June Uprising of Paris Workers

Paris workers’ uprising in June 22–26, 1848. After the February Revolution, the French Second Republic was established with the republican bourgeoisie in power. The Paris workers viewed the Second Republic as a “social republic” and mistakenly believed that it would introduce the right to work and socialism. However, the Provisional Government set up “national ateliers” (national workshops) and drove workers to engage in labor such as paving roads and digging trenches, while only paying low wages. Meanwhile, the ruling bourgeoisie opposed the demands of the working class for the further advancement of the revolution and issued a provocative order to close the “national ateliers”, which aroused strong discontent among the toiling masses. On June 22, the Paris workers staged an uprising. From the 23rd, fierce street battles continued for four days. In the end, the uprising was suppressed by the government troops, National Garde, and the special forces, Mobile Guard, who outnumbered the workers six to one.

The June Uprising of the Paris workers was of great historical significance. It pushed the French revolution and the whole European revolution of 1848 to its peak. The June Uprising was distinctly proletarian and revolutionary in nature, “the first great battle [that] was fought between the two classes that split modern society. It was a fight for the preservation or annihilation of the bourgeois order.” Although the June Uprising was suppressed by the bourgeoisie, it exposed the hypocritical nature of liberty, equality and fraternity in the bourgeois republic.