Editing Paris Commune (section)

=== Negotiations with the Germans; continued war ===
In September and October, [[Adolphe Thiers]], the leader of the National Assembly conservatives, had toured Europe, consulting with the foreign ministers of [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]], [[Russian Empire|Russia]], and [[Austria-Hungary]], and found that none of them were willing to support France against the Germans. He reported to the government that there was no alternative to negotiating an armistice. He travelled to German-occupied [[Tours]] and met with [[Otto von Bismarck]] on 1 November. The [[North German Confederation|German]] Chancellor demanded the cession of all of [[Alsace]], parts of [[Lorraine]], and enormous reparations. The Government of National Defence decided to continue the war and raise a new army to fight the Germans. The newly organized French armies won a single victory at [[Battle of Coulmiers|Coulmiers]] on 10 November, but an attempt by General [[Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot]] on 29 November at [[Battle of Villiers|Villiers]] to break out of Paris was defeated with a loss of 4,000 soldiers, compared with 1,700 German casualties.

[[File:Bombardement de Paris en 1871.jpg|thumb|Bombardment of Paris by German artillery during the siege of Paris in 1870-1871]]

Everyday life for Parisians became increasingly difficult during the siege. In December, temperatures dropped to {{convert|-15|C|F}}, and the [[Seine]] froze for three weeks. Parisians suffered shortages of food, firewood, coal and medicine. The city was almost completely dark at night. The only communication with the outside world was by balloon, [[Homing pigeon|carrier pigeon]], or letters packed in iron balls floated down the Seine. Rumours and conspiracy theories abounded. Because supplies of ordinary food ran out, starving denizens ate most of the city [[Ménagerie du Jardin des plantes|zoo]]'s animals, then resorted to feeding on rats.

By early January 1871, Bismarck and the Germans themselves were tired of the prolonged siege. They installed seventy-two 120- and 150-mm artillery pieces in the forts around Paris and on 5 January began to bombard the city day and night. Between 300 and 600 shells hit the centre of the city every day.{{sfn|Milza|2009b|pp=257–259}}