Théophile Ferré was a leader of the Paris Commune who was executed by the French government on this day in 1871. Ferré personally authorized the execution of the archbishop of Paris and was the first of 25 Communards to be executed.

Little is known about Ferré's early life, before his participation in the Paris Commune. After Paris was seized by revolutionaries in March 1871, Ferré served on the Commune's Committee of Public Safety, a body given extensive powers to hunt down enemies of the Commune.

On April 5th, the Commune passed a decree that authorized the arrest of any person thought to be loyal to the French government in Versailles, to be held as hostages. Prominent figures arrested included a Catholic priest Georges Darboy and the archbishop of Paris. The Commune hoped to exchange their hostages for Louis-Auguste Blanqui, a revolutionary and honorary President of the Commune, imprisoned by the state.

Following the events of the "Bloody Week", in which the French government summarily executed many suspected Communards, Ferré authorized the execution of several hostages, including Darboy and the archbishop.

After the resistance of the Commune collapsed, Ferré was captured by the army, tried by a military court, and sentenced to death. On November 28th, 1871, he was shot at Satory, an army camp southwest of Versailles. He was the first of twenty-five Communards to be executed for their role in the Paris Commune.

Megathreads and spaces to hang out:

reminders:

  • 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
  • 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes comments over upbears
  • 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
  • 🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can reserve a spot here nerd
  • 🐶 Join the unofficial Hexbear-adjacent Mastodon instance toots.matapacos.dog

Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):

Aid:

Theory:

  • hexaflexagonbear [he/him]
    ·
    5 days ago

    Venmo defaulting to publicly posting all transactions is such a good bit. Can’t believe Gaetz got caught that way lol

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      4 days ago

      I don't know who decided that "what if we made everyone's financial transactions public" was a good idea and I want to meet them the way a biologist wants to meet a really strange newt.

      • hexaflexagonbear [he/him]
        ·
        4 days ago

        It’s a terrible idea but finding out every married couple I know who both work in tech are constantly sending each other their half of grocery bills and restaurant tabs is incredible and hilarious, and I’m kinda glad someone made it public.

        • Frank [he/him, he/him]
          ·
          4 days ago

          That's so dark. Someone insisted on paying me for a small bag of chips and it was so weird. Like, I get it sometimes, but people rejecting gifts of food or settling up for things that, idk, i guess i just don't think of as "debts", just feels weird.