Faisceau

Le Faisceau was a small fascist party in the French Third Republic . The organization existed from 1925 to 1928 and was the first party outside Italy to expressly commit to fascism .

history

The young nationalist Georges Valois left France's leading right-wing extremist party, Action française , in 1925 because it seemed too reactionary to him. Instead, with Faisceau , he wanted to create a national revolutionary force that would also be able to mobilize the working class . Valois' slogan was: "Nationalism plus socialism equals fascism". The majority of his followers, however, came from the middle class .

Initially, the new organization dedicated to the first French party to was Italian fascism summoned as a model, in the wake of the victory of the French left in 1924, a considerable increase in membership and thus a certain political significance gain. Wealthy businessmen began sponsoring Faisceau . However, it did not succeed in establishing itself in the left-wing working class, and in the right-wing camp the much larger Action française began resolutely against the new, revolutionary-minded competition. There were also tangible disputes between the respective party militias . In 1928, the Faisceau disbanded after the financial support from business circles ceased. Its founder, Georges Valois , turned politically to the left and joined the Resistance during World War II .

literature

• Stanley Payne: History of Fascism. The rise and fall of a European movement. London 1995.