French Royalism Since 1870

251 Pages·1970·19.77 MB·English

by  Samuel M. Osgood (auth.)

FRENCH ROYALISM SINCE 1870
FRENCH ROYALISM
SINCE
1870
by
SAMUEL M. OSGOOD
Second enlarged edition of
French Royalism under the Third and
Fourth Republics
•
Springer-Science+Business Media, B.Y.
TO SALLY, PIP,
AND STEVE
ISBN978-94-017-5073-8 ISBN978-94-017-5071-4(eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-5071-4
©SpringerScience+BusinessMediaDordrecht 1970
OriginallypublishedbyMartinusNijhoffTheHagueNetherlandsin1970.
Allrights reserved,includingtheright totranslate orto
reproducethis bookorparts thereofinany form
PREFACE
"Let them come forward, they are thirsty for the sight of a King,"
said HenriIV to hisfollowerswhoweretryingto pushback thecurious
crowds as he entered Paris in February, 1594. It is perhaps to be
regretted that seven kings (tosay nothingoftwo emperors) have since
more than quenched the French's taste for royalty, because they have
long been in need of - and periodically have sought - a symbol of
national unity. Modem-dayFrancehas hadfar more than her share of
revolutions, counterrevolutions, uprisings, days, coups, affairs, crises,
scandals - and constitution drafting. While it would be an over
simplification to interpret this endemic strife as a seesaw conflict
between two well-integrated blocs with the ideology of the Great
Revolution as the dividing issue, the fact remains that since 1789
political divisions and quarrels arnong Frenchmen have been deep,
bitter, and fundamental.
After 1870, a Republic may have been the one solution which
divided Frenchmen the least (to borrow an expression from Monsieur
Thiers); but like any and all of the preceding alternatives it was to
incur the relentless, irreconcilable opposition of important segments
of the population. This study deals with those individuals and organ
izations which continued to advocate, and sought to bring about a
return to the monarchy under the Third and Fourth Republics. If
the likelihood of such an eventuality were to be used as the criterion
of the importance of modem French royalism, it might well have
ended in 1873. For it is difficult seriously-to entertain any real possi
bility of a restoration since the Comte de Charnbord spumed a crown
for the sake of a White Flag. But the intriguing quality of modem
French royalism is precisely that its importance has always tran
scended the realm ofpossibilities. Asthose responsible for the security
of republican institutions, the agents of the sarete Nationale, them
selves recognized: the royalist movement may not have constituted
a real threat, but it was something that could not be ignored.
Even today, the Action Francaise is emerging as the preponderant
force ofthe Right in the history of the Third Republic; the influence
of its prophet, Charles Maurras, is extending beyond the grave;
counterrevolutionary royalist attitudes remain unshaken in some
quarters; and there are anachronism, paradox, and drama in the
career of the present pretender, Henri, Comte de Paris. In spite ofits
VI PREFACE
dreamlike, nostalgic, and quixotic qualities, royalism has continued
to be part and parcel of the contemporary French scene.
This study could not have been completed without the financial
help of the American Philosophical Society; enabling me as it did to
wind up my research in France during the Summers of 1956and 1957.
My thanks also to the editors of the Review of Politics and the Con
temporary Review for the permission to reproduce portions of articles
which originally appeared in these publications.
S.M.O.
Drexel Institute of Technology
Philadelphia, Pa.
September, 1959
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
Since this study was first published, new perspectives have been
opened through the addition of a number of excellent works to the
historiography of the Action Francaise. Moreover, the first chapter
in thehistoryoftheFifth Republiccame to aclosewiththeresignation
of General De Gaulle and the election of Georges Pompidou. Among
other things, these events signify that the last chapter in the history
ofFrenchRoyalismcan nowbewritten.This neweditionthuscontains
a reassessment of the historical significance of the Action Francaise
and an exposition of the vicissitudes of the royalist cause during the
first decade ofthe Fifth Republic.
I would like to express my thanks to the many Maurrassians and
former members of other Rightist organizations who have granted me
interviews while I was on a research trip, June-December, 1961, and
during a two-year stint as Fulbright Lecturer to France, 1964-1966.
lowe aspecial debtofgratitude to theAmerican PhilosophicalSociety
for its continued support of my work, in the form of travel grants
awardedin 1961,1962,and 1968. Portions ofthe "Epilogue" originally
appeared in Cahiers d'Histoire (Published by the Universities of Cler
mont, Grenoble, Lyon, and Saint-Etienne).
S.M.O.
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio
September, 1969
NOTE ON DOCUMENTATION
Whilepreparingthis study, I wasable to consult hitherto restricted
material in the archives of the Sarete Nationale in Paris. Covering
the whole history of French royalism from the foundation of the
Action Francaise at the turn of the century to the immediate post
World War II years, these voluminous files have been accumulated
with only the scantiest attempt at organization. In the absence of a
systematic code of classification, all references to this material are
listed as S. N. followed by further pertinent identification when
available. lowe a specialdebt to M. Pierre Donzelot, then Permanent
Representative of French Universities in the United States, who was
instrumental in obtaining the release of these documents in the first
place. And to M. Raymond Heim, Commissaire Principal, Chef de la
Section Documentation, Direction Generale de la sarete Nationale,
who hunted them down and provided me with working space at the
Sarete's headquarters, Rue des Saussaies. The kind cooperation of
these twogentlemen (aswellasthatofthe officialsof the Bibliotheque
Nationale and the Archives Nationales) served to dispel, in one mind
at least, the widespread notion that it is-difficult for a foreignscholar
to doresearch in France.
I wasequallyfortunateinbeingableto interview manypersonalities
in French royalism. Especially helpful were: Madame Veuve Leon
Daudet; Dr. Francois Daudet, director of Les Libertes Franyaises;
M.Louis-Olivierde Roux of Aspects dela France; M.Pierre Boutang,
political director of La Nation Francaise; Messieurs Henri Massisand
Xavier Vallat who need no introduction; M. Pierre Longone, with
whom I have been corresponding since 1950, and who provided me
with the complete collection of CourrierRoyalwhen I was preparing
my doctoral dissertation; M.Paul Griffouliere,also of the pretender's
Political Bureau. I had as well the pleasure and privilege of two
lengthy interviews with the Comte de Paris himself. Finally, I was
able to gather the testimonies of many former rank and filemembers
VIII NOTE ON DOCUMENTATION
of the Action Francaise and traditional royalists - particularly from
the Paris area, Bordeaux and the Gironde, and Perigord. In many
cases the above witnesses were kind enough to lend me unpublished
material and rare or out of print works from their private collections.
In all cases they answered my questions frankly and without reser
vations. Sincemany ofthem are still active in the royalist movement,
or in some other phase of public life, I have decided to couch their
identity under such labels as "a leading Maurrassian," "a former
Camelot," etc., whenever I quote them on a controversial question.
Lest some readers feel that I have been splitting hairs, I would like
to remind them of the peculiar quirks of the Maurrassian mentality.
Forinstance a former Camelot,whostilltakes pridein the fact that he
once contemplated assassinating a republican official, would be quite
embarrassed to have it divulged that he momentarily wavered in his
faith in Charles Maurras as a politicalleader or man of action. In any
event, the records of these personal interviews are in my possession,
and they will be made available to any reviewer or scholar who might
want more precise indications as to mysource ofinformation.
References to material from the Archives Nationales are listed as
A.N. followed by the folio number.
Whenitalicized ActionFrancaise refers to the daily as distinguished
from the movement as a whole.The review (bimonthly, I899 to I908;
monthly from I908 to I9I4) is referred to as the Revue d'Action
Franfaise.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
v
Note on Documentation
VII
I The Missed Opportunity
1871-1873
I
I! The 'Unhappy Reign' of 'Philippe VI!'
1883-1894
35
II! The Beginnings of the Action Francaise
Charles Maurras
54
IV The Action Francaise Militant
1906-1914
76
V The Action Francaise Between the Wars
1919-1934
98
VI The Comte de Paris and the Action Francaise
1934-1937
I24
x TABLE OF CONTENTS
VII The Comte de Paris
Doctrines and Politics to 1939
I37
VIII The Royalist Movement
on the Eve of World War II
I52
IX World War II
I60
X The Aftermath
1945-1950
I82
XI Maurrassians, The Comte de Paris,
and the Fourth Republic
I97
Epilogue
2II
Bibliography
226
GenealogicalTable
237
Index
238