A History of the French Anarchist Movement, 1917 to 1945

310 Pages·2009·13.851 MB·English

by  David Berry

Library of Congress Cata)oging-in-Publication Data
Berry, David, 1957—
Ahistory of the French anarchist movement, 1917—1945 / David Berry.
p. cm. — (Contributions to the study of world history, ISSN 0885-9159 ; no. 97)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-32026-8 (alk. paper)
1. Anarchism—France—History—20th century. 2. Anti-fascist
movements —France—History. I. Title. II. Series.
HX893.B47 2002
320.5'7'09440904 l—dc2 1 2001054702
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 2002 by David Berry
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001054702
ISBN: 0-313-32026-8
ISSN: 0885-9159
First published in 2002
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 0688 1
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 987654321
Copyright Acknowledgments
The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge permission to reprint the following previously
published materials: An earlier version of Chapter 8 appeared as “The Other Popular Front: French
Anarchism and the Front revolutionnaire" in Martin S. Alexander and Helen Graham (eds.). The
French and Spanish Popular Fronts: Comparative Perspectives, pp. 131-44 (Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University Press, 1989) and is reprinted with permission; some of Chapter 12 appeared as
“French Anarchists in Spain, 1936-1939” in French History vol. 4, no. 4 (December 1989), pp.
427-65 by permission of Oxford University Press; a version of Chapter 13 was originally pub-
lished as “The French Anarchist Movement, 1939-45: Resistance and Collaboration” in Andreas
Graf (ed.), Anarchisten gegen Hitler, pp. 29-55 (Berlin: Lukas Verlag, 2001). Every reasonable ef-
fort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book, but in some instances this
has proven impossible. The author and publisher will be glad to receive information leading to
more complete acknowledgments in subsequent printings of thia book and in the meantime extend
their apologies for any omissions.
This book is dedicated to the memory of all those anarchists, only some of
whom it is has been possible to name here, who lost their lives in the struggle
against fascism.
Roger Badard/Baudard (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Juliette Baudard/Baudart (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Jean Begue/Beguez (Belchite, September 1936)
Mario Berard (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Raymond Berge/Berge (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Charles Berthelot (Germany, 1945)
Louis Berthomieu/Berthonnieux (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Emile Boff (Casa del Campo, 12 November 1936)
Marcel Bonvalet (Ravensbruck)
Boudoux (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Eugenie Casteu (Spain, 1937)
Georges Charrangfeau?] (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Lucien Chatelain (Aragon, March 1937)
Philippe Colombet (Codo, August 1937)
Commeurec (Germany, 19 43/44)
Emile Cottin (Farlete, 8 September 1936)
Henri Cottin (France, shot by Gestapo, 1 1 June 1944)
Pierre Darrot (Mauthausen, February 1945)
Jean Delalain (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Henri Delaruelle (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Max Detang (Albacete, December 1936)
Gerard Duverge (Agen, tortured by Gestapo, 2 February 1944)
Jean Ferrand (Barna, 5 May 1937)
Fons (Santa Quiteria, April 1937)
Rend Fremont (Sedan, June 1940)
Rend Galissot (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Marcel Gdrard (Teruel, December 1936)
Georges Gessaume (Tortosa, 26 July 1938)
Jean Giral/Giralt (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Georges Gourdin (Elbriick, 23 January 1945)
Marcel Greffier (Cuesta de la Reina, 1937/38)
Suzanne Hans (Farlete, November 1936)
Georgette Kokoczinski (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Jules Le Gall (Buchenwald, 14 June 1944)
Francois Le Leve (Neuengamme, 20 January 1945)
Lemere (Farlete, 8 September 1936)
Henri Lion (Mauthausen, 1943/44/45)
Raoul Lion (Mauthausen, 1943/44/45)
Bernard Meller (Huesca, November 1936)
Georges Monnard (Quinto, December 19 36)
Pelcot/Pellecot (France, shot by German troops)
Yves [?] R****s [?] (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Maurice Rajaud (Spain, 1936/37/38)
Louis Recoulis/Recoules (Farlete, November 1936)
Pierre Ruff (Neuengamme, 1945)
Bixio Sorbi (Dachau, 20 October 1944)
Jean Trontin (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Yves Vitrac (Perdiguera, 17 October 1936)
Contents
Tables ix
Abbreviations xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
1 The Context: Anarchism in France from the 1840s to 1917 9
Part I:
The Aftermath of War and the Challenge of Bolshevism,
1917-1924
2 The New Dawn in the East 29
3 Sovietism as Council Anarchism 47
4 The Mainstream: From Revisionism to Reaffirmation of Anarchism 73
5 On the Margins: The Temps nouveaux Group and the Individualists 97
6 The Anarchists and the Revolutionary Syndicalist Movement 1 13
7 The Crisis of Anarchism, 19 24- 19 34 14 7
Part II:
Anti-fascism, the Spanish Revolution and War, 1934-1945
8 Popular Front or Revolutionary Front? Anarchist Anti-fascism 16 3
9 An Anarchist Front for Spain: The Anarcho-Syndicalist Committee 18 1
10 The Anarchist Union and Anti-fascist Solidarity 191
------- -------- Contents
1 1 Schism in the Anarchist Movement: The CGTSR-FAF 2 1 5
12 Volunteers in Spain, 1936-1939 237
13 Anti-militarism, Resistance and Collaboration 253
Conclusion: Mobilization, Constituency and Ideology 273
Selected Bibliography: Anarchist Movement Publications and Other 305
Primary Sources
Name Index 315
Tables
1 The Evolution of Revolutionary Left Groupings, 1915-1921 50
2 A Chronology of Revolutionary Syndicalism, 1916-19 26 1 14
3 The Evolution of National Anarchist Organisations, 1913-1939 155
4 French Volunteers with CNT-FAI Militias 241
5 The Number of Newspapers Produced per Annum in Five Periods, 274
1891-1972
6 Estimated Number of Anarchist Union Groups in 1919-1924 and 276
1936-1939

Abbreviations
AEAR Association des ecrivains et artistes revolutionnaires
AFA Association des federalistes anarchistes
AIT Association intemationale des travailleurs
ARAC Association republicaine des anciens combattants
ARME Association revolutionnaire des miliciens d’Espagne
CA Comite administratif
CAI Comite d’action intemationale contre la guerre
CAS Comite anarcho-syndicaliste
CASDLPE Comite anarcho-syndicaliste pour la defense et la liberation du
proletariat espagnol
CDS Comite de defense syndicaliste
CEL Comite pour 1’Espagne libre
CGT Confederation generale du travail
CGTR Confederation generale du travail revolutionnaire
CGTSR Confederation generale du travail syndicaliste revolutionnaire
CGTU Confederation generale du travail unitaire
CIRA Centre international de recherches sur I’anarchisme
CIS Comite pour 1’i ndependance du syndicalisme
CNT Confederation nacional del trabajo
COS Conseils d’ouvriers syndiques
CP Communist Party
CRRI Comite pour la reprise des relations intemationales
CSR Comite syndicaliste revolutionnaire
CTM Confederation des travailleurs du monde
CVIA Comite de vigilance des intellectuels antifascistes
FA Federation anarchiste
FACR Federation anarchiste communiste revolutionnaire
FAF Federation anarchiste de langue fran aise
FAI Federation anarquista iberica
FCEAAF Federation de comites espanoles de accion antifascista en
Francia
FCL Federation communiste libertaire
FCRA Federation communiste revolutionnaire anarchiste
FCS Federation communiste des soviets
FIJL Federation iberica de juventudes libertarias
FSI Federation syndicale Internationale
FTP Francs-tireurs et partisans
GPU State Political Administration (soviet police, 1922-1923)
GR Gauche revolutionnaire
GSR Groupes syndicalistes revolutionnaires
IFHS Institut fran ais d’histoire sociale
IFTU International Federation of Trade Unions
ISR Internationale syndicale rouge
IWMA International Workingmen’s Association
JA Jeunesses anarchistes
JAC Jeunesses anarchistes communistes
JC Jeunesses communistes
JEUNES Jeunes equipes reunies pour une nouvelle economic sociale
MLF Mouvement de liberation des femmes
NKVD People’s Commissariat for International Affairs (soviet police,
1934-1943
PC Parti communiste
PCF Parti communiste franpais
POUM Partido Obrero de Unification Marxista
PS Parti socialiste - Section franpaise de 1’I nternationale ouvriere
PSOP Parti socialiste ouvrier et paysan
RILU Red International of Labour Unions
RNP Rassemblement national populaire
SAP Sozialistische Arbeiterpartei
SFIC Section fran aise de 1* Internationale communiste
SFIO Section fran aise de 1’ Internationale ouvriere
SIA Solidarite intemationale antifasciste
SISL Secours international solidarite et liberte
SRI Solidarite rouge intemationale
STO Service du travail obligatoire
SUB Syndicat unique du batiment
UA Union anarchiste
UAC Union anarchiste communiste
UACR Union anarchiste communiste revolutionnaire
UD Union departementale
UFSA Union federative des syndicats autonomes
UGT Union General de Trabajadores
UL Union locale
UR Union regionale
use Union socialiste communiste
USI Unione syndicale italiana
VO Vie ouvriere
Acknowledgments
There are many people who over the years have helped me in different ways
with the preparation of this book and to whom I would like to offer my thanks.
Firstly, the staff of the various libraries and archive centres in which I
have worked, who have been unfailingly helpful: the Bibliotheque Nationale,
the Archives Nationales, the Centre de Recherches sur 1’Histoire des
Mouvements Sociaux et du Syndicalisme, the Institut Fran ais d’Histoire
Sociale, the Musee Social and the Archives de la Prefecture de Police in Paris;
the Bibliotheque de Documentation Internationale Contemporaine in Nanterre;
the Intemationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis in Amsterdam; the British
Library in London. I would also like to thank the comrades of the Secretariat
d’histoire et d'edition of the Federation Anarchiste in Paris and of the Kate
Sharpley Library in Peterborough.
Many others have helped me in various ways, sharing the results of
their unpublished work with me, sending me photocopies of otherwise
inaccessible documents, pointing me in the direction of previously unknown
sources, translating Spanish documents for me, or reading drafts and suggesting
improvements: Jean-Louis Blanchon, Sylvain Boulouque, Phil Casoar, Colette
Chambelland, Rolf Dupuy, Georges Fontenis, Sharif Gemie, John Home,
Jeremy Jennings, Paul Kennedy, Jean-Michel Lebas, the late Jean Maitron,
Gaetano Manfredonia, Janet Mayes, the late Peter Morris, Dieter Nelles, Barry
Pateman, Marc Prevotel, Sian Reynolds, Paul Sharkey, Alexandre Skirda and
Reiner ToBtorff. I must also thank my Editor and Production Editor at
Greenwood, Heather Ruland Staines and Katie Chase, for their encouragement
and patience.
A special mention must be made of Rod Kedward, who first suggested
this research topic and who guided my first steps as a historian and researcher;
Rene Bianco and Marianne Enckell of the CIRA (Centre international de
recherches sur 1’anarchisme) in Marseille and Lausanne respectively, who could
not have been more helpful and whose knowledge of the anarchist movement