Editing Paris Commune (section)

=== Demographics ===
In 1871, France was deeply divided between the large rural, Catholic, and conservative population of the French countryside and the more republican and radical cities of Paris, Marseille, Lyon and a few others. In the first round of the [[1869 French legislative election|1869 parliamentary elections]] held under the French Empire, 4,438,000 had voted for the [[Bonapartist]] candidates supporting Napoleon III, while 3,350,000 had voted for the republicans or the [[legitimists]]. In Paris, however, the republican candidates dominated, winning 234,000 votes against 77,000 for the Bonapartists.{{sfn|Milza|2009a|p=65}}

Of the two million people in Paris in 1869, according to the official census, there were about 500,000 industrial workers, or fifteen percent of all the industrial workers in France, plus another 300,000–400,000 workers in other enterprises. Only about 40,000 were employed in factories and large enterprises; most were employed in small industries in textiles, furniture and construction. There were also 115,000 servants and 45,000 concierges. In addition to the native French population, there were about 100,000 immigrant workers and political refugees, the largest number being from Italy and Poland.{{sfn|Milza|2009a|p=65}}

During the war and the [[Siege of Paris (1870–71)|Siege of Paris]], various members of the middle and upper classes departed the city. At the same time, there was an influx of refugees from parts of France occupied by the Germans. The working class and immigrants suffered the most from the lack of industrial activity due to the war and the siege; they formed the bedrock of the Commune's popular support.{{sfn|Milza|2009a|p=65}}