Boulevards.

This is coolbert:

Here with more on the wide boulevards of Paris and the military application thereof. Those extremely spacious, wide, almost overwhelming in size grand streets and avenues of Paris. The creations of Baron Haussmann and the re-building of the city in those years prior to the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.

Extra-wide thoroughfares that were intended to allow passage of entire military units - - units whose mission was the purpose of suppressing the mob, the insurrectionist, the revolutionaries.

Extra wide boulevards that the mob, the insurrectionists, the revolutionaries would find impossible to barricade and defend.

The renovated Paris of Baron Haussmann being subjected to military action during the suppression of the Paris Commune - - 1871.

The Paris Commune! A collection of anarchists, militant socialists, communists! REDS! Arming themselves, organizing into fighting units, declaring a Parisian socialist provisional government! Prepared to fight - - ready for street and urban warfare.







Military combat action within the city of Paris itself, the barricades of the revolutionaries, the Communards, providing strong-points capable of withstanding assault by the regular army units of the Second French Republic.

"The webs of narrow streets which made entire districts nearly impregnable in earlier Parisian revolutions had been largely replaced by wide boulevards during Haussmann's renovation of Paris. The Versaillese [regular army forces of the central government] enjoyed a centralised command and had superior numbers. They had learned the tactics of street fighting, and simply tunnelled through the walls of houses to outflank the Communards' barricades. Ironically, only where Haussmann had made wide spaces and streets were they held up by the defenders' gunfire"

Regular French army units, "tunnelling" at ground level, flanking the barricades, NOT making direct frontal assaults against the strong-points of the Communards. Those barricades blocking a street, buildings on either side, properly constructed, provided constricting "terrain" to the advantage of the defender! Frontal assault would be time-consuming and lead to excessive casualties.

Here is one of those barricades as constructed by the Commnards. Cobble-stone streets ripped up, the stones piled high to make a defensive strong-point. The French army was able to get around these defensive positions by ground level "tunnelling"!

"Ironically, only where Haussmann had made wide spaces and streets were they [regular army] held up by the defenders' gunfire"

Haussmann was not entirely correct in his assumptions and appreciations of the value of extra-wide boulevards and avenues as being incapable of being barricaded.

But it was all for naught in the case of the Communards. The rebellion, the "experiment" was suppressed, with great force, great severity, lots of executions and exile!!

coolbert.