The 1871 Paris Commune was one of the stages of the development of the present French society that provided valuable lessons regarding the cost of ineffective government. The rule of the Paris Commune lasted for approximately two months and was associated with the governance of anarchism and the dictatorship of the proletariat. The reasons for the establishment of the Commune were the complicated political and economic situation in the country and its major cities, as well as several ineffective measures undertaken by the government. The goals of the Commune were deeply rooted in democratic values as the members of the Commune, as well as the rest of the population of France, wanted justice, democracy, and equal opportunities for all. Nevertheless, the rule of the Commune turned into violence that resulted in a massacre in May 1871.
The Commune appeared to be unable to respond to the challenges French people were to address, which led to its end. The Commune was constituted by the representatives of diverse groups, which was rather a considerable limitation due to the lack of strong leadership. The measures undertaken by the Commune members were often dictated by the needs of local laborers and could not meet the expectations of the entire population of the country or even Paris. The purpose of this paper is to explore the most influential internal factors that contributed to the defeat of the Paris Commune, including the lack of coordination, strong leadership, experienced Commune’s members, and homogeneity among the Commune members.
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