Paris Commune

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Name given to two separate periods in the history of Paris:

The Paris municipal government of 1789–94 was established after the storming of the Bastille and remained powerful in the French Revolution until the fall of Robespierre in 1794.

The provisional national government of 18 March–May 1871 was formed while Paris was besieged by the German troops during the Franco-Prussian War. It consisted of socialists and left-wing republicans, and is often considered the first socialist government in history. Elected after the right-wing National Assembly at Versailles tried to disarm the National Guard, it fell when the Versailles troops captured Paris and massacred 20,000–30,000 people during 21–28 May.

Blue stands for the Pacific Ocean. The yellow stripe represents the Equator. The points of the star symbolize the island's 12 original tribes. Effective date: 31 January 1968. >>