In France, during the 1789 Revolution, probably as a reaction to the traditional French
centralism and strong role of the central government in provinces, the constitutional
assembly effected decentralization by dividing the country into departments, districts and
cantons governed by the people-elected bodies. Soon there arose a movement of
communes, which lasted for short, because it resulted in anarchy and chaos, so that
Napoleon, for other reasons as well, introduced centralism and prefects in 1800 as
authorized representatives of the central executive government in the administrative
departments. The movement towards decentralization was restored in almost every
revolution in France up to the so-called Paris Commune (1871) and these ideas rubbed off
on several thinkers, particularly on those of the socialist and anarchist orientation, among
which Proudhon was probably the most important for our discussion. But, the system
introduced by Napoleon has essentially remained to date with certain improvements. 7