Anti Jewish&FrenchRevSyndicalism

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Anti-Jewish Trends in French Revolutionary SyndicalismAuthor(s): Edmund SilbernerReviewed work(s):Source: Jewish Social Studies, Vol. 15, No. 3/4 (Jul. - Oct., 1953), pp. 195-202Published by: Indiana University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4465171 .

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ANTI-JEWISHTRENDSIN FRENCH REVOLUTIONARYSYNDICALISM*

By EDMUND SILBERNER

Recent manifestationsof Jew-hatredbehind the Iron Curtain,mayappearas a new phenomenon o thosewho are unacquaintedwith the his-toryof leftistmovements. To those,however,whohavestudiedthe subject,they are less surprising. Manifestationsof leftist Judeophobiaoccurredmore thanonce in the past and,what is no less interesting,not only in theEastbut alsoin the West. French Revolutionary yndicalism ffersa goodexampleof howantisemitism anpenetrateeven intothe mostradical eftistcircles.'

It maybe recalledthat Revolutionary yndicalismwas a strongmove-mentin Franceat the beginningof the twentiethcentury.2 Thismovementwas opposedto "politics"n generaland to parliamentaryactics in partic-ular. It fought againstcapitalism,and advocateda regime in which thetradeunionswouldownthe meansof production. It recommended"directaction,"sabotage,and the generalstrikeas the most effective weaponsoftheproletariantruggle.

* On the subject of antisemitism in the Socialist and labor movements, see Silberner, E.,"Was Marx an anti-Semite?," in Historia Judaica, vol. xi (1949) 3-52; idem, "Proudhon'sJudeophobia,"ibid., vol. ix (1948) 61-80; idem, *Antisemitism and Philosemitism in theSocialist Internatonal,"n Judaism,vol. ii (1953) 117-22;idem, "CharlesFourier and the Jew-ish Question,"in JEWISH SOCIALTUDIES,ol. viii (1946) 245-66; idem, "The Attitude of theFourierist School Toward the Jews," ibid, vol. ix (1947) 339-62; idem, "FriedrichEngels andthe Jews," ibid., vol. xi (1949) 323-42; Szajkowski, Z., "The Jewish Saint-Simonians andSocialist Antisemitesin France,"ibid., vol. ix (1947) 330-60; idem, Antisemitism in der frant-seizisher arbeter bavegung fun Fourierizm bizn soif Dreyfusaffere, 1845-1906 (New York1948); Mayer, B., "Early German Socialism and Jewish Emancipation,"JEWISH SOCIALSTUDIES, vol. i (1939) 409-22; Bloom, S. F., "Karl Marx and the Jews," ibid., vol. iv (1943)3-16; Duker, Abraham G., "Polish Emigre Socialists on the Jewish Problem,"ibid., vol. xiv(1952) 317-42; and Spiro, George, Marxism and the Bolshevik State. Workers DemocraticGovernmentversus National-Burocratic 'Soviet' and Capitalist Regimes (New York 1951)p. 681-793 (Ed.).1 The author found very useful indications in Yurii M. Steklov's "The Latest Trends inFrench Anti-Semitism," in SovremettnyiMir (November-December 1912). Some pertinentdetails are also contained in S. Frydman's Di professionele bavegung tsvishn di yiddishearbeterin Frankreichbiz 1914 (Paris 1937).2 An excellent bibliographyon Syndicalismis given in Egbert, D. D., and Persons, S., (Ed.),Socialism and American Life, vol. ii (Princeton 1952) p. 73-77,223-24.

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196 JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIESEmile Pouget, one of the distinguishedeadersof Revolutionary yndi-calism,onceasserted hat this movementwas free from antisemitism.3Buthis assertion s couchedin such a language that it conveys the feeling ofhypocrisyand double-talk. "In order to avoid any false interpretation,"said Pouget, "and so that the sensitiveepidermisof our Jewish comradesdoes not trembleanew,let it be well understood hat amongus there is andcan be neitherblind philosemitismnor maskedantisemitism."4Yet in spiteof this declaration hereis incontrovertible videnceprovingthe existenceof anti-Jewishbias in RevolutionarySyndicalism.Apartfrom RobertLouzon,a militantsyndicalist,who-without being

in the strictsense a racialist-denounced"Semitism,"5t least three import-ant syndicalistswere moreor less antisemitic:GeorgesSorel,the theoristofthe movement;EmilePataud,secretaryof the electricians' nion;and EmileJanvion,editor of Terre libre, organe syndical d'action directe. BothPataudandJanvionhad Anarchisteanings,and couldin fact be dealt witheitherunderthe headingof Syndicalism r underthat of Anarcho-Syndical-ism.I. Pataud and Janvion

In the Springof 1911, Pataud and Janvionannouncedby posters"agreat anti-Jewishand anti-Masonicmeeting" n Paris.6 It took place onApril3, 1911,and was chairedby Pataud,one of the mostpopularagitatorsof the GeneralConfederationof Labor. The main speaker,Janvion,wasacclaimedby an audienceof some 1800people,7amongwhom the Camelotsdu Roi were quite numerous.Some shouted: "A bas les Juifs!" Othersscreamed:"A bas les jesuites!l8 Some sang the International,others theantisemiticchansonLa YoupignoleVA Russianpresentat the meetingfeltas if he wereamong hepogromists f his nativecountry.'0According o the stenographicrecord of his speech, Janvionattackedonly richJews and Freemasonry, the international hield of cosmopolitanJewry."" On the otherhand, Patauddeclared that it was not his fault if

3 On Pataud, see Andre Tridon, The New Uitiontism (New York 1917) p. 63, 86-884 La Guerresociale (January 3, 1912) 2.5 Louzon, in Mouvemenrt socialiste, vol. xix (1906) 193-99.6 Archives israe'lites, vol. lxxii (1911) 109.7 According to Pataud, in Humaniti (April 11, 1911) 2.8 Temps (April 5, 1911) 2.9 Libre parole (April 4, 1911) 3, and Guerresociale (April 12, 1911) 2.

10 Hucmanite (April 4, 1911) 3.11 Janvion, in Terre libre (April 15, 1911) 4.



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FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY YNDICALISM 197ninety-fivepercentof the capitalists hathe was attackingn connectionwithlaborconflictswereJews.12His statement hathe bore"no ll will towardslittle Jews"was accompanied, however, by shouts from all sides:"Abastousles Juifs, petits ou gros!'"l3 Before closing the meeting, Pataudmoved aresolutionwhichwas acceptedby the audience. The resolutioncondemnedFreemasonryor its effortsto corrupt he tradeunions. It also stated thatthe citizenspresentat the meetingput on record,"without hereforebeingantisemites,"he complicityof the principalJewish capitalistswith Free-masonry.14Thus,according o the officialrecordsneitherPataudnor Jan-vion seemto havemadeanyspecificallyantisemiticpronouncements uringthe meeting. (It is quiteclearthat attackingJewishcapitalists s not neces-sarilyanantisemiticact). Moreover, fterthe meeting,PataudandJanviondeclared n open letters to the pressthat they were not antisemites.15

Yet,no one in Socialistand Anarchistcirclesseemed to believe them.Both SocialistsandAnarchistswerehorrified t the open co-operation f thetwo leaderswith royalistsand reactionaries. The antisemitismof the twomen was denouncedby Jean Longuet in L'Humanite',16and by GustaveHerveand SebastienFaure n La Guerre ociale.17It alsoprovokedndigna-tion amongJewish trade-unionists,who, on April6, 1911,held a protestmeeting at the Boursede travail. At this meeting Jean Longuet recalledwhat Jewish revolutionarieshad done for the cause of the internationalproletariat. The BundistLibercondemned n a Yiddishspeechthe "Canti-semiticdeclarations"f Pataud,who was presentat the meetingand there-uponprotestedoncemorethathe wasnot an antisemite.18Patauddid not,however,succeedin convincing he audience,whichpasseda motionurgingthe membersof his unionnot to makecommoncausewith theirsecretary.'9The questionmay be raised,of course,whether Pataudand Janvionwere genuineantisemites,or.whetherthey were only accusedof antisemi-

12 Libre parole (April 4, 1911) 3.13 Humaniite(April 11, 1911) 2.14 Full text of the resolutionin Huinanite (April 11, 1911) 2.15 Pataud, ibid.; Janvion,in Actionfrancaise (November 23, 1912) 1; and in Bataille syndical-iste (January 4, 1913) 2.16 Humanite (April 4, 1911) 3; (April 11, 1911) 2.17 Guerresociale (April 5, 1911) 1; (April 12 1911) 2.18 Temps (April 8, 1911) 3.19 Ibid. The unionof electriciansnever took any action against their secretaryPataud becauseof his anti-Jewishstand. It expelled hiim,however, in 1913,after he, Janvion and a few otherfriends, had made an armedattackon the editorial staff of the Bataille syndicaliste.Cf. Bataillesyndicaliste (February4, 1913) 1; (February 20, 1913) 2.



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198 JEWISH OCIALSTUDIEStismbecauseof theirassociation,or one reasonoranother,with antisemiticelements outside the trade union movement. There is enough materialavailable o answer he question. Pataudhimselfdeclaredpubliclythat hewas neithera philosemitenoran antisemite,but "simplyan asemite."20Atbest this couldmeanthatin his hostilitytowardsthe Jewshe did not go sofaras the antisemites. Thathe was, however,hostileto themin principle shardlysurprisingf one recallsthathe was convinced-as he said in a letterto Rothschild-that"Jew s synonymouswith inhuman.'

As forJanvion,his antisemitismwas even stronger han that of Pataud.Janvion'spaper, Terrelibre,publisheda great numberof articlesdirectednot only againstthe bourgeoisiebut also againstJewishimmigrantworkersin France, Philosemitismn Francewas condemnedby the paper,for thevery obviousreasonthat in a countrydominatedby the Jew it is "acrimeagainst the revolutionaryspirit."22This domination,asserted Janvion'spaper,wasnot due to a chance. In their march owardsCanaan,he argued,cosmopolitanJewrywas carryingout, particularlyn France,a centuries-old plan to invade all the nationsof the world.23 "The Judaizedgang ofJaures,"24ere, according o Terre ibre,examplesof how deeply this dom-inationpenetratedeveninto the Socialistmovement.Frenchworkers,according o the samepaper,were sufferingnot onlyfrom Jewish capital but also from Jewish labor. "Internationalisms anexcellent doctrinel Excellent above all for the kikes (youtres) and theMoldo-Walachians ho takeaway jobsfromFrenchmen."26Frenchwork-ers were thus beginningto realizethe consequencesof "theJewishinvas-ion."27Arguingthat the "Semitic nfiltration"nto workshops,stores andoffices,loweredthe standardof living and increasedthe unemploymentofFrenchmen,28Terre libre approved "the economic movement directed20 Pataud, in Guerresociale (April 12, 1911) 2.21 Pataud as quoted in Humanite' (April 11, 1911) 2. His letter to Rothschild, says Herve,"puel'antisemitismed plein nez." Cf. Guerresociale (April 12, 1911) 2.22 Janvion, in Terre libre (February 15, 1911) 1. In 1900,Janvion wrote: "Je dis que ceuxqui ont dechaine'dans l'anarchiecet invraisemblablemouvement de philosemitisme (le droitd'e'tre uif, etc.) ont encourula plus lourderesponsabilite. C'est entre ces deux poles: philose-mitisme et anttsemitismeque nous devions rester." Temps nouveaux, Supple'ment itteraire,vol. iii (1900-02) 235.23 Anon., in Terre libre (September 1, 1911) 3.24 Ibid. (March 1, 1911) 3.25 Riquier, Marius, in ibid. (November 15, 1910) 1.26 Anonymous leading article, ibid. (October 15, 1911) 2.27 Ibid.28 Pringault, Frangois, in ibid. (January 1, 1912) 2.



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FRENCH EVOLUTIONARYYNDICALISM 199againstthe "kikishjaundice'"('jaunisse'youpine)29 What disturbedtheSyndicalistpaperand its editor,Janvion,was not merelythe competitionofJewish workers,but also the fact that they organized themselves intoseparateunions. They werethusaccusedof being"Jewishnationalists"ndof interposingthemselvesbetween French workersand "Jewishcapital-ism."30 A warningwas given to themby the syndicalistcomradesof Terreantisemites. We are satisfied, or the moment,to act as men. Try, there-fore, to conductyourselvesas men, and not as Jews. Otherwise,you willsoon have facilitatedby youroutburstsof an unwelcomenationalism, heexplosionwhichl oudread."31Quite a curiousproclamation y peoplewho,for the moment,were neitherphilosemitesnorantisemitesl32

II. GeorgesSorelSorel(1847-1922)wrotemuch on a varietyof subjects,but-prior to thelastyears of his life-hardly anythingaboutthe Jewishproblem. Allhe hadto say aboutit before1910was that antisemitismmustnot be consideredasan ephemeralphenomenon,andthat it couldbe eliminatedonly by elevat-ing the moral evel of society,andby securingsatisfactory eforms orthoseclasses whichfurnish he greatestcontingentof antisemites.33In 1910,he expoundedhis views on the problem o one of his youngerfriends,whorecorded hemcarefully n a notebookrevisedby Sorelhimself.The Jews,he said, are an old and quite a philosophicalrace. They havebeen driven nto commercenot by anynatural nclination,but by economicdiscrimination.They are as assimilableas any otherpeople, and it is onlydue to theirpersecutionand discriminationhat they have not as yet beenfully assimilated. Therefore,antisemitism,particularlyhat of Drumont, s

basicallywrong. Jews,andmorespecificallyFrenchJews,have theirfaults.Unaccustomedas they are to political iberty,they abuseit. In particular,they show the tendency to exaggeratethe dangersto which they are ex-posed. They manoeuvern favorof a certain icense in politicallife. Hadthey remainedquietly in their place, antisemitismas a so-calleddoctrinewould perhapsneverhave been born. They are also imprudent,perhaps,in goingpoliticallytoo far to the left.34 Numerousas these criticismswere,29 Pringault, in ibid.30 Anonymouseditorial,"Aux proletairesjuifs," ibid. (April 15, 1911) 1.31 Ibid.32 Terre libre is full of other antisemiticarticles which the author does not intend to list here,33 Sorel, "L'Eglise et l'Etat,"Revue socialiste, vol. xxiv (1901) 407.34 Variot, Jean, Ed., Propos de Georges Sorel (Paris 1935) p. 146-53,



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200 JEWISHSOCIAL TUDIESSoreldid not drawfromthemany antisemitic onclusions. On the contrary,they were madein a ratherfriendlyspirit.

Within two years,however,Sorelchangedinto an antisemite. It mustbe notedin this connection hatthischange s not dueto his abandonment fRevolutionarySyndicalism. In fact, he never renouncedthe Syndicalistideology. True, in 1910he became convincedthat the Syndicalistmove-ment had become corrupt,and consequentlybrokewith it. But he neverbrokewith the Syndicalist deology. Even later,afterhavingestablishedaclose relationshipwith the right nationalistcircles of Maurrasand theAction franqaise,he was not convertedto their ideology.35 He did notbecomea "traditionalist",36or,still less,a precursor f Fascism.37Yet,how-ever different romhisnew friendshe mayhaveremained,his new antisemi-tismdid notdiffermuchfromtheirs.

Sorelexpoundshis new standon the Jewishproblem n an apologyforUrbainGohier,who,afterhaving eft the Socialistmovement,obtainedsomenotorietyas an authorof numerousantisemiticwritings. LikeGohier,Sorelassertsthat Frenchmen.must defend their state, their customs,and theirideas,againstthe Jewish nvaderswho want to dominateeverything.38Healsoquotes,39ot without mpliedagreement,a passagefromDanielHalevy(a grandsonof Leon Halevy, the well-knownJewishcollaborator f Saint-Simon):"Antisemitisms a veryplausibleattitude,andto a certainextentaprudentone."40 And,indeed,in view of his new outlook,antisemitismmusthave been consideredby him as plausible and prudent. The Jews, henow asserts, have contributed powerfully to the maintaining of theWest in barbarism.41In their present struggle against the church, theyshowno less desperateeagerness hantheir ancestorswho filledthe courtofPilatewiththeirblood-thirsty lamoragainstJesus. They occupya promin-ent place in the world of demagogy,where, without any outlay of intelli-gence, it is easy to find good positions. Jewishagitatorsare exploitingfortheir own purposesthe anti-clericalism f the masses. The wealthy Jews35 See Dolleans, Edouard, "Le Visage de Georges Sorel," Revue d'histoire economiqueet so-ciale, vol. xxvi (1940-47) 97-112; and particularly Sorel's letter to Dolleans of October 13,1912,ibid., p. 106-07.36 Ibid.37 See Posse, E. H., in Archiv fur die Geschichtedes Sozialismus und der Arbeiterbewegung,vol. xv (1930) 161ff.38 Sorel, "UrbainGohier,"Independance (January 1, 1912) 320.39 Ibid.40 Luttes et problJmes (Paris 1911) 99.41 Sorel, "Quelquespretentionsjuives," Inde'pendance, ol. iii (1912) 234.



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FRENCHREVOLUTIONARYYNDICALISM 201encourage hem, in the belief that in difficult times those radical agitatorswill lead the masses o the rescueof the Jewishplutocracy. Jewishparvenus,devoured by their ostentatiousness,believe that money entitles them tolasciviousness, nd therefore ight against he churchandthe Christian ulesof behavior. Nearly all of them encourageobscene literature.42

No one among us would think of regarding the Jews as enemies of ourcountry, if they would consent to live as ordinary citizens, following any honor-able trade, performing their religious activities, and contributing to generalculture as much as possible; but unfortunately the Jewish intellectuals considerthemselves little Messiahs, and their nation thinks itself obliged to support themin their expeditions. In order to have the right to call themselves architects ofgreat transformations, the Jewish writers fight stubbornly against the spiritualheritage of the society into which they have been admitted by the accident ofmigration. Such undertakings can not fail to arouse justified anger. A peopleso abject that it would out of sheer wantonness sacrifice to the Jewish spoofers(ironistes juifs) the depository of its traditions, would obviously deserve to sufferthe worst catastrophes.43

The Jews, according o Sorel,show eagerness n conquering"socialcita-dels": the university,where French traditionshad been so well preserved,is now their property; hey are becoming preponderantn the army; theypatronizethe modernists,now so numerous n the church. Those who donot want to submit to theircontrolare vilified. All this causesa strong re-actionon the partof the French. The defenseof theircultureby men suchas Charles Maurras(and his Action fran!aise) may endangerindeed thepositionof the Jews if they themselvesdo not muzzle their own intellec-tuals.44

Fromall thathas been said Soreldrawsa practical essonfor the benefitof the Jews. They should realize the anti-Jewishcharacterof the recentchangeswhich had occurred n Frenchminds. They would act wisely ifthey limitedthemselves o peacefulmercantilepursuits, nstead of aspiringto leadhumanity o Messianicands.45

A biographerof Sorelmentionsin passingthat duringthe few yearswhichprecededWorldWarI hishero became"violentlyantisemitic."46He42 Ibid., p. 290-91.43 Sorel, "Quelquespretentionsjuives," ibid, p. 332-33.44 Ibid., p. 335-36. With his usual wit, Sorel mentions the two litterateurs by the name ofNatanson, "two Jews who came from Poland to regenerate our poor country so unhappilycontaminatedby Christiancivilization." "Aux temps dreyfusiens,"ibid., vol. iv (1912-13) 52.45 Ibid., p. 56. Sorel does not seem to have examined Zionism; in a passing remark (ibid.,p. 43), however, he considers its adherentsas fanatics.46 Pirou, GaRan,GeorgesSorel (Paris 1927) 50.



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202 JEWISH SOCIALSTUDIESalso recalls that in making a eulogy of Lenin, "Sorelelegantly reconcilesantisemitismand bolshevism,"47y crediting Lenin with the constructiveside of the CommunistRevolutionand by blamingthe Jews for its acts ofterrorism.48Whether or not this reconciliation s elegant is a question ofopinionandpersonal aste. But whetherelegant or not, it is of greatersig-nificance hat Sorel-the greattheoristof Revolutionary yndicalism-foundit possible at all to reconcilehis socialphilosophywith a rathervulgaranti-semitism.47 Ibid.48 Sorel, Re'flexionssur la violentce,4th ed. (Paris 1919) 450.

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