The French commune, in fact, was a special expedient for
the cure of a transitory evil. Republican institutions were in France an exotic
growth, inconsistent with national traditions, and only welcome to classes
which had neither the political intelligence nor the material resources to
maintain their own ideals in the face of persistent opposition. It is
significant that the charters of the French communes were frequently cancelled
with the approval of the citizen assemblies.
The situation was different in Flanders
and North Italy, where the city was the natural unit of society, and the
burgher class, enriched by foreign trade, were strong enough to negotiate on
equal terms with their nominal superiors. Cities such as Ghent and Milan were
shielded from contact with the great monarchies until the habit of
self-government was firmly rooted in the citizens. When at last they were
confronted with the absolutist claims of the Capets or the Hohenstauffen, these
cities did not shrink from a direct appeal to arms; and the wars which they waged
for independence are not the least interesting chapter of medieval history.
