The history of an event, a movement, or a situation is never and can never be a completed task, for we bring to the study of history a series of questions which change continually with our changing interests. As we ask different questions and select our materials with respect to these questions, we arrive at a story of the past which may indeed approach nearer than before to our ideal of historical accuracy but which never, by the very nature of the process, can attain it. This history of the Commune of Paris had its origin in the socialist and communist interpretation of the revolution formulated by Karl Marx and embellished by his disciples. It examines the material and considers the issues very largely from the point of view of that interpretation. Since, to the socialists, the Commune is not merely an incident in the history of France, but an epoch-making event in the world struggle between proletariat and bourgeoisie, the questions it suggests and attempts to answer must conform to this conception.
Download The Paris Commune-Edward S Mason-Harvard-Radcliffe-1930