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