Action Française: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=NovemberJanuary 20222024}}

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| quote = ... fascist Italy ... developed a state structure known as the corporate state with the ruling party acting as a mediator between 'corporations' making up the body of the nation. Similar designs were quite popular elsewhere in the 1930s. The most prominent examples were ''Estado Novo'' in Portugal (1932–1968) and Brazil (1937–1945), the Austrian ''Standestaat'' (1933–1938), and authoritarian experiments in Estonia, Romania, and some other countries of East and East-Central Europe,

| website = {{URL|https://www.actionfrancaise.net/|actionfrancaise.net}}

The movement and the journal were founded by [[Maurice Pujo]] and [[Henri Vaugeois]] in 1899, as a [[nationalist]] reaction against the intervention of left-wing intellectuals on behalf of [[Alfred Dreyfus]]. [[Charles Maurras]] quickly joined ''Action française'' and became its principal ideologist. Under the influence of Maurras, ''Action française'' became [[royalist]], [[counter-revolutionary]] (objecting to the legacy of the [[French Revolution]]), [[Anti-parliamentarianism|anti-parliamentary]] and [[DecentralizationDecentralisation|pro-decentralizationdecentralisation]], espousing [[corporatism]], [[integralism]] and [[Catholicism]].

Shortly after it was created, ''Action française'' tried to influence public opinion by turning its journal into a daily newspaper and by setting up other organizations. It was at its most prominent during the 1899&ndash;1914 period. In the inter-war period, the movement still enjoyed some prestige from support among conservative elites, but its popularity gradually declined as a result of the rise of [[fascism]] and of a rupture in its relations with the [[Catholic Church]]. During the [[World War II|Second World War]], ''Action française'' supported the [[Vichy France|Vichy Regime]] and Marshal [[Philippe Pétain]]. After the fall of Vichy, its newspaper was banned and Maurras was sentenced to life imprisonment. The movement nevertheless continued in new publications and political associations, although with fading relevance as monarchism lost popularity, and French far-right movements shifted toward an emphasis on Catholic values and defense of classical French culture. It is seen by some as one progenitor of the current [[National Rally]] political party.{{sfn|DeClair|1999|pp=13–17}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pmwYAAAAIAAJ|title=Political parties of the world|first=Alan John|last=Day|publisher=University of Michigan |year=2002 |page=193 |isbn=978-0-9536278-7-5}}</ref> In 2023, the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) released a report in which it classified the modern-day Action Française as an "antisemitic" and "religious nationalist" group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GPAHE report: Far-Right Hate and Extremist Groups in Australia |url=https://globalextremism.org/france/ |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=Global Project Against Hate and Extremism |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=News |url=https://globalextremism.org/news/ |access-date=2023-04-07 |website=Global Project Against Hate and Extremism |language=en-US}}</ref>

The ideology of ''Action française'' was dominated by [[Maurrassisme|the precepts]] of [[Charles Maurras]], following his adherence and his conversion of the movement's founders to [[royalist|royalism]]. The movement supported a restoration of the [[House of Orléans|House of Bourbon-Orléans]] and, after the [[1905 French law on the separation of Church and State|1905 law on the separation of Church and State]], the restoration of [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] as the state religion, all as rallying points in distinction to the [[Third Republic of France]] which was considered corrupt and atheistic by many of its opponents.

The movement advocated decentralizationdecentralisation (a "[[federal monarchy]]"), with the restoration of pre-[[French Revolution|Revolutionary]] liberties to the ancient provinces of France (replaced during the Revolution by the [[département in France|departmental system]]). It aimed to achieve a restoration by means of a ''[[coup d'état]]'', probably involving a transitional authoritarian government.

In 1899, [[Maurice Pujo]] and [[Henri Vaugeois]] left the nationalist mouvementmovement ''[[Ligue de la Patrie française]]'' and established a new movement, called ''Action française'', and a new journal, ''Revue de l'Action française''. This was their [[nationalist]] reaction against the intervention of left-wing intellectuals on the behalf of [[Alfred Dreyfus]].<ref name="Rémond 2006 8">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Rémond |first=René |editor=Lawrence D. Kritzman |encyclopedia=The Columbia History of Twentieth-Century French Thought |title=Action française |year=2006 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=978-0-231-10790-7 |page=8 |author-link=René Rémond}}</ref>

In its early years, ''Action française'' tried to influence public opinion and to spread its ideas. For example, it created related organizationsorganisations, such as student groups.<ref name="Judaken 2005 1" /> The political organizationorganisation of the movement, the Ligue d'Action Française, was launched in the spring of 1905, as was the Action Française Federation of Students, directed by [[Lucien Moreau]].<ref>{{citation|title=Les débuts de l'Action française (1899–1914) ou l'élaboration d'un nationalisme antisémite|language=fr|last=Joly |first=Laurent |journal=Revue Historique |volume=308|issue=3 (639) |date=July 2006|page=701|publisher=Presses Universitaires de France|jstor=40957800}}</ref> ''L'Institut d'Action française'' was created in 1906 as an alternative institute for higher education.<ref name="Judaken 2005 1">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Judaken |first=Jonathan |editor=Richard S. Levy |encyclopedia=Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution |title=Action française |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=[[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], California, United States of America |isbn=978-1-85109-439-4 |page=1}}</ref> In 1908 the movement's periodical was turned to a daily newspaper, called simply ''Action française''.<ref name="Rémond 2006 8" /> [[Camelots du Roi]], the movement's youth wing, was created in the same year to sell the newspaper in the streets. Its members also served as a paramilitary wing, providing security for meetings and engaging in street violence with political opponents. The newspaper's literary quality and polemical vigor attracted readers and made Maurras and the movement significant figures in French politics. By 1914, ''Action française'' was the best structured and the most vital nationalist movement in France.<ref name="Judaken 2005 1" />

Several of Maurras's writings were placed on the ''[[Index Librorum Prohibitorum]]'' at the same time, on 9 January 1927, with ''Action française'' being the first newspaper ever placed on the Catholic Church's list of banned books.<ref>{{cite news|title=Holy See Bans French Paper|newspaper=[[Salt Lake Tribune]]|date=January 10, January 1927|page=1}}</ref> This was a devastating blow to the movement. On 8 March 1927, AF members were prohibited from receiving the [[sacraments]]. Many of its members left (two Catholics who were forced to look for a different path in politics and life were writers [[François Mauriac]] and [[Georges Bernanos]]); and it entered a period of decline.

In 1939, following the [[Spanish Civil War]] and a revival of [[anti-communism]] in the Catholic Church, [[Pope Pius XII]] decided to end the condemnation.<ref>Arnal, Oscar L., ''Ambivalent Alliance: The Catholic Church and the Action Française, 1899-1939'', pp.174-75 (Pittsburgh: [[University of Pittsburgh Press]], 1985).</ref> Thereafter, ''Action française'' claimed that the condemnation had been declared for political purposes.

Despite the 1926 Papal condemnation, ''Action française'' remained popular during the interwar period, being one of the most important far-right leagues, along with the ''[[Croix-de-Feu]]'' and others. As increasing numbers of people in France (as in Europe as a whole) turned to authoritarian political movements, many turned to ''Action française''. It thus continued to recruit members from the new generations, such as [[Robert Brasillach]] (who would become a [[collaborationismCollaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy|collaborationist]]), the novelist and former deputy and ambassador [[Pierre Benoit (novelist)|Pierre Benoist]], [[Thierry Maulnier]], and [[Lucien Rebatet]]. It was marginally represented for a time in the [[Chamber of Deputies]], particularly by Léon Daudet, elected in the right-wing ''[[Chambre bleue horizon]]'' (1919–1924).

{{Conservatism in France|IdeologiesOrganisations}}

''Action française'' has 3,000 adherents in 2018, grew fromby 18% in 2017 and 53% between 2013 and 2018. The movement stands for a traditional, hereditary, [[Anti-parliamentarianism|anti-parliamentary]] and [[Decentralization|decentralized]] monarchy and is strongly anti-[[European Union]]. The organization sees itself as a thinktank and not a political party. The movement presents ideas to answer to all issues regarding national interest such as sovereignty, ecology, and globalization.<ref name=lepoint>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/politique/a-l-ultra-droite-l-action-francaise-entre-souvenir-de-maurras-et-actions-coup-de-poing-21-06-2018-2229302_20.php|title = A l'ultra-droite, l'Action française entre souvenir de Maurras et "actions coup de poing"|date = 21 June 2018}}</ref>

Politically, Action Française remains a royalist, nationalist, and counter-revolutionary movement. Its objective is to restore "a sovereign state fully exercising its regalian functions" in France through the establishment of a decentralizeddecentralised and representative monarchy that guarantees the "just exercise of lasting power". Politically, the movement advocates the establishment of a monarchy "adapted to our times that is not a return to an ancient order but a serious response to current issues" with the Orleans family at its head. The movement also supports the idea of a "royalist compromise around the monarchy".<ref name=lepoint/>

* AF is opposed to the European Union, which it describes as unitary and utopian in spirit. Thus, in its words, "the EU would have put in place a centralizingcentralising federalist system", a transfer of sovereignty of nations to European bodies.

* Arguing that the family is the foundation of the nation and that there can only be marriage between one man and one woman, AF participated in 2012 and 2013 in ''[[La Manif pour tous]]'' and the Printemps français against the legalizationlegalisation of same-sex marriage, adoption of children by homosexuals, [[surrogate motherhood]], and medically-assisted procreation.

===OrganizationOrganisation===

The students of the movement have organizedorganised a summer university called "camp Maxime-Real del Sarte" since 1953, gathering approximately 200 activists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/155099/politique-royalistes-roi-france|title = Qui espère encore en France le rétablissement de la monarchie?|date = 13 December 2017}}</ref>

''Action française'' is active on the Internet and is followed by 1131,000 accounts on Twitter and 2427,000 people on Facebook. The movement uses [[YouTube]] videos and memes to spread its ideas.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2018/02/21/youtubeurs-memes-et-tweets-cinglants-la-feroce-bataille-des-royalistes-sur-internet_5260231_4408996.html|title=Youtubeurs, " mèmes " et Tweet cinglants… la féroce bataille des royalistes sur Internet|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=21 February 2018}}</ref>

In the books ''[[Neither Right nor Left]]''<ref>{{cite book|last=Sternhell|first=Zeev|title=Neither Right Nor Left: Fascist Ideology in France|year=1996|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|location=[[Princeton, New Jersey|Princeton]], New Jersey|isbn=0-691-00629-6|edition=First Princeton Paperback printing|author-link=Zeev Sternhell}}</ref> and ''The Birth of Fascist Ideology'',<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sternhell|first1=Zeev|author-link1=Zeev Sternhell|last2=Sznajder|first2=Mario|last3=Ashéri|first3=Maia|title=The birth of fascist ideology: from cultural rebellion to political revolution|url=https://archive.org/details/birthoffascistid00ster|url-access=registration|publisher=[[Princeton University Press]]|edition=Third printing, and first paperback printing|year= 1995|location=Princeton, New Jersey|isbn=0-691-03289-0}}</ref> [[Zeev Sternhell]] claimed that ''Action française'' influenced [[national syndicalism]] and, consequently, [[fascism]].

Although it supported the [[Orléanist]] branch, according to historian [[René Rémond]]'s categorization of French [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] familiesgroups, itAF would be closer to the [[legitimist]] branch, characterized by a complete rejection of all changes to France since the 1789 [[French Revolution]]. According to Rémond, supporters of the Orléanist branch tended to favour [[economic liberalism]].

*[[Eugen Weber|Weber, Eugen]] (1962). ''Action Française; Royalism And Reaction In Twentieth-Century France.'', Stanford, California, Stanford University Press, 1962.

[[Category:Organizations that oppose LGBT rights in Europe]]