Paris commune

Born on this day in 1805, Auguste Blanqui devoted his life to the dream of revolution “The Republic means the emancipation of the workers, it’s the end of the reign of exploitation, it’s the coming of a new order that will free labour from the tyranny of capital.” When did the end?

Born on 3rd September 1859, Jean Jaurès was the leader of the French Socialist Party Jean Jaurès, killed on the 31st of July, 1914, was one of the very first fatalities of the Great War.

In early 1944, the French Resistance staged an uprising against Nazi rule on the Glières plateau, high up in the Alps. Though defeated, it remains one of the great moments in the history of rebellion against Hitler in occupied Europe.

In the 17th century, the preacher-poet John Donne wrote a short poem which has since become the reference-point of choice for those wanting to promote internationalist values, from Ernest Hemingway to the Radical Tea Towel Company.