Lessons of the Commune

The Paris Commune, founded 150 years ago, ended in a bloody defeat. But this defeat offered lessons to revolutionaries around the world. Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Luxemburg — all drew strategic lessons that were applied in the Russian Revolution.

The Resolution of the Communards

The Paris Commune was founded 150 years ago today. The working class took power for the first time in history. This new government fought for workers' control and women's liberation.

Insurgent Communards: The Road to Revolution

The Paris Commune was founded on March 18, 1871. A few days before the 150th anniversary, we look at how the ground was prepared for the first working-class government in history.

The Commune at 150: Socialists and the State

Chris Maisano praises “Marxist reformism.” But for Marx himself, the Paris Commune of 1871 showed the need for revolution.

Refinery Workers Go On Strike Across France to Protect Jobs

On Wednesday, January 3, Total refineries throughout France went on strike in response to the call of union confederations and the strikers at the Grandpuits site, in solidarity with their struggle and in defense of jobs across the country.

Demonstrators in Paris Lay the Foundation for a Comprehensive Fight Against Layoffs

On Saturday in Paris, several thousand demonstrators answered the call of various political and trade union organizations to demonstrate against layoffs. Grandpuits refinery workers were there, along with workers from the travel giant TUI, industrial machinery maker SKF, the agribusiness giant Cargill, and General Electric. It was the first such coordinated action by different sectors all confronted with layoffs, with more to come.

Grandpuits Refinery Workers in France Vote to Extend Strike

At the Total refinery in Grandpuits, France, workers renewed their militant action in a general assembly earlier this week. With numerous supporters present from throughout France, the meeting was a reminder of the “Grandpuits method”: self-organization, the strike, and a refusal to give in on jobs.

How We Fight to Win: The United Front versus the Popular Front

As 2021 unfolds, the question of strategy may confront the working class in ways it has not in decades. The strength to fight back against a capitalist onslaught of austerity coupled with an insurgent right wing will hinge on whether the working class unites itself or allies with our class enemies.

“The State Has Its Eyes on You”: French Refinery Workers Strike to Fight Closures and Greenwashing

Since January 4, workers at the Total oil refinery in Grandpuits, France, have been waging a militant and self-organized strike against one of the country’s largest multinational corporations.