The Paris Commune

In 1871 and over the years to follow, the impact of the Paris Commune was felt the world over. Concepts and practices developed there were taken up in all corners of Europe and travelled as far afield as Mexico City and Algiers. Drawing on history, anthropology, and the sociology of crises and revolutions, Quentin Deluermoz follows the revolution from its origins on the Parisian street, capturing the perspective of ordinary men and women, to examine the delicate question of its legacy. In recent decades, the Commune has been a touchstone for social and political struggles in France, the United States, Spain, Mexico, and the Syrian Kurdish region of Rojava. This resurgence is rooted in twentieth-century anarchist and communist history. It hearkens back to often forgotten meanings of socialism, federalism, and republicanism. Deluermoz recaptures the intensity of the 'Commune moment', helping readers grasp its enduring relevance for today.

Quentin Deluermoz is Professor of contemporary History at University Paris Cit- (France). He is the author and editor of more than 15 books, translated in Spanish and English, including.(with P. Singaravelou), A Past of Possibilities : a History of what it could have been, Yale UP, 2021 ; Le Cr-puscule des r-volutions, 1848-1871 (Seuil, 2014) ; Histoires globales des r-volutions (with L. Bantigny, L. Jeanpierre, B. Gobille, E. Palieraki, La D-couverte, 2023), With other colleagues he also created the interdisciplinary and artistic review Sensibilit-s, Histoire, Sciences Sociale et critique.