Revolutionary France
Correspondance littéraire, philosophique et critique by Friedrich Melchior Grimm (1750s-60s)
The French Revolution (1789-1799)
Includes documents from the “Conspiracy of Equals” led by François Babeuf, a precursor of modern communism and Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Chronology: France, 1788-1804
Auguste Blanqui Archive (1830-1866)
Writings of the hero of the French working class, Louis-Auguste Blanqui, whose followers originated the word ‘communism’. See also Anarchism Subject Archive.
Chronology: France, 1802-1838
Documents of the proletarian uprising in Paris in 1848, a revolution which spread across Europe before being drowned in blood as Louis Napoleon assumed power and proclaimed himself Emperor.
Chronology: France, 1839-1850
Chronology: France, 1851-1939 (in French)
Armand Barbès Archive;
Félix Pyat Archive.
Paris Commune (March-May 1871)
Detailing the first workers government ever created, with primary documents describing the Commune and the events leading up to its creation and what happened after its fall, a time line of the Civil War, and an extensive photo gallery.
France–1871 and the Franco-Prussian War.
Communards: The Story of the Paris Commune of 1871,
As Told by Those Who Fought for It.
See Marx and Engels on France, (1841-1880)
See Social Democracy in France, Parti Ouvrier (1881-1915)
Includes History of the Seccond International and links to Paul Lafargue and Jules Guesde Archives.
The Dreyfus Affair 1894-1906
General Boulanger and the Boulangist Movement 1888-1891
The Cercle Proudhon 1911-
The C.G.T.
The Charter of Amiens, 1906.
Anarchism in France
Mikahil Bakunin, the most famous advocate of anarchism, recognised Proudhon as his teacher and spent much of his life in France. The hey-day of anarchism in France was between the Paris Commune and the World War I.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1803-1865)
Mikhail Bakunin (Russian emigré, 1817-1876)
James Guillaume (1844-1916)
Sebastien Faure (1858-1942)
Ravachol (1859-1892)
Emile Pouget (1860-1931)
Zo d’Axa (1864-1930)
Emile Armand (1872-1963)
Emile Henry (1872-1894)
Libertad (1875-1908)
Georges Palante (1862-1925)
Marius Jacob (1879-1954)
Andre Lorulot (1885-1963).
See also: On the Anarchists, Jean Jaurès 1894.
Manifesto of the Federation of Labor Exchanges, 1896
La Révolution Surréaliste 1920s
The Popular Front (1933-39)
The Fascist Riot, 6 February 1934
For Thaelmann, André Gide and André Malraux 1936
Smashing Victory of the Communist Party, Marcel Cachin 1936
Victory! The Popular Front Triumphs, Marcel Cachin 1936
Headlines from L’Humanité May/June 1936
For the Respect of the Will of the People L’Humanité May 27 1936
“Everything isn’t Possible” L’Humanité June 12 1936
Long Live Peace! Louis Aragon 1939
Communist Party of France 1920-1968
Including writings of Maurice Thorez.
Communist Party of France
During the Resistance.
The Manouchian Group
Includes the last letter of a group of foreign Communists who died as heroes and martyrs of the Anti-Nazi Resistance.
French Trotskyism (1927—)
The Trotskyists under the Occupation
Charles Tillon’s Appeal of June 17, 1940
Paris Liberated by the Patriots
Report on negotiations with the 5th American Corps, 1944
Operational Order 101, 8 June 1944
The Algerian War (1954-60)
Includes the “Manifesto of the 121,” published in 1960, as France stood on the precipice of civil war and documents of the PCF.
See also: The Algerian Independence Struggle (1954-1991)
Algeria won its independence from French colonialism in a long a bloody war, during which much of the workers' movement in France failed in its duty of Solidarity.
Algeria and the defeat of French Humanism
Clashes between police and students brought the country to the brink of civil war.
The Pierre Goldman Affair 1969-1979
The events in the streets of Paris in May/June 1968 inspired young people across the world, but their ultimate failure to achieve revolutionary change triggered the development of new political and ideological currents, which would become influential across the world.
See also: Revolutionary France Subject Archive
Includes analysis of French History and other writings such as philosophy and political economy.
The Great Anger – purchase book from MIA for US$25.