A City Against Its Country: Paris Commune Rises 1871

As Versailles Collaborates with Prussian Invaders, Paris National Guard Takes Up Arms

Background

Franco-Prussian War

In 1870, tensions erupted between Napoleon III’s (no not THAT Napoleon, but his nephew) second French Empire and The Kingdom of Prussia. At that time there was no Germany as we know today. Several smaller kingdoms and duchies made up Germany at this time. Prussia the most influential of these kingdoms, was challenging the power structure of western Europe

Napoleon III’s goal of French dominance pushed him to declare war against Prussia. Unfortunately, the war was disastrous for the French. Napoleon III himself was surrounded and forced to surrender along with most of the army.

With his surrender, Napoleon III’s empire quickly fell. Simultaneously, German kingdoms united under one banner, and the German Empire was formed.

Paris Commune Rises

The National Guard, a citizen militia, was the primary defense of Paris at this time. As 1871 began the new government, based in Versailles, made many decisions that angered the working class of Paris. Some of the items that angered working class were the following:

• Prussia was allowed to occupy and parade through sections of the city
• They cut pay to National Guard members
• A moratorium on rent from the war was removed, displacing thousands

The National Guard responded and began to mobilize. They eventually denounced the Versailles government and its army and set up its leadership of the city. Tensions quickly escalated as the two governments sparred not only politically, but physically as well. One of the initial conflicts was over cannons that the National Guard retained after the war. Versailles marched troops to the city to take back these cannons, but the citizens fought back, eventually pushing the troops back from the city.

At this point, a civil war had erupted between the government of Versailles, and that of the Commune.

Confrontation Begins

Versailles spreads

Early in the conflict, the Versailles government moved quickly to try and establish control. In the political conflict, the government established itself in the National Assembly. To try and quell the Commune’s ability to recruit, they remove influence by shutting down the socialist press.

Meanwhile, the government established itself by taking positions in the forts that surround Paris. They positioned troops at Fort D’Issy and Mont-Valérien to gain a foothold for a push into the city.

Commune responds

The Commune responded by influencing Republicans to their cause, reestablishing social sympathies in the press, and even rallying leaders in the Catholic Church. Versailles was able to again shut down these socialist-leaning press. however, they were unable to reestablish themselves with the Press. By the end of the first wave of conflict, the Pope himself sympathized with the commune. He was able to influence the royalists which in turn rallied Commune sympathies in the National Assembly.

Rising Tensions

Paris braces for military intervention

On the backs of their limited gains in the political fight, the Commune shifts attention to the Versailles military presence on its outskirts. The Commune responded first by adding troops to Butte Montmartre.

Versailles used this opportunity to complete its chokehold on the perimeter. Simultaneous to the Commune, the government quickly moved troops to Château de Vincennes. By completing this move the government of Versailles effectively controlled all fort approaches to the city.

Political struggle continues

The political struggle had both victory and loss for the Commune as the struggle intensified. On the plus side, they were able to successfully remove Versailles’ influence in the national assembly and eventually the Republicans.

This victory was not without cost, however. Versailles was able to convince the Republican leadership to continue to pressure the Press to not publish articles sympathetic to the Commune cause before the power balance shifted in their party. As such, the Press remained uncontrolled by the end of this period of conflict.

Before the end of this period of the conflict, the Commune was able to shift Paris Cannons to key points throughout the city. This allowed them to brace for any Versailles intrusion into the city by reinforcing all points in the city and a narrow advantage to the Commune on the military conflict.

Conflict hits its boiling point

Desperate fighting on both sides

As the conflict entered its third period, Versailles quickly moved to re-establish itself among the royalists. On the military front, the government used its position at Château de Vincennes to move troops into Père Lachaise. At this time the Commune countered with the National Guard sending troops to Mont-Valérien.

Final movements

As the conflict reached its pinnacle, the Versailles player was able to reestablish dominance in the National Assembly and Republican party, much to the Commune’s dismay. However, in Paris, tensions remained a stalemate, with the Versailles entrenched along with Paris’s forts. The Commune’s guards remained tight control of key points of the city and braced for an attack.

Final Crisis

First actions

As the conflict reached the final crisis each side took final actions to try and establish dominance. For the Commune, Charles Delescluze was able to rally the Commune to not only push Versailles out of Château de Vincennes and establish their dominance there. He was also able to influence what the remaining Commune influence the royalists to remove Versailles control of the National Assembly.

Shortly after this move, The Decree on Hostages angered the Catholic Church. This decree, made by Commune, made law to respond to any Commune execution in threefold of Versailles sympathizers. The Church denounced tactics and removed all support for the Commune.

Conflict in the Press

At this point Commune leader, Louise Michel used her influence to reestablish support for the Commune in the Press, hoping to rally more citizens to their cause in the final hours.

The conservative-monarchical newspaper Le Figaro responded to this interference by Michel and issued articles urging Versailles to take strong and swift action against the commune and to push all those associated with it.

MacMahon responds

Tough defeated by the Prussians, General MacMahon responded to the commune advance by launching several attacks against Paris. The Commune and its citizens fought bravely and repelled each of these attacks ultimately able to survive through the fight.

As the fighting waged on the outskirts of the city, Delescluze’s Le Réveil newspaper entered the media campaign, at this point radical articles on both sides of the media split the population as neither side could contain the other’s press machinations.

Disclaimer: It is worth noting it wasn’t until after the game I remembered that earlier play of Socialist Newspaper ban by Versailles Bot would have nullified this card. However, even with this mistake, the end victory conditions would not have changed.

Pivotal action and final state

The final action of the conflict was for Versailles to shift units from Mont-Valérien to Château de Vincennes and secure the Forts around Paris. While this reestablished control of forts, the Commune still had control of the city and Versailles was not able to make a push into the city.

In the end, though the Commune was not able to make the gains politically they might have wished, they were able to secure enough military victories to weaken the already fragile Versailles army. With these losses, the government of Versailles was eventually forced to capitulate and meet with the commune to discuss a peaceful resolution as a legitimate government of Paris.

Final Thoughts

Summary of game

In early 2021 I became enamored with war and historical games. Very quickly I learned about GMT, and its P500 system and began to browse the website. Admittedly, I first decided to add a P500 order to Fred’s Red Flag Over Paris, given its promise of a quick playtime and small footprint. However, I was lucky to be able to see a demo at spring SDHISTCON and was instantly hooked on the narrative that plays out, in such a small package.

While waiting for Red Flag, I decided to download the Fort Sumter app on my iPad to familiarize myself with the Final Crisis system. For those that know that system, you will find that Fred took everything about that system that was good and made it GREAT.

One of the things that this title does with Final Crisis is it injects asymmetry into both the faction’s gameplay AND the win conditions. As a commune player, you must continue to gain momentum or risk having the population walk away from the revolution. As the Versailles player, you must work grudgingly with the Prussian invader to get the soldiers needed to quell the rebellion.

This game I played solo using the Versailles bot. GMT One and Jason Carr were able to provide not only one but bots for both factions. I found the bot to be a good challenge and though a bit tricky on working through the place/remove table, once you get the hang of it, turns are quick to resolve.

I’ve also played games against another opponent and the game delivers on the promise it sets. A game that can be played in 30-45 minutes and is very competitive. Part of this is in the economy of action. At most, you will only take 12 actions each game. There is no margin for error or to miss an opportunity. In some games, this might be a turnoff, but with the short playtime, and setup that takes 5 minutes or less even if you lose you will find yourself saying “one more play!”

All in all, my summary of Red Flag Over Paris is that it is Fort Sumter on steroids! It takes a simple game and injects some very historical gameplay to further integrate the theme into the game than its predecessor. It’s such a quick game, I have never opened the box and played just one game. It will beg you to play 2-3 or more games in a sitting. Having a game so quick to play and easy to setup, but that still gives agonizing decision space will always have space in my collection.

Going Forward

This game has me very excited for the next game evolution of the series in The Bell of Treason, by Petr Mojžíš that takes the system to the 1938 Munich Crisis in Czechoslovakia. If it isn’t on your P500 now is the time to help push it over the 500 mark!

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also tell you to check out the next game on P500 by Red Flag Over Paris designer Fred Serval: A Gest of Robin Hood, the second game in GMT’s Irregular Conflict Series that expands COIN mechanics in new ways. That game again illustrates Fred’s focus to create a game that is easy to teach, can bring newcomers to historical gaming, but still is full of tense gameplay. In closing Red Flag Over Paris was well worth the wait and shows what new designers can do with existing systems. There hasn’t been a better time to get into historical gaming than now!