What were the reasons for the failure of the Paris Commune of 1871?
The Paris Commune was established by the citizens of Paris in protest against the military surrender at the end of the Franco-Prussian War. It was formally declared on March 28, and successfully governed Paris until May 21, when government troops entered Paris. Failure to prepare adequately for defense in the case of military invasion of the city (few barricades had been erected, although there had been much talk of the need for them) and lack of central organisation as the barricades were being defended meant that the Versailles troops could overwhelm them individually and slaughter the defenders before moving on to the next target. The Commune had completely collapsed by the 28th of May. Far more died during that last week in May than in any of the battles of the Franco Prussian war, than on any of the previous massacres in French History. The terror of the French revolution amounted to about 19,000 deaths in a year and a half. There is no exact figure but something in the region of
