In 1871 the Franco-Prussian War sparked a period of civil unrest in Paris. Ordinary people united to overthrow the French regime which had failed to protect the city. The temporary government, known as the Commune, lasted three months before it was violently supressed by official French forces. In this powerful image, a dead revolutionary in uniform is lying behind a makeshift barricade, a white flag of surrender in his hand. The legs in pinstriped trousers belong to a civilian, adding to the horror of the scene. Along with The Barricade, this was the first work by Manet to enter the national collection.