I will be acting as Raoul Rigault in a simulation of the committee of the Paris Commune of 1871. As a hard-line communard, would I say "Germany" when mentioning them? Or Prussia? Or have an attitude and say "so-called Germany" because they're imposing the siege on Paris. I'm thinking that Communards (maybe?) didn't respect or recognize Germany in that situation.
Any thoughts?
I'd go with Prussia. On the eve of the Germans' triumphal march, Louis Peguret (a featured character in Horne's The Fall of Paris) wrote:
"What shame, what dishonor these Royalists have brought upon their country! ... The whole population has rage in its heart, and if the Prussians should give the least suspicion of mockery it would not be at all surprising if some patriot, for whom the shame was too much, fired a random shot."