The Fall of Paris

by Alistair Horne

  PART ONE

  Chapter 1

  Description of the Great Exhibition and its accompanying ceremonies is drawn from numerous sources, but principally: de la Gorce, von Klass (Die Drei Ringe), Guedalla, Allem, Fleury and Sonolet, Perruchot, Goncourt, Gautier, Child diaries, Guérard, Mérimée, Peat, Hoffman, Illustrated London News.

  Chapter 2

  Second Empire morals: de la Gorce, Allem, Fleury, Peat, Burnand, Loliéc, Fleischmann, Guedalla, Thompson. Social and political conditions under the Second Empire: Guedalla, Duveau (2), de la Gorce, Burnand, Plamenatz, Allem, Goncourt, Elton, Guérard Maurois (1), Brogan, Chastenet, Newton.

  Chapter 3

  Causes and outbreak of Franco-Prussian War: de la Gorce, Illustrated London News, Howard, Newton, Brogan. State of the opposing Armies: Howard, Hooper, Pratt, Edwards, de la Gorce, Brogan, Guedalla (The Two Marshals), Fuller (Decisive Battles of the Western World, vol. iii). Opening phases of the war: Zola, de la Gorce, Hooper, Fuller, Cassell, The Times, Illustrated London News, Sheridan, Mérimée, Forbes. Appointment of Trochu: Trochu (2) and (3), Brunet-Moret. Revolution of September 4th: Duveau (1) de la Gorce, Kranzberg, Washburne (1), Rochefort, Trochu (3), Chastenet, Hoffman, Sheppard, d’Hérisson.

  Chapter 4

  Paris prepares for the Siege: Ducrot, Trochu (3), Duveau (1), Viollet-le-Duc, Brogan, Kranzberg, Cassell. Comparisons to Siege of Leningrad, here and elsewhere: Goure. Spy-mania: Péguret, Goncourt, Clarétie, Bowles, Washburne (1), O’Shea. Character of Trochu: Duveau (1), Brunet-Moret, d’Hérisson, Washburne (1), Hoffman, Trochu (1), (2) and (3), Rochefort.

  Chapter 5

  Prussian approach march: Forbes, Sheridan, Daily News, Müller (1), Busch (1), Blume (1), Russell, Frederick III. Battle of Châtillon: Ducrot, Trochu (3), Duveau (1), d’Hérisson, Grouard, O’Shea. Favre–Bismarck negotiations: Newton, Howard, Chastenet, Cassell, Busch (1), Frederick III. Gambetta flies to Tours: Bury, Brogan, Flaubert (1) and (2), Fonvielle, Grouard, Tissandier, Washburne (1), Trochu (3).

  Chapter 6

  Lack of news and rumours: Labouchere, Blount, Bowles, Goncourt, Whitehurst, Kranzberg. Introduction to ‘Reds’: Duveau (1), Jellinek, da Costa, Mason, Guillemin (2), Flourens, Chevalet, Bowles. The National Guard: Child diaries, Péguret, Duveau (1), Kranzberg, Nass, Labouchere, Flourens, Bowles.

  Chapter 7

  First Battle of Le Bourget: Adam, Washburne, Ducrot, Trochu (3), O’Shea, Labouchere, Forbes, Kunz, Grouard. Surrender of Metz: Daily News, Robinson, Cassell, Rochefort. Uprising of October 31st: Bowles, O’Shea, Labouchere, Ducrot, Trochu (3), Whitehurst, Adam, ‘Oxford Graduate’, Washburne (1), Flourens, Duveau (1), d’Hérisson, Michell, Rochefort, Mason, Lissagaray, Sheppard, Clarétie, Goncourt, Hoffman, Mason.

  Chapter 8

  The Balloons of Paris: Smith, Tissandier, François, Gautier, Saint-Edmé, Fonvielle, Mallet, Brunel, Nass, Reitlinger, Robinson. Inventors and inventions: Saint-Edmé, Kranzberg, Nass, Labouchere Bowles, Sheppard, Maillard, Cassell, Ducrot, O’Shea, Mid-week Pictorial.

  Chapter 9

  ‘Le Plan’: Trochu (3), Ducrot, Grouard, Duveau (1), Brogan, Brunet-Moret. Gambetta’s campaign on the Loire: Bury, Grouard, Howard. Imperfections of French security: Goncourt, Frederick III, Forbes, Blumenthal, Blume (1). Flight of the Ville d’Orléans: Brunel, Mallet, François, Tissandier, Cassell.

  Chapter 10

  Mood in Paris before the Great Sortie: Whitehurst, O’Shea, Child letters, Washburne (1), Goncourt, Adam. The Great Sortie: Bowles, Labouchere, Adam, Clarétie, O’Shea, Goncourt, Grouard, Ducrot, Trochu (3), Forbes, Busch (1), Duveau (1), d’Hérisson, Cassell, Whitehurst, Blumenthal, Frederick III, Blume (1), Russell, Chevalet.

  Chapter 11

  British relations with the combatants: Collins and Abramsky (Karl Marx and the British Labour Movement), Roy Jenkins (Sir Charles Dilke), Fonvielle, Newton, Amberley, Harbord, Reitlinger, Illustrated London News, Kranzberg, Labouchere, Forbes, Frederick III, Pierce, Spears, Brown. The British and American communities in Paris: Falk, Washburne (1), Sheppard, Hoffman, Brown, Michell, Blount, Herbert, Burnley, Bowles, Thom, Whitehurst, Labouchere, O’Shea. Hospitals and ‘ambulances’: Adam, Sheppard, Evans (1), Gautier, Goncourt, Whitehurst, Bowles, Trailles, Labouchere, Ducrot, Ryan, Kranzberg, Hoffman, Sarcey, Forbes, Russell, O’Shea.

  Chapter 12

  Food supplies (sources used on this section are almost too numerous to list more than a few of the principal ones—the well-known correspondents whose names appear in the text are also omitted): ‘Oxford Graduate’, Maurois (2), Spears, Gautier, Nass, Washburne, Hoffman, Verlaine, Adam, Saint-Edmé, Sheppard, Herbert letters, Pierce, Duveau (1), Howard, Michell, Kranzberg, Illustrated London News, Vizetelly, Lowndes, Burnand, Péguret, Carter, Sarcey, Blount, Brown, Jollivet, Child diaries and letters, Daily News, Goure. Morale in December: Labouchere, Duveau (1), Goncourt, Michell, d’Hérisson, d’Heylli, Spears, Bowles, Goncourt. The second Le Bourget: Ducrot, Trochu (3), Adam, Busch (1), Kunz, Blumenthal, Forbes O’Shea, Daily News, Duveau (1).

  Chapter 13

  The Prussian camp: Russell, Forbes, Viollet-le-Duc, Blumenthal, Busch (1) and (2), Carter, Frederick III, Ryan. Discussion on the bombardment of Paris: Blume (1), Muller (1) and (2), Forbes, Frederick III, Busch (1), Russell, Blumenthal, Howard. The war in the provinces: Brogan, Bury, Daily News, Howard, Cassell, Parris, Sheridan, Hoffman.

  Chapter 14

  The shelling of Avron: Viollet-le-Duc, Forbes, Labouchere, Müller (1), Frederick III, Blumenthal. Shelling of the southern forts; Gautereau, Brunon, Viollet-le-Duc, Moltke. Bombardment of Paris; Moltke, O’Shea, Bowles, ‘Oxford Graduate’, Daily News, Cassell, Lowndes, Whitehurst, Blount, Washburne (1), Goncourt, Kranzberg, Trochu (3), Müller (2), Forbes, Frederick III, Russell. Shortage of fuel in Paris: ‘Oxford Graduate’, O’Shea, Hoffman Adam, Goncourt, Kranzberg, Sheppard. Government of National Defence plans last sortie: Trochu (3), Brunet-Moret, Ducrot, Duveau (1).

  Chapter 15

  State of the National Guard: Child diaries, O’Shea, Labouchere, ‘Oxford Graduate’. The Buzenval sortie: Goncourt, Ducrot, Adam, Bowles, Blumenthal, Frederick III, Trochu (3), Busch (1), Russell, Herbert, d’Hérisson. The replacement of Trochu: d’Hérisson, Blount, Labouchere, Maurois (2), Washburne, Hoffman. The shootings of January 22nd: Ducrot, Labouchere, O’Shea, Kranzberg, Duveau (1), Washburne (1) and (2), Clarétie, Moser, Mason. Favre’s negotiations with Bismarck for an armistice: Howard, d’Hérisson, Frederick III, Duveau (1), Busch (1), Newton, Chastenet, Child diaries and letters, Gautereau. The end of the war in the provinces: Chastenet, Bury, Brunel, Rochefort, Brogan.

  PART TWO

  Chapter 16

  The revictualling of Paris: Child letters, Hoffman, Blount, Cassell, Daily News, Forbes, Sheppard, Lyon, Nass, Brown, Herbert. ‘Obsidional fever’: Nass, Saint-Edmé, Dansette, Duveau (1), Adam, Labouchere, Kranzberg. The exodus from Paris: Mason, Daily News, Plamenatz, Daudet (1), Chevalet, Perruchot. Elections and the new Government: Chastenet, Bourgin (1), Daily News, Cassell, Brogan, Bowles, Elton, Jellinek, Bourgin (2), Dansette, Mason. Thiers’s first legislation: Chastenet, Cassell, Maurois (1) and (2) Péguret, Plamenatz, Bourgin (2), da Costa, Brogan, Dansette, Washburne (2). The German triumphal march: Lyon, Nass, Labouchere, Adam, Washburne, Frederick III, Blount, Blumenthal, Forbes, du Camp.

  Chapter 17

  Deceptive return to normal of Paris: d’Hérisson, Gibson, Goncourt, Dansette, Brown. The lynching of Vincenzoni: Bourgin (2), Lyon, Jellinek, Lissagaray. Seizure of the National Guard cannon: Bourgin (2), Péguret, Lissagaray, Rihs, Mason, Hoffman, Cassell, Patry, Jellinek, Gibson, da Costa, Washburne (1), Thiers. Killing of Lecomte and Thomas: Chastenet, Bourgin (2), da Costa, Brogan, Jackson, Daudet (1), Rochefort, Thomas, Jellinek, Bourgin (1), Trochu (3), Maurois (2), Bruhat. The retreat of the Thiers Government to Versailles: Patry, Bourgin (1) and (2), Mason, Lissagaray, da Costa, Washburne (1) and (2).

  Chapter 18

  First discussions of the insurgents: da Costa, Russe
ll, Newton, Lissagaray, Brogan, Bourgin (2), Moser, Michel, Chastenet, Plamenatz, Journal Officiel, Dansette, Mason, Gibson. Mediation of the Mayors: Jellinek, Plamenatz, Chastenet, Bourgin (1) and (2), Lissagaray, da Costa. Massacre in the Place Vendôme: Washburne (2), Jellinek, da Costa, Lindencrone, Gibson, Spears. The situation at Versailles: Hoffman, Washburne (1) and (2), Lindencrone, Thiers. Installation of the Commune. Bourgin (2), Gibson, Castelot, Jellinek, Mason.

  Chapter 19

  Definition of the Commune and Marx’s relationship with it: Rihs, Chastenet, Mason, Bourgin (2), Berlin, Jellinek, Brogan, Elton, Carlyle (The French Revolution), Aulard (The French Revolution), Laronze. Political and social background to the Commune: Brogan, Jellinek, Rihs, Chastenet, Bruhat, Rossel, Bourgin (1), Elton, da Costa, Marx (1), Berlin, Mason, Plamenatz. Factions within the Commune: da Costa, Marx (1), Berlin, Michel, Thomas, Mason, Elton, Plamenatz, Maurois (2), Rihs, Bruhat, Duveau (1), Jellinek, Verlaine, Bourgin (2). First acts of the Commune: Rihs, Jellinek, Lissagaray, Mason, Gibson, Washburne (1), Castelot, da Costa, Journal Officiel.

  Chapter 20

  Life in Paris during first days of the Commune: Powell, Washburne (1), Cassell, Gibson, Bourgin (2). Thiers attacks: Bourgin (2), Bruhat, da Costa, Cassell, Gibson, Jellinek, Brogan, Child diaries, Mason, Lissagaray, Rochefort, Cole, Thiers. Reaction in Paris: Washburne (1) and (2), Child diaries and letters, Gibson, Strang, Journal Officiel, Bourgin (2). Thier’s plan: Bourgin (2), Cassell, Newton, Thiers, Tombs.

  Chapter 21

  Notes on Cluseret: Mason, Jellinek, Bruhat, Washburne (1), Rossel, Cluseret. Cluseret’s reform attempts: Lissagaray, Rossel, Bourgin (2), da Costa, Cluseret, Mason. The fighting at Neuilly: Cassell, Young, Powell, Moser, Stanley. Thiers’s bombardment of Paris: Goncourt, Child diaries, Strang, Spears, Washburne (1), Gibson. Evacuation and recovery of Fort Issy: Jellinek, Lissagaray, Bruhat, Cluseret.

  Chapter 22

  Notes on Rossel: Washburne (1) and (2), Bourgin (2), da Costa, Rossel, Cassell, Vuillaume, Mason. The Commune’s political decrees: Elton, Lenin, Bruhat, Mason, Stanley, Bourgin (2), Gibson, Rihs. Creation of the Committee of Public Safety: Gibson, Mason, Rochefort, Lissagaray. Notes on Rigault: Mason, da Costa, Jellinek, Washburne (1), Duveau (1), Lindencrone, de la Gorce, Renoir, Adam. Arrest of the hostages: Washburne (1), Mason, Lissagaray, Cassell, Nass, Bourgin (2), da Costa, Cole, Maillard, Thiers. The final struggle for Fort Issy: Michel, Lissagaray, Jellinek, Rossel, da Costa.

  Chapter 23

  Notes on Delescluze and his coming to power: Audebrand, Lissagaray, Rossel, Rihs, Journal Officiel, Bourgin (2). Destruction of Thiers’s house: Washburne (2), Bourgin (2), Rochefort, da Costa. Felling of the Vendôme Column: Gibson, Cassell, Jellinek, Goncourt, Powell, Hoffman, Washburne (1), Stanley, Rihs. Explosion of Rapp arsenal: Child diaries, Spears, Stanley, Gibson. Negotiations over Archbishop: Journal Officiel, Washburne (1) and (2), Hoffman, Newton, Jellinek. Spies and spy-mania: Lissagaray, Bourgin (2). New exodus from Paris: Powell, Daudet (1), Child diaries and letters, Hoffman, Gibson, Spears, Goncourt, Daudet (2), Washburne (2). Parisian gaiety on eve of Versailles entry: Gibson, Goncourt, Castelot, Bourgin (2), Lissagaray, Thomas.

  Chapter 24

  Last attempts at mediation and the Versailles entry into Paris: Thiers, Jackson, Bourgin (2), Hoffman, Chastenet, Bruhat. Eyewitness accounts (such as those of Herbert, Stanley, and Child) of La Semaine Sanglante, both here and in succeeding chapters, are generally named and therefore source self-evident. Otherwise general sources used: Lissagaray, da Costa, Bruhat, Bourgin (2), Journal Officiel, Jellinek, Brogan, Cassell, Thiers, Goncourt, Cole, Chastenet, Moser, Michel, Thomas, Washburne (1) and (2), Jollivet.

  Chapter 25

  The burning of Paris and the Pétroleuses: Goncourt, Child letters, Stanley, Nass, Thomas, Jellinek, Marx (1), Cassell, Hoffman, Washburne (2), Michel. Death of the Archbishop: da Costa, Bourgin (2), Washburne (1) and (2), Brogan, Lissagaray, Cassell.

  Chapter 26

  Versailles atrocities: Chastenet, Verlaine, Bourgin (2), Jellinek, Lissagaray, Bruhat, Mason, Gibson, Hoffman, Denham, Cole, da Costa, Cassell, Nass, Powell, Goncourt, Stanley, Castelot, Daudet (2), Moser. Death of Delescluze: chiefly Lissagaray. The shootings of the remaining Communard hostages: Bruhat, Lissagary, Cassell, da Costa, Mason. The siege of La Roquette Prison: Cassell, Lamazou, Washburne (1), Bruhat, Lissagaray, Jellinek. Daudet’s passage on the end of the Commune comes from Daudet (1); the story of the execution of the sweep was told the author by M. Cécil Saint-Laurent. Other notes on ‘expiation’ following the end of the Commune: Mason, Bruhat, Péguret, The Times, Gibson, Cassell, Goncourt, Bourgin (2), Brogan, Elton, Gautier, Maurois (2), Thiers, Daudet (2), Chastenet, Castelot, Vuillaume, Tombs.

  Chapter 27

  The review of June 29th: chiefly Thiers. Ruins and recovery of Paris: Child diaries, Buss, Goncourt, Gautier, Gibson, Spears, Péguret, Castelot. Trials and sentences of Communards: Rossel, Rochefort, Buss, Lissagaray, Jellinek, da Costa, Bruhat, Thiers, Bourgin (2). Much of the details of the subsequent life of the Communard surviviors comes from Bruhat; Augustus John’s description of Louise Michel in old age is from Chiaroscuro; for confirmation of ‘Burner Brunel’s’ more peaceful employment in England, I am indebted to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth; the notes on Roche-fort’s later career were partly furnished by Frank Harris, in My Life and Loves. The notes on Richard Wallace come partly from Falk and the Wallace Collection; on Edwin Child, from Miss E. Child; on Labouchere from Hesketh Pearson’s Labby; on Tommy Bowles, from Winston Churchill’s My Early Life. Notes on the Marxist-Leninist interpretation of the Commune: Marx (1) and (2), Berlin, Bruhat, Lenin, Rihs, Mason. Auguste Renoir’s quote, ‘little flame which never dies’, is drawn from Jean Renoir.

  Index

  Adam, Edmond, 107–8, 113, 116–17, 118–19, 335, 424

  Adam, Juliette, see Lambert, Juliette

  Affre, Mgr., 396 n.

  Alexander II, Tsar, 8, 11–12, 37

  Allix, Jules, 132–3, 237, 299, 344, 392, 410

  Alsace-Lorraine, 82, 135, 199, 258–9, 428

  ‘Amazons of the Seine’, 132–3

  Amberley, Lady, 17, 38, 44–45, 162–3

  America, relations with Paris, 38, 72–73, 171, 248–9

  Arago, Etienne, 57, 109–10, 115–16

  Arlandes, Marquis d’, 121

  Arnould, 237

  Asnières, 319

  Assi, Adolphe-Alphonse, 279, 288, 312, 364, 366, 422

  Audebrand, Philibert, 345

  Aurelle de Paladines, General d’, 140, 142, 146, 157, 190, 200, 206, 260, 268, 284

  Avrial, 343, 344

  Avron plateau, 205, 209–11

  Bakunin, 206, 314, 316

  Balloons, 83–85, 121–31, 138–9, 144–6, 193, 243, 433 Archimède, 130 Armand Barbès, 85 Bataille de Paris, 156 Céleste, 83, 123, 127 Chanzy, 130 Daguerre, 128, 129, 130 Duquesne, 127 États-Unis, Les, 123 Galilée, 130 Géant, 123 Impérial, 123 Jacquard, 130 Jean Bart, 127 Jules Favre No. 2, 156 Montgolfier, 124, 130 Neptune, 83 Niepce, 128 Normandie, 130 Richard Wallace, 243 Vauban, 130 Ville de Florence, 124 Ville d’Orléans, 130, 144 Ville de Paris, 130

  Barouche, Major Ernest, 105

  Barucci, Giulia, 18

  Baudelaire, 19, 28

  ‘Baudin Trial’, 32, 84

  Bauer, Mgr., Archbishop of Syracuse 158–9

  Bazaine, General, 41, 44–45, 48–50, 53, 106, 107, 206

  Beaufort, Captain de, 393

  Belfort, 258, 261

  Bellemare, Carey de, 104–5, 156, 231–3

  Belly, Félix, 132–3

  Bénédetti, Ambassador 36–37

  Berezowski, 12, 37, 423

  Bergeret, Commander Jules, 285–6, 301, 307, 309–10, 312, 315, 317, 341, 386–7, 424

  Bernhardt, Sarah, 187

  Bertaux, Abbé, 338

  Berthydre, Citizen, 92

  Bertrand, Adjutant, 237

  Beslay, Charles, 300, 301–2, 357, 422 n.

  Béziers, ba
lloonist, 144–5

  Bignon, 294

  Billioray, 364, 415, 422

  Bismarck, 22, 77, 137, 161, 268; at Great Exhibition, 89; puts up candidate for Spanish throne, 36; and Ems Telegram, 37; fear of a Republic, 75–76; at Ferrières peace talks, 81–82; refuses continuance of talks, 120; against balloon flights, 125, 129; anxiety over intervention by great powers, 162, 164–5; predicts break in Parisian morale, 177; his ‘blood and iron’ diplomacy, 196; moves to Versailles, 196; mode of living, 197; ill health of, 199, 202; has visions of the future, 199–200; favours bombardment of Paris, 203–5; fixes armistice terms, 239–40, 258, 428; agrees to increase in French Regular Army 314; humiliation of France by, now forgotten, 433

  Blanc, Louis, 28, 85, 89–90, 165, 262, 279, 283

  Blanchard, balloonist, 122

  Blanchard, General, 160

  Blanqui, Auguste, 66, 91, 100–1, 109–12, 118–19, 181, 186–7, 237, 260, 295, 299, 335, 338, 353

  Blanquists, 29, 295, 330

  Blount, Edward, 69, 87, 168–9, 183, 197, 213–15, 221–2, 236, 248–9, 262

  Blumenthal, General von, 75, 80, 105, 144, 159, 200–3, 211, 217, 223, 268

  Bonjean, Judge, 396

  Bonne M., 284

  Bordeaux, 206, 258–61

  Bourbaki, General, 36, 41, 124, 142, 207–8, 223, 243

  Bowles, Tommy, 67–69, 80, 87, 93–96, 98 n., 107, 119, 124–6, 132, 136, 144, 150, 153–5, 166, 174–5, 179, 183, 192, 210, 214, 220, 230, 232–4, 253, 427

  Bozzacchi, Giuseppina, 136 n.

  Bradlaugh, Charles, 163

  Brown, William, 66–67, 69, 73, 149, 166, 234, 250, 266

  Brunel, Paul-Antoine, 267, 275, 278, 280–1, 286–7, 301, 315, 347, 364, 370, 381, 384–6, 390, 401, 415, 425