Pétroleuses
Encyclopedia
Pétroleuses were, according to popular rumours at the time, female supporters of the Paris Commune
, accused of burning down much of Paris
during the last days of the Commune in May 1871. During May, when Paris was being recaptured by loyalist Versaillais
troops, rumours circulated that lower-class women were committing arson
against private property and public buildings, using bottles full of petroleum
or paraffin
(similar to modern-day Molotov cocktail
s) which they threw into cellar windows, in a deliberate act of spite
against the government. Many Parisian
buildings, including the Hôtel de Ville
and the Tuileries Palace
, were burned down during the last days of the Commune, prompting government forces to blame the mythical pétroleuses.
Recent research by historians of the Paris Commune
, such as Robert Tombs and Gay Gullickson, has revealed that there were in fact no proven incidents of deliberate arson
, and that no women were actually convicted as pétroleuses. Of the thousands of suspected pro-Communard women tried in Versailles
after the Commune ended, only a handful were convicted of any crimes, and their convictions were based on activity such as shooting at loyalist troops Official trial records made by the Versaillais authorities, and kept classified until the twentieth century, reveal that no women were ever convicted of arson, and that accusations of the crime were quickly shown to have no basis whatsoever. The buildings destroyed at the end of the Commune were not burned down by pétroleuses. The Hôtel de Ville
was destroyed by members of the National Guard
as they retreated. The buildings along the Rue de Rivoli burned down during street-fighting between Communards and Versaillais troops, whilst other buildings were destroyed by incendiary
shells. Gullickson suggests that the myth of the pétroleuses was part of a propaganda campaign by Versaillais politicians, who portrayed Parisian
women in the Commune as unnatural, destructive, and barbaric, giving loyalist forces a moral victory over the "unnatural" Communards.
Despite this, the myth of pétroleuses was widely believed until the twentieth century. In Paris itself, the sale of flammable liquids was banned for several months after the end of the Commune (a measure taken again during the 2005 riots
).
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, accused of burning down much of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the last days of the Commune in May 1871. During May, when Paris was being recaptured by loyalist Versaillais
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers was a French politician and historian. was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871...
troops, rumours circulated that lower-class women were committing arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
against private property and public buildings, using bottles full of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
or paraffin
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
(similar to modern-day Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s) which they threw into cellar windows, in a deliberate act of spite
Spite
In fair division problems, spite is a phenomenon that occurs when a player's value of an allocation decreases when one or more other players' valuation increases...
against the government. Many Parisian
Parisian (disambiguation)
Parisian may refer to:* a person born and raised in Paris* Standard French, based on the dialect of Paris* Parisian , a department store chain bought by Belk, based in Birmingham, Alabama...
buildings, including the Hôtel de Ville
Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
and the Tuileries Palace
Tuileries Palace
The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
, were burned down during the last days of the Commune, prompting government forces to blame the mythical pétroleuses.
Recent research by historians of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, such as Robert Tombs and Gay Gullickson, has revealed that there were in fact no proven incidents of deliberate arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
, and that no women were actually convicted as pétroleuses. Of the thousands of suspected pro-Communard women tried in Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
after the Commune ended, only a handful were convicted of any crimes, and their convictions were based on activity such as shooting at loyalist troops Official trial records made by the Versaillais authorities, and kept classified until the twentieth century, reveal that no women were ever convicted of arson, and that accusations of the crime were quickly shown to have no basis whatsoever. The buildings destroyed at the end of the Commune were not burned down by pétroleuses. The Hôtel de Ville
Hôtel de Ville, Paris
The Hôtel de Ville |City Hall]]) in :Paris, France, is the building housing the City of Paris's administration. Standing on the place de l'Hôtel de Ville in the city's IVe arrondissement, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357...
was destroyed by members of the National Guard
National Guard (France)
The National Guard was the name given at the time of the French Revolution to the militias formed in each city, in imitation of the National Guard created in Paris. It was a military force separate from the regular army...
as they retreated. The buildings along the Rue de Rivoli burned down during street-fighting between Communards and Versaillais troops, whilst other buildings were destroyed by incendiary
Incendiary ammunition
-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
shells. Gullickson suggests that the myth of the pétroleuses was part of a propaganda campaign by Versaillais politicians, who portrayed Parisian
Parisian (disambiguation)
Parisian may refer to:* a person born and raised in Paris* Standard French, based on the dialect of Paris* Parisian , a department store chain bought by Belk, based in Birmingham, Alabama...
women in the Commune as unnatural, destructive, and barbaric, giving loyalist forces a moral victory over the "unnatural" Communards.
Despite this, the myth of pétroleuses was widely believed until the twentieth century. In Paris itself, the sale of flammable liquids was banned for several months after the end of the Commune (a measure taken again during the 2005 riots
2005 civil unrest in France
The 2005 civil unrest in France of October and November was a series of riots by mostly Muslim North African youths in Paris and other French cities, involving mainly the burning of cars and public buildings at night starting on 27 October 2005 in Clichy-sous-Bois...
).