republican 
commitment remained strong since the Second Empire; they followed the 
fight for amnesty. A loyal supporter of the Commune, she was laid to 
rest, at her request, in the 96th division of Père-Lachaise Cemetery 
near the Communards' Wall.

As always, we note the high quality of the book's graphic design and 
layout, a hallmark of this publishing house. I refer to Edmond Thomas's 
book, *Plein chant, Histoire d'un éditeur de labeur* (Plein chant, 
History of a Labor Publisher), published by L'Echappée in 2025, which 
was featured in the "Ideas and Struggles" column on September 6, 2025, 
on the Le Monde libertaire website. Alain Faure's critical apparatus 
helps to understand the events and sometimes corrects Léontine's overly 
vague statements. The cover features a lithograph by Théophile Steinlen, 
photographs of the streets of Paris, and the first handwritten page of 
the black notebook containing Léontine's memoirs-a fine, regular 
handwriting that conveys her childhood memories and the battles she fought.

* *The Commune, a Family Affair*
The Memories of Léontine Oudot
Published by Plein chant, 2025

The Nuances of a Flag

There Is No Commune Except That of Paris. In her new book, following her 
work on Gaston Crémieux, Michèle Bitton invites us to relive the days of 
freedom and struggle that animated Marseille from March 23 to April 4, 
1871. Her book, 1871: The Marseille Commune, From the Red Flag to the 
Caledonian Penal Colony, is characterized by its rigorous research and 
extensive references. Marseille had 300,000 inhabitants, and its 
international influence, thanks to its port, made it a vital city in the 
country. From the fall of Louis-Napoleon onward, the republican movement 
manifested itself in demonstrations and strikes. At the end of March 
1871, Gaston Crémieux, a lawyer and journalist for L'Égalité, called for 
solidarity with Paris at a meeting held at the Eldorado on March 22.

Based on proclamations, posters, and press articles, extensively 
reproduced in her book, Michèle Bitton outlines the positions within the 
provisional departmental commission of Bouches-du-Rhône, established at 
the prefecture and replacing the prefectural authority for thirteen 
days. Disagreements quickly emerged with the sensibilities of the 
Marseille National Guard and the municipal council. Exchanges between 
Crémieux, representing the departmental commission, and the municipal 
council demonstrate the rapid defections and defections to the 
Versailles authority. As early as March 26, the Versailles general 
Espivent de la Villeboisnet organized his troops in preparation for a 
state of war. "There will be no mercy," the prelude to the Parisian 
repression.

There will be no mercy

The arrival of three Parisian delegates, members of the International 
Workingmen's Association (IWA), greeted with cries of "Long live Paris! 
Long live the Republic!", prompted a radicalization of positions. On 
April 1st, Thiers declared: "The army will enter Marseille in force and 
finish everything." A state of siege was proclaimed on April 3rd, and 
Versailles troops entered the city during the night. The division of the 
National Guard prevented any effective response. Michèle Bitton draws a 
connection between the poorly executed Parisian offensive on Châtillon 
and Clamart and the assassination of Émile Duval, general of the Paris 
Commune, by the Versailles troops.

After the conquest of the city, the army retained power, and the 
military justice system organized the repression for five years, with 
denunciations rampant. The first death sentences were handed down on 
June 28, 1871, most notably that of Gaston Crémieux, who was executed on 
November 30, 1871. Women were then accused and insulted, and other 
participants were deported.

Michèle Bitton emphasizes the radical and revolutionary nature of this 
movement, while also highlighting the missteps and hesitations of those 
in charge. A valuable work of research and analysis.

* Michèle Bitton
1871 The Marseille Commune, From the Red Flag to the Caledonian Penal Colony
Available at Librairie Transit, 51 Boulevard de la Libération, 13001 
Marseille

https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8792
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