Central committee of the National guard

The central committee of the National guard was during the Commune of Paris a trained assembly of the deputy elected officials by the members of the National guard. This committee diriga in fact the town of Paris from March 15th to March 28th, 1871.

Origins

During the head office of Paris by the Germans (September 1870 - March 1871) the National guard gathers the Parisian ones more and more (60 battalions at the beginning of September, 254 battalions at the beginning of October). The national Guards know an intense political life. Also on February 6th, 1871, on the initiative of Courty, trading of IIIe district, a general meeting joined together with the Cirque of Winter requests her office to quickly convene the delegates of district of the National guard. February 15th, with the Vauxhall the delegates of all the districts (except Ier and IIe) decide election of a provisional commission charged to write the statutes of a Fédération of the National guard. The discussion continues in the many political clubs of the capital and in the battalions of the national guard.

February 24th, a new meeting with the Vauxhall, allows nearly 2000 deputy representatives 200 battalions to vote a motion affirming that the National guard will not be let disarm by the government and invites the inhabitants of the province to imitate Paris. February 28th, the provisional commission makes gather the guns of the national guard with Montmartre and Belleville because of the entry of the soldiers German in Paris. It makes placard the black Affiche which recommends to Parisian not to express against the German troops which occupy XVIe and the XVIIe districts.

March 3rd, a new general meeting, elects a provisional Executive committee of 32 members (of the members of the provisional executive commission, delegates of the republican Central committee of the Twenty districts, and 3 observers of the International association of the workers. Appear then part of the future members of the Conseil of the Commune of Paris: Bergeret, Arnold, Chouteau, Ostyn, Pindy, Varlin, Viard. The same day the government names D' Aurelle de Paladines, commander-in-chief of the National guard. Vis-a-vis this provocation, on March 4th, the provisional Committee affirms that the National guard " will be organized so as to protect the country better than could not do it until there the standing armies and to defend, by all the possible ways, the Republic menacée". Agitation répend in Paris, on March 4th the Republican guard must evacuate its barracks of the street Mouffetard, the 9 7th, 8th and 16th battalions of the mobile Guard are mutinent…

March 10th, a general meeting of delegated battalions, proclaims the end of the standing army, and the government by themselves of the free citizens. She refuses to obey the general D' Aurelle de Paladines. It is the confrontation with the government. March 11th, the general Vinoy, commander-in-chief of the Army of Paris, suspends many republican newspapers ( the iron Mouth, the Caricature , the Cry of the people , the Watchword , the Father Duchêne , the Avenger ) and makes condemn to death in absentia Gustave Flourens and Auguste Blanqui because of their role in the Soulèvement of October 31st, 1870 against the policy of the Gouvernement of National defense.

March 15th, in the Vauxhall, 1325 deputy representing 215 battalions of the National guard votes the statutes of the Central committee of the national guard and names for general-in-chief Garibaldi who refuses. The delegates of the battalions of the middle-class district of the capital miss: Ier, IIe, VIIe, VIIIe, IXe and XVIe districts. The new committee includes/understands 33 members (most of the provisional committee elected on March 3rd, and of new who will be also members of the Council of the Commune: Allemane, Arnaud, Assi, Babick, Billioray, Strainer, Clemence, Duval, Eudes, Geresme, Jourde, Lisbon, Ranvier…

The composition of the Committee reveals a popular but not proletarian social origin. One finds there beside some workmen of the small employers, the small shopkeepers, the liberal professions. They are republicans who wish to defend the Republic (of which the existence seems threatened by an elected National Assembly on February 8th when the royalists dominate). They want the end of the standing army which showed its weaknesses in recent the war against the Germans and his replacement by militia (such National guard]]. Especially they are partisans of the direct democracy and right to watch of the population on the control of the public affairs.

The committee with work

At the conclusion of the Rising of March 18th, 1871, the Central committee settles with the Town hall of Paris and writes two declarations. " is addressed; With the People français" , the other " With the Guards nationaux" and announces the lifting of the state of siege and the nearest behavior of municipal elections. Lullier is named commander-in-chief of the National guard. March 19th, the Central committee refuses to go on Versailles where took refuge Adolphe Thiers like asks for a minority of its members to him. For him the Commune is a Parisian business, it is not in Paris to decide government of France. The Committee announces that the municipal elections will take place on March 22nd, with the list system per district at a rate of an Adviser per 20.000 inhabitants or fraction of more than 10.000. The Committee names delegates in charge of a sector of the municipal administration: Jourde and Varkin is named with Finances, Grollier and Vaillant deals with the Interior, Grousset obtains the Foreign relations, Duval and Rigault is with the Police headquarter, Eudes is named with the War, Bergeret is delegated to the Staff of the National guard and Moreau directs the Official journal .

The Central committee must initially endeavor to control any Paris. March 18th rising touches the Villette, Belleville, XIIIe, XIVe and XVe districts. The other districts must be conquered by évinçant the mayors: IXe on March 20th, Life the 22, VIIe on March 24th. The March 24th and 25th one replaces the mayors of IVe, Ve, Xe and XIIe districts which disappeared. Ier, IIe and XVIe districts resist, and part of the inhabitants takes part in the manifestations of the Amis of the Order of the March 21st and 22nd.

As of its taking of of Committee decide to extend the expiries of the commercial effects or the rents, to suspend the sale of the objects deposited with the Pawnshops of the capital, and prohibits the expulsion of the tenants, social measures whose cancellation by the National Assembly mainly caused the rising of March 18th. Also it makes give in freedom all the political prisoners (many after the repression which followed the failures of the risings of October 31st, 1870 and of the January 22nd, 1871. Freedom of the press is restored and the councils of War are removed.

On March 21st and 22nd, the Committee represses the demonstrations that inhabitants of the residential districts (the Amis of the Order) organized to prevent the course of the elections (which will have to be pushed back at March 26th). March 22nd, the republican Central committee of the Twenty districts rejoins the Central committee of the National guard and brings its knowledge there to make political. March 23rd the International association of the workers, under the impulse of Léo Fränkel in fact of the same. March 28th, the Central committee yields the place to the Conseil of the Commune which has just been elected (many its members sit besides in the new organization) and which deals with the businesses of Paris. It is the beginning of the Commune.

Sources

Bernard Christmas, Dictionary of the Commune, Flammarion, collection “Fields”, 1978
Jacques Rougerie, free Paris 1871 , the Threshold, “Political” collection, 1971

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