Thursday, March 08, 2018

*The Inside Story of the Paris Commune of 1871- From The Pen Of Prosper Olivier Lissagaray

Click on title to link to an online "History Of The Paris Commune".

Book Review

March 18th is the 137th Anniversary of the Paris Commune. All honor to the men and women who fought to the death to defend this first beacon of working class revolution.

History of the Paris Commune, Prosper Olivier Lissagaray, translated by Eleanor Marx, Black and Red Press, St. Petersburg, Florida, 2007

When one studies the history of the Paris Commune of 1871 one learns something new from it even though from the perspective of revolutionary strategy the Communards made virtually every mistake in the book. This book by a participant and survivor of the Commune has historically been the starting point for any pro-Commune analysis. The original English translation by Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl Marx, has given the imprimatur of the Marx family to that view.

Through a close study of the Paris Commune one learn its lessons and measure it against the experience acquired by later revolutionary struggles and above all by later revolutions, not only the successful Russian Revolution of October 1917 but the failed German, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Chinese and Spanish revolutions in the immediate aftermath of World War I. More contemporaneously we have the experiences of the partial victories of the later Chinese, Cuban and Vietnamese revolutions.

Notwithstanding the contradictory nature of these later experiences, as if to show that history is not always totally a history of horrors against the fate of the masses we honor the Paris Commune as a beacon of the coming world proletarian revolution. It is just for that reason that Karl Marx fought tooth and nail in the First International to defend it against the rage of capitalist Europe. It is one of our peaks. The Commune also presented in embryo the first post-1848 Revolution instance of what was later characterized by Lenin at the beginning of World War I as the crisis of revolutionary leadership of the international labor movement. So this question that after Lenin’s death preoccupied Trotsky for much of the later part of his life really has a much longer lineage that I had previously recognized. Unfortunately, as we are too painfully aware that question is still to be resolved. Therefore, even at this great remove, it is necessary to learn the lessons of that experience in facing today’s crisis of leadership in the international labor movement.

As a final thought, I note that in the preface to this edition that the editors have given their own view about the lessons to be learned from the experience of the Paris Commune. Although virtually every page of Lissagaray’s account drips with examples of the necessity of a vanguard party their view negates that necessity. While we can argue until hell freezes over, and should, about the form that a future socialist state will take one would think that there should be no dispute on that necessity at this late date in history. In any case read this important work (including the above-mentioned provocative preface) as it tells the tale of an important part of our working class history.

1 comment:

  1. As is always appropriate on international working class holidays and days of remembrance here is the song most closely associated with that movement “The Internationale” in English, French and German. I will not vouch for the closeness of the translations but certainly of the spirit. Workers Of The World Unite!


    The Internationale [variant words in square brackets]

    Arise ye workers [starvelings] from your slumbers
    Arise ye prisoners of want
    For reason in revolt now thunders
    And at last ends the age of cant.
    Away with all your superstitions
    Servile masses arise, arise
    We'll change henceforth [forthwith] the old tradition [conditions]
    And spurn the dust to win the prize.

    So comrades, come rally
    And the last fight let us face
    The Internationale unites the human race.
    So comrades, come rally
    And the last fight let us face
    The Internationale unites the human race.

    No more deluded by reaction
    On tyrants only we'll make war
    The soldiers too will take strike action
    They'll break ranks and fight no more
    And if those cannibals keep trying
    To sacrifice us to their pride
    They soon shall hear the bullets flying
    We'll shoot the generals on our own side.

    No saviour from on high delivers
    No faith have we in prince or peer
    Our own right hand the chains must shiver
    Chains of hatred, greed and fear
    E'er the thieves will out with their booty [give up their booty]
    And give to all a happier lot.
    Each [those] at the forge must do their duty
    And we'll strike while the iron is hot.




    ________________________________________

    L'Internationale

    Debout les damnés de la terre
    Debout les forçats de la faim
    La raison tonne en son cratère
    C'est l'éruption de la fin
    Du passe faisons table rase
    Foules, esclaves, debout, debout
    Le monde va changer de base
    Nous ne sommes rien, soyons tout

    C'est la lutte finale
    Groupons-nous, et demain (bis)
    L'Internationale
    Sera le genre humain

    Il n'est pas de sauveurs suprêmes
    Ni Dieu, ni César, ni tribun
    Producteurs, sauvons-nous nous-mêmes
    Décrétons le salut commun
    Pour que le voleur rende gorge
    Pour tirer l'esprit du cachot
    Soufflons nous-mêmes notre forge
    Battons le fer quand il est chaud

    L'état comprime et la loi triche
    L'impôt saigne le malheureux
    Nul devoir ne s'impose au riche
    Le droit du pauvre est un mot creux
    C'est assez, languir en tutelle
    L'égalité veut d'autres lois
    Pas de droits sans devoirs dit-elle
    Egaux, pas de devoirs sans droits

    Hideux dans leur apothéose
    Les rois de la mine et du rail
    Ont-ils jamais fait autre chose
    Que dévaliser le travail
    Dans les coffres-forts de la bande
    Ce qu'il a crée s'est fondu
    En décrétant qu'on le lui rende
    Le peuple ne veut que son dû.

    Les rois nous saoulaient de fumées
    Paix entre nous, guerre aux tyrans
    Appliquons la grève aux armées
    Crosse en l'air, et rompons les rangs
    S'ils s'obstinent, ces cannibales
    A faire de nous des héros
    Ils sauront bientôt que nos balles
    Sont pour nos propres généraux

    Ouvriers, paysans, nous sommes
    Le grand parti des travailleurs
    La terre n'appartient qu'aux hommes
    L'oisif ira loger ailleurs
    Combien, de nos chairs se repaissent
    Mais si les corbeaux, les vautours
    Un de ces matins disparaissent
    Le soleil brillera toujours.


    ________________________________________

    Die Internationale

    Wacht auf, Verdammte dieser Erde,
    die stets man noch zum Hungern zwingt!
    Das Recht wie Glut im Kraterherde
    nun mit Macht zum Durchbruch dringt.
    Reinen Tisch macht mit dem Bedranger!
    Heer der Sklaven, wache auf!
    Ein nichts zu sein, tragt es nicht langer
    Alles zu werden, stromt zuhauf!

    Volker, hort die Signale!
    Auf, zum letzten Gefecht!
    Die Internationale
    Erkampft das Menschenrecht

    Es rettet uns kein hoh'res Wesen
    kein Gott, kein Kaiser, noch Tribun
    Uns aus dem Elend zu erlosen
    konnen wir nur selber tun!
    Leeres Wort: des armen Rechte,
    Leeres Wort: des Reichen Pflicht!
    Unmundigt nennt man uns Knechte,
    duldet die Schmach langer nicht!

    In Stadt und Land, ihr Arbeitsleute,
    wir sind die starkste Partei'n
    Die Mussigganger schiebt beiseite!
    Diese Welt muss unser sein;
    Unser Blut sei nicht mehr der Raben
    und der machtigen Geier Frass!
    Erst wenn wir sie vertrieben haben
    dann scheint die Sonn' ohn' Unterlass!

    ReplyDelete