"Fetridge...was a resident in Paris during the reign of the Commune...had the opportunity of knowing personally most of the actors in the tragic drama he describes...a narration of one of the saddest and maddest epochs in the history of a nation." -The Montreal Star, Oct. 19, 1871
"The Rise and Fall of the Paris Commune...by W. Pembroke Fetridge...thrilling narrative...a chronicle that constitutes one of the most memorable chapters in modern history." -The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Oct. 14, 1871
"Everyone should purchase a copy of the Paris Commune...the rise and fall of the commune in 1871 by W. Pembroke Fetridge and eye witness of the events described." -The Daily Commonwealth, March 7, 1872
"W. Pembroke Fetridge...smites the Communists...mentions with apparent approval the pusillanimous and discreditable conduct...when the Commune was vanquished and its adherents were fleeing for their lives." -Daily News (London), Dec. 26, 1871
What events led communists to seize control of Paris in 1871 and establish a commune, and did its own internal inherent weakness and flaws eventually lead to its own downfall?
In 1871, an American journalist and eye-witness to the events surrounding the Paris commune would publish a harrowing narration in his book titled, "The Rise and Fall of the Paris Commune in 1871."
In introducing his book, Fetridge writes:
"The unfortunate war which France declared against Germany in the month of July 1870, was indirectly the cause of the late insurrection, the most formidable and criminal the world has ever seen. The head that had so long controlled the ruthless desperadoes of Paris, most of whom have by this time expiated their fearful crimes, was in exile—the defeat of Sedan had set them at liberty."
The Paris Commune (French: Commune de Paris, pronounced was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 to 1871, the French National Guard had defended Paris, and working-class radicalism grew among its soldiers. Following the establishment of the Third Republic in September 1870 (under French chief executive Adolphe Thiers from February 1871) and the complete defeat of the French Army by the Germans by March 1871, soldiers of the National Guard seized control of the city on March 18. They killed two French army generals and refused to accept the authority of the Third Republic, instead attempting to establish an independent government. The Commune governed Paris for two months,
About the author:
"William Pembroke Fetridge (1827-1896) was a travel writer, publisher, bookseller and periodicals distributor. He lived in the Boston, Massachusetts area and in Paris, France.
