8.3- The Government of National Defence

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode explains how France’s defeat at Sedan triggered the collapse of the Second Empire, the rise of the Government of National Defense, and the rapid militarization of Paris ahead of the siege. It profiles the city’s transformed population, its radical and moderate opposition movements, and the improvised defense built around the National Guard, setting up the Paris Commune.

Main Topics: Sedan and the fall of the Second Empire (Priority: 5/5): The French defeat at Sedan and capture of Napoleon III did not end the war; it ended the imperial regime and opened the way for a republican emergency government in Paris. Paris transformed by Haussmannization (Priority: 5/5): Paris had doubled in population and been physically reorganized into a capital of boulevards, suburbs, and segregated working-class districts, altering both urban life and political geography. Political factions inside Paris (Priority: 5/5): The transcript contrasts Blanquists, Proudhonists, Neo-Jacobins, and respectable republicans, showing the different revolutionary and republican currents poised to act after Sedan. Creation of the Government of National Defense (Priority: 5/5): On September 4, republican deputies and crowds seized power, proclaimed the Third Republic, and formed a provisional government focused on national defense, with Trochu as a conservative military president. Mobilizing Paris for siege and war (Priority: 5/5): With the regular army depleted, Paris relied on the Mobile Guard and especially the expanded National Guard, while fortifications, food stockpiles, and hospitals were prepared for a long siege. Bismarck’s peace terms and escalation (Priority: 4/5): Jules Favre’s attempt to negotiate failed when Bismarck demanded Alsace and most of Lorraine, converting the conflict from a dynastic war into a national war of defense.

Key Arguments: France’s defeat at Sedan was a military catastrophe but not the end of the Franco-Prussian War; it instead triggered regime collapse and political revolution in Paris. Haussmann’s urban redesign made Paris more modern and beautiful, but also concentrated poorer workers into peripheral districts where political mobilization could intensify. The working class was not politically homogeneous: Blanquists favored a small revolutionary vanguard, Proudhonists favored decentralized mutualist worker organization, Neo-Jacobins prioritized republican nationalism, and respectable republicans wanted regime change without social revolution. Napoleon III feared armed workers in Paris, which is why the empire hesitated to arm them even in wartime; controlling Paris had always been a major state concern. The Government of National Defense was a coalition designed to preserve national unity and continue the war, not to advance a full social revolution. The National Guard became politically dangerous because war forced the regime to expand it, admit large numbers of workers, and allow elections of officers, creating a semi-permanent popular militia. Bismarck’s territorial demands transformed the war’s meaning, making continued resistance politically and emotionally necessary for many French citizens. Trochu’s defensive strategy relied on Paris’s fortifications and siege resilience more than on confidence in the competence of the troops under his command.

Data Points: Paris population in 1870: approaching 2 million - Paris had become the largest city in continental Europe by the end of the Second Empire. Population growth since 1851: roughly doubled from about 1 million to 2 million - Urban expansion and annexation drove rapid growth under Napoleon III and Haussmann. Annexed arrondissements: from 12 to 20 - Haussmann’s reforms expanded Paris by incorporating surrounding suburbs. New residents from annexation: 400,000 - Suburban incorporation added a large share of the city’s population. Population rise after 1860: about 50% - The city’s population increased dramatically after the annexation and modernization projects. Workers living below poverty line: roughly one quarter of Paris - Despite decent wages, many workers remained economically insecure. Large manufacturers in Paris: less than 10% employed more than 10 workers - Parisian production remained decentralized and workshop-based rather than dominated by giant factories. Small manufacturers: over 60% employed two or fewer - Most Parisian industry was fragmented, making unionization difficult. 1869 election result in Paris: 65% to 35% against the empire - The last very liberal election of the Second Empire showed strong anti-imperial sentiment in Paris. National Guard size in wartime: 350,000 - The Guard expanded massively once war forced the empire to arm citizens. Eligible population joining the National Guard: nearly 75% - A very large share of Parisian men enrolled during the emergency. Regular soldiers available in Paris: about 60,000 - After Sedan, Trochu had limited trained troops in the capital. Mobile Guard strength: about 90,000 - This reservist force formed another major component of the defense. Food reserve estimate: about 80 days - The government believed Paris could withstand a siege for roughly this long. Thiers Wall length: 20-mile circuit - Paris was protected by a large defensive wall built in the 1840s. Thiers Wall features: nearly 100 bulwarks and 17 fortified gates - These fortifications were intended to deter direct assault on the city. Outer fortification ring: 16 fortresses - A second ring of fortifications protected high ground around Paris. Siege encirclement circumference: about 50 miles - German armies completed the blockade of Paris with a wide outer ring.

Pivotal Quotes: "France will not, quote, yield an inch of its territory nor a stone of its fortresses" — Jules Favre: Favre rejected Bismarck’s peace terms after learning that Alsace and most of Lorraine were demanded. "The emperor was deposed, the empire was abolished, and the Third Republic was hereby founded." — Léon Gambetta: Gambetta proclaimed the new republic at the Hôtel de Ville on September 4, 1870. "God, the family, and property" — General Louis-Jules Trochu: Trochu conditioned his acceptance of leadership on this conservative pledge.

Implications: The episode shows how military defeat can trigger regime collapse, radicalize politics, and force improvised coalitions into power. It also sets up Paris as the center of resistance, siege politics, and the coming Commune.