Semaine Sanglante

The Semaine Sanglante, or "Bloody Week," refers to the intense and violent period from May 21 to May 28, 1871, marking the end of the Paris Commune. This event was a crucial moment in French history, as it saw the French Army recapture Paris from the revolutionary forces known as the Communards.

Background

The Paris Commune was established following the collapse of the Second French Empire after the Franco-Prussian War. Radical socialists and revolutionaries sought greater social and economic reforms, leading to the formation of the Commune on March 18, 1871. The National Guard, comprising about 150,000 members, provided military support to the Commune's governance.

Prelude to the Semaine Sanglante

Tensions escalated as the Versailles Government, led by Adolphe Thiers, aimed to regain control over the capital. An unsuccessful attack on Versailles by the Commune, spearheaded by Louis Charles Delescluze, prompted a conservative backlash. By early May, Versailles forces had reclaimed territory surrounding Paris and initiated a bombardment of the city.

The Bloody Week

On May 21, 1871, the Versailles troops entered Paris, igniting a week of brutal combat known as the Semaine Sanglante. The National Guard's military force was theoretically formidable, but internal divisions and insufficient military training weakened its effectiveness. As the week progressed, government forces systematically retook control of the city's neighborhoods.

Casualties and Aftermath

Estimates of the number of Communard soldiers killed during the Bloody Week vary. While Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray, a contemporary chronicler, suggested a figure of 20,000, later historians estimate between 10,000 to 15,000 fatalities. The majority of the deceased were interred in city cemeteries, with a smaller number buried in suburban areas.

The Massacre in the Rue Haxo, a notorious episode within the week, involved the execution of priests and gendarmes by Communards. This brutal event epitomized the intense violence that characterized the Semaine Sanglante.

Legacy

The suppression of the Paris Commune during the Semaine Sanglante left a lasting impact on the social and political landscape of France. The events of this week are remembered as a significant episode in the broader context of the 1870–1871 French civil war.