Article "Le temps des cerises": The Ambulance Women in the Paris Commune MARTIN MORUNO, Dolorès Abstract Although the women of the Paris Commune have frequently been depicted as ferocious fighters, setting fire to the streets of the capital, becoming well known as the pétroleuses; they also played a role in assisting the injured soldiers of the National Guard. Taking this two-month period in French political history as starting point, I will attempt to examine the contribution carried out by this group of women to medical assistance, following the call made by the feminine organization known as l'Union des femmes pour la défense de Paris et les soins aux blessés (The Women's Union for the Defense of Paris and the Treatment of the Injured), on the 11th of April 1871. Reference MARTIN MORUNO, Dolorès. "Le temps des cerises": The Ambulance Women in the Paris Commune. 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The Journal of Medical Humanities, doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2008.00242.x 19, 4, 257-277. doi:10.1023/A:1024908110021 µ/HWHPSVGHVFHULVHV¶: The Ambulance the most famous French songs of all times, Women of the Paris Commune making cherries an emblem of the blood spilt by the communards during the Dolores Martín Moruno government offensive led by Adolphe Institute for Ethics, History, and the Thiers from Sunday 21st until Monday 29th Humanities, University of Geneva of May 1871, this being the tragic episode also called the bloody week that put an end Introduction to the revolutionary rule of the Commune In 1885, Jean-Baptiste Clément, (Clement 1885: 234; Tillier 2005: 15). songwriter and elected delegate of the Beyond the revolutionary hymn that it Montmartre district during the Paris represents today, Le temps des cerises also Commune, dedicated the words of a song reveals an interesting historical entitled Le temps des cerises µWRWKHEUDYH phenomenon: the scale of feminine citizen Louise, the ambulance woman involvement in the socialist uprising led by working in the Fontaine-au-Roi street, on Parisian workers against the authority of Sunday the 28th RI 0D\ ¶ Clement the French government provisionally based 1885: 234). This waltz, which evoked the in Versailles from March 18 to May 28, PHPRU\RIµDQRSHQZRXQG¶FDXVHGE\D 1871, also known as the Paris Commune. story of lost love, was to become one of 44 | Page Although the women of the Paris Parisian public hospitals) as well as those Commune have frequently been depicted undergone by the French army medical as ferocious fighters, setting fire to the services, the role of ambulance women has streets of the capital, becoming well been frequently treated in a summary known as the pétroleuses &OHPHQW¶V manQHU *XLYDUF¶K -220; Taithe dedication reminds us that they also played 1999: 136-7 and Martineaud 2004: 234). a role in assisting the injured soldiers of The invisibility of the ambulance women the National Guard (Thomas 2007; in the history of the Paris Commune can Gullickson 1996 and Eichner 2004). be explained on the one hand, because Taking this two-month period in French their activity has often been considered as political history as starting point, I will being a minor task in comparison with the attempt to examine the contribution carried work carried out by surgeons. On the other out by this group of women to medical hand, feminist historians have often assistance, following the call made by the written eulogies about the women of the feminine organization known as O¶8QLRQ Commune as fighters, but few of them des femmes pour la défense de Paris et les have taken their contribution to the health soi ns aux bl essés (7KH:RPHQ¶V8QLRQIRU care services seriously, as this occupation the Defense of Paris and the Treatment of seems only to reinforce the sexual division the Injured), on the 11th of April 1871 of labour in late nineteenth century French (Commune de Paris 1871: 225-6). society (Shafer 1993; Purvis 1992: 274). A The interest of analyzing the establishment third obstacle should also be mentioned, of this corps of ambulance women is that, one that makes the task of reconstructing even if the history of the Paris Commune WKLVDPEXODQFHZRPHQ¶VFRUSV particularly has been the subject of considerable difficult: that we are not dealing with research, only few works have shown nurses in the contemporary sense that this interest in examining the medical aspects term has acquired. It would be necessary to involved in this episode. Amongst these wait until 1878 to see the first regulation H[FHSWLRQV ZH ILQG 0DUFHO *XLYDUF¶K of secular nursing training in Parisian Bertrand Taithe and Jean-Paul hospitals, such as those of the Salpêtrière 0DUWLQHDXG¶V SXEOLFDWLRQV ZKLFK and Bicêtre and, therefore, we cannot emphasise the importance of this brief consider ambulance women as strictly period for studying the transformations of professional care workers (Diebolt and the Assistance Publique (the network of Fouché 2011: 229-245). 45 | Page Ambulance women were known by this Furthermore, the ambulance women of the name because they were responsible for Paris Commune seem to have some tending to the injured at makeshift first aid historical affinities with other feminine posts established in each district during the figures that had played a role in French Paris Commune. They belonged officially military history such as the launderers, the to the medical services of the National vivandières, and, notably, the canteen *XDUG EXW WKH ZRPHQ¶V FRPPLWWHHV women. The canteen women were coordinated their work in each quarter. In officially recognized by the French army this historical context, the term in 1794, during the Napoleonic wars and µDPEXODQFH¶PHDQVµQRWDVLPSO\DYHKLFOH would distinguish themselves for the for transporting the wounded but a efficiency of their health care and the WHPSRUDU\ ILHOG KRVSLWDO¶ ZKHUH elegance of their uniforms during the emergency surgical operations were Crimean war (1853-6) (Rappaport 2007: performed (Hutchinson 1996: 109-110). 56; Cardoza 2010). Even if we can Therefore, we should consider ambulance appreciate a frequent interchangeability women as historical figures that appeared between terms such as those of canteen during the secularization of the French and ambulance women, this latter group health care system implemented during the would prove their mastery in the practice Paris Commune, female figures that were of health care during the Paris Commune. diametrically opposed to the profile of the Nevertheless, their medical engagement nun that had monopolized for centuries the did not prevent them from also management of health care in hospitals accomplishing the role of fighters when it such as the Hôtel-Dieu, La Charité or was needed. Thus for instance, on the 12th Saint-Louis (Jones 1989). Indeed, the May, the famous heroine Louise Michel anticlericalism that characterized the (1830-1905), who was also an ambulance period of the Commune was to arouse woman during the Commune, made the suspicion against of any health worker following group declaration with other having had links with charity, such as the FLWL]HQV EHORQJLQJ WR WKH ZRPHQ¶V members of the Société française des committee based in Montmartre: secour s aux bl essés mi l i tai r es, who were The ambulance women of the Commune accused on various occasions of being declare that they belong to no company collaborators with the Versailles whatsoever. Their lives are entirely government (Dunant 1871). devoted to the revolution, their duty is to dress the wounds in the very arena of 46 | Page combat, the wounds inflicted by the first analyse the origin, structure and poisoned bullets of Versailles; and, when objectives of the association known as the the occasion requires, take up arms just as :RPHQ¶V 8QLRQ DV ZHOO DV FHUWDLQ the others. Long live the Commune! Long previous initiatives, which were put into live the Universal Republic! (Michel 1871) place during the Siege of Paris, in order to The complexity of these female figures led allow us to examine the challenges and me to reconsider their participation in the difficulties of ambulance women during health care assistance of the Paris the Commune. Commune in the light of historical 7KH:RPHQ¶V8QLRQ documents such as newspapers, posters The precarious economic situation in and military archives, as well their own which lived the Parisian population personal accounts and correspondence. explained the increasing discontent Amongst others, Louise Michel, André amongst workers and why they would defy Léo (1824-1900) or Victorine Brocher the authority represented by the French (1832-1921) worked for the revolutionary government, once the war against Prussia movement caring for the wounded was over. Parisians never accepted the soldiers. In most cases, they were deported defeat and, notably, women who felt to or condemned to exile after their defeat have done too much sacrifices to survive DJDLQVW7KLHUV¶DUP\ during the siege that lasted for five months of bitter cold, hunger, disease and As I shall show, the historical bombardment.