The Effects of the Commune
Peter
Kropotkin
 |
Peter Kropotkin |
Peter Kropotkin was one of RussiaÕs most prominent
anarchists and advocated Òanarchist communism,Ó which was essentially a model
for society which was a communist style country completely free from any
central government. He was born into Russian nobility and recieved an education
typical of a Russian nobleman. His interests were varied and he was especially
interested by the Russian peasantry. After spending a short time in the army he
joined a survey group and spend almost ten years surveying much of northern
Russia, from Siberia to Norway. He eventually left Russia and lived for a short
time in Geneva, during which time he joined the International WorkingmenÕs
Association. He later, after a short time in prison, went to England and
spent some time both there and in Paris in 1877. [1]
His
work, ÒThe Commune of ParisÓ was published in 1880. It told the story of the
Paris commune and both the reasons it failed and what it accomplished.
ÒThe Commune of 1871 could be nothing
but a first attempt. Beginning at the close of a great war, hemmed in between
two armies ready to join hands and crush the people, it dared not
unhesitatingly set forth upon the path of economic revolution. It neither
boldly declared itself socialist nor proceeded to the expropriation of capital
nor the organization of labor. It did not even take stock of the general
resources of the city.
Nor did it
break with the tradition of the state, of representative government. It did not
seek to effect within the Commune that very organization from the simple to the
complex which it inaugurated without, by proclaiming the independence and free
federation of communes.Ó[2]
Kropotkin acknowledges that the Commune itself
was not a complete overthrow of the standards of the time. However, he also
notes that the Commune itself was not destroyed, just overthrown by the
Versailles government.
Overthrown,
but not conquered, the Commune in our days is born again. It is no longer a
dream of the vanquished, caressing in imagination the lovely mirage of hope.
No! the "commune" of today is becoming the visible and definite aim
of the revolution rumbling beneath our feet. The idea is sinking deep into the
masses, it is giving them a rallying cry. We count on the present generation to
bring about the social revolution within the commune, to put an end to the
ignoble system of middleclass exploitation, to rid the people of the tutelage
of the state, to inaugurate a new era of liberty, equality, solidarity in the
evolution of the human race.[3]
According
to Kropotkin, the ideals of the Commune which were first manifested in 1871 did
not die when the Commune was destroyed, they were simply suppressed for a time.
The ideals of the Commune spread and slowly rose back to the surface as time
passed.
Indeed, Kropotkin himself is proof that this is true, as his writing is a combination of Socialism and Anarchism, a combination of which was made reality to an extent for a time during the Commune of 1871. KropotkinÕs existance as an anarchist philosipher and the existance of this work is proof that indeed, the ideals of the Paris Commune continued on to threaten governmental institutions and reform existing organizations.