Louise Michel

- _For the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War units, see Louise Michel Battalions_

**Louise Michel** (29 May 1830 – 9 January 1905) was a French anarchist, school teacher and medical worker. She sometimes used the pseudonym _Clémence_ and was also known as _the red virgin of Montmartre_.

## Life

Louise Michel was born at the Château of Vroncourt (Haute-Marne) on 29 May 1830, the daughter of Marianne Michel, and of Etienne Charles Demahis. She was brought up by her father's parents, and received a libertaria education. After her grandfather's death in 1850 she was trained to teach, but after few times she saw that Napoleon III prevented her from serving in a state school. She became violently anti-Bonapartist, and is said to have thought about the assassination of Napoleon III. She became anarchist in 1866 to a school in the Montmartre quarter of Paris, where she saw that his destiny was to work for charity and follow the revolution.

## Paris

She was active during the Paris Commune as an ambulance woman, she helped mutilated or injured on the barricades. During the Siege of Paris she was in resistance against the Prussians. On the establishment of the Commune, she joined the National Guard. She offered to shoot Thiers, and suggested the destruction of Paris for its surrender.

She was with the Communards who made their last stand in the cemetery of Montmartre, and was closely allied with Théophile Ferré, who was executed in November 1871. Michel dedicated a moving farewell poem to Ferré, _l’œillet rouge_ (_The Red Carnation_). It is without a doubt that upon learning of this loss, Victor Hugo dedicated his poem to Michel, _Viro Major_. This ardent attachment was perhaps one of the sources of the exaltation which marked her career, and gave many handles to her enemies. After December 1871, she began composing revolutionary propaganda; demanding assistance for poor people, other measures which threatened the government, and calls for the disenfranchised to arm themselves. She herself took up arms as well and donned a military style uniform. She never renounced the Commune, and after various legal maneuvers city judges sentenced her to death. She spent twenty months in prison and was sentenced to deportation.

## Deportation

She was put onto the ship _Virginie_ on the 8th of August, 1873, to be deported.  She arrived in New Caledonia 4 months later. On board, she met Henri Rochefort, a famous polemist, who became her friend until her death. She also met Nathalie Lemel, another figure active in the commune. Louise was in New Caledonia for seven years. She refused special treatment reserved for women. In 1878, she was a leader in a revolt. The following year, she received authorisation to become a teacher in Nouméa for the children of the deported—among them many Kabyles (Kabyles du Pacifique) from Cheikh Mokrani's rebellion (1871)—and later in schools for girls.

## Return to France

Michel returned to Paris in 1880 after amnesty was given to the Communards. Her revolutionary spirit never died and she controlled freely a libertarian school. She travelled everywhere in France, supporting revolution. In 1883, she led a Paris mob which pillaged a baker's shop. For this she was given six years imprisonment, but was released in 1886, at the same time as Kropotkin and other prominent anarchists. After a short period of freedom she was again arrested for speaking bad about the social system.

She was soon free again, but, hearing that her enemies hoped to put her in a lunatic asylum, she went to England in 1890. She returned to France in 1895, taking part in the revolt made by the Dreyfuss affair in 1898. Few months ago she was constantly followed by the police, until she died in "Room 11", in the Hotel Oasis, Marseilles on 10 January 1905.

## The women in the social

Michel became highly admired by French workers and revolutionaries, particularly for her association with the Paris Commune. From after her death until 1916, a demonstration was held every year at her tomb at Levallois-Perret. Frequently, the language used to describe her is that reserved for saints and heretics; she is often referred to as "_Bonne Louise_" (Good Louise) or the "_Vierge rouge_" (red Virgin). She was always respected same in periods when women were without right.

## The Metrò

On 1 May 1946, the Parisian _métro_ station "Vallier" was renamed Louise Michel, see: Louise Michel (Paris Metro).

## Articles and books

- _À travers la vie_, poetry, Paris, 1894.
- _Le Bâtard impérial_, by L. Michel and J. Winter, Paris, 1883.
- _Le claque-dents_, Paris.
- _La Commune_, Paris, 1898.
- _Contes et légendes_, Paris, 1884.
- _Les Crimes de l'époque_, nouvelles inédites, Paris, 1888.
- _Défense de Louise Michel_, Bordeaux, 1883.
- _L'Ère nouvelle, pensée dernière, souvenirs de Calédonie (prisoners' songs)_, Paris, 1887
- _La Fille du peuple_ par L. Michel et A. Grippa, Paris (1883) Fleurs et ronces, poetry, Paris,
- _Le Gars Yvon, légende bretonne_, Paris, 1882.
- _Lectures encyclopédiques par cycles attractifs_, Paris, 1888.
- _Ligue internationale des femmes révolutionnaires, Appel à une réunion._ Signed "Louise Michel", Paris, 1882.
- _Le livre du jour de l'an : historiettes, contes et légendes pour les enfants_, Paris, 1872.
- _Lueurs dans l'ombre. Plus d'idiots, plus de fous. L'âme intelligente. L'idée libre. L'esprit lucide de la terre à Dieu..._ Paris, 1861.
- _Manifeste et proclamation de Louise Michel aux citoyennes de Paris_, Signed "Louise Maboul", Paris, 1883.
- _Mémoires_, Paris, 1886, t. 1.
- _Les Méprises, grand roman de mœurs parisiennes_, par Louise Michel et Jean Guêtré, Paris, 1882.
- _Les Microbes humains_, Paris, 1886].
- _La Misère_ by Louise Michel, 2nd part, and Jean Guêtré 1st part, Paris, 1882.
- _Le Monde nouveau_, Paris, 1888
- _Vol. I. Avant la Commune_. Preface by Laurent Tailhade, Alfortville, 1905.
- _Les Paysans_ by Louise Michel et Émile Gautier, Paris, (Incomplete).
- _Prise de possession_, Saint-Denis, 1890.
- _Le Rêve_ (in a work by Constant Martin), Paris, 1898.
- _Légendes et chants de gestes canaques. Présentation._ Gérard Oberlé. Edition 1900. 1988.
- __, edition established by Xavière Gauthier, Édition de Paris-Max Chaleil, 1999.

## Related pages

- Anarchism in France
- Louise Michel Battalions - Spanish Civil War

## Other websites

- Louise Michel archive at the Anarchy Archives
- Les Louise Mitchels - French D.I.Y. jazz-punk band influenced by the life and work of Louise Michel

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Louise Michel
- **image**: Louise Michel.jpg
- **birth place**: Haute-Marne, France
- **death place**: Marseille, France