Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/685

 The German Empire and the Third French Republic 527 by their officials that the State is something more precious than the interests of all those who compose it. It was the duty of the people not to control the State in their own interests but to obey the government officials and believe what the government told them. There was no large liberal party in Germany to oppose ancient Prussian despotism and militarism. The Social Democrats, it is true, often talked against autocracy and militarism. But few of them were proof against the war spirit when the kaiser and his advisers precipitated the great conflict in 1914. II. THE THIRD FRENCH REPUBLIC (1871-1914) 942. The Insurrection of the Paris Commune of 1871. When the news reached Paris of the surrender of Napoleon at Sedan a group of Republicans at once proclaimed a republic. A provi- sional government was hastily set up to carry on the war, and when the conflict was over a National Assembly was elected, in February, 1871, to make peace with Germany. But peace was hardly made before this temporary government was called upon to subdue an in- surrection of the Parisian populace. The insurgents were afraid that the Assembly, which was largely composed of Royalists, wished to reestablish monarchy, so they organized a city government like the Commune of the Revolution ( 768) and prepared to defend Paris against the national troops. The struggle that followed was terrible. The rebels were guilty of atrocities, such as the murder of the Archbishop of Paris and other prisoners, and the army which was sent against them gave them no quarter. After two months of disorder the forces of the Commune were com- pletely routed in a series of bloody street fights. The victorious government showed no mercy; hundreds were shot after hasty trial, and the rebellion was put down in blood. More persons were killed than in the whole Reign of Terror. 943. Surprisingly Rapid Recovery of France. The National Assembly, under the presidency of the veteran statesman Thiers, then proceeded to get rid of the German garrisons by paying the huge indemnity to Germany. To the surprise of everyone France