Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party
Encyclopedia
The Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party , initially the Opposition Communist Party of Alsace-Lorraine ( abbreviated KPO), was a political party
in Alsace
-Lorraine
. The party was led by Jean-Pierre Mourer and Charles Hueber. The party was founded in late October 1929. The party was a member of the International Communist Opposition, but was expelled from the organization in 1934 and gradually moved towards pro-Nazi positions.
(PCF). The split had been preceded by an unorthodox coalition
in the Strasbourg municipal elections of May 1929
, in which local communists had formed an alliance with clerical and autonomist forces. In a June 1929 municipal by-election, the group around Charles Hueber supported a right-wing autonomist candidate against an official PCF candidate. The Strasbourg communists had also revived the newspaper Die Neue Welt
(which had been closed down in 1923), as an alternative to l'Humanité d'Alsace-Lorraine
. The expulsions from PCF came two weeks after the launch of Die Neue Welt.
In October 1929 the expelled group around Hueber and Mourer founded the Opposition Communist Party. The new party counted with, at the time of its foundation, the mayor of Strasbourg
(Charles Hueber) and were supported by the majority in the city municipal council. Jean-Pierre Mourer represented the party in the French National Assembly
, and was re-elected to the National Assembly in 1932 and 1936.
The party had a conflictive relationship with PCF, and PCF often disrupted KPO meetings.
with 'Frenchification' by the French state in Alsace. KPO also criticized German Nazism. However, during the period of 1933-1936 the group around Hueber gradually moved towards pro-Nazi positions.
After the Machtübernahme in Germany, refugees belonging to the Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) (KPDO) began arriving in Alsace. The Alsatian KPO solidarized itself with the German KPDO refugees, and aided them to find jobs. Even after the KPDO foreign committee had shifted from Strasbourg to Paris
, many KPDO cadres remained in Alsace and became active members of the Alsatian KPO. The editorial line of Die Neue Welt was clearly marked by the influence of KPDO refugees, who promoted more clearly anti-fascist
positions. The positions of the refugees eventually clashed with the autonomist aspirations of Alsatian cadres, leading to a split in 1934. The party expelled the refugee group, and the refugee group retaliated by expelling the party from the International Communist Opposition.
In September 1935 the name 'Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party' was adopted. With the change of name, autononism was confirmed as the primary ideological position of the party. During this period, Die Neue Welt was frequently quoted in German media, as expressing the feelings of the Alsatian people.
Die Neue Welt and Elsass-Lothringissche Zeitung (the organ of the Landespartei
) were merged in April 1939. In July 1939, the party merged with the Autonomist Landespartei.
. Membership would decline from then onwards, and by 1935 only a few hundred members remained.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
-Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
. The party was led by Jean-Pierre Mourer and Charles Hueber. The party was founded in late October 1929. The party was a member of the International Communist Opposition, but was expelled from the organization in 1934 and gradually moved towards pro-Nazi positions.
Split from PCF
The party emerged out of a split in the Alsatian federation of the French Communist PartyFrench Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
(PCF). The split had been preceded by an unorthodox coalition
Volksfront (Alsace)
Volksfront was a political coalition in Alsace, France. Volksfront was formed in 1928 by the Popular Republican Union , a group of communists led by Charles Hueber, Progressives led by Dahlet and the Landespartei...
in the Strasbourg municipal elections of May 1929
Strasbourg municipal election, 1929
Elections to the municipal council of Strasbourg, France were held in May 1929. The elected council would serve for a six-year mandate period. The election saw the autonomist coalition Volksfront defeat an anti-clericalist and assimilationist coalition of the incumbent socialist mayor Jacques...
, in which local communists had formed an alliance with clerical and autonomist forces. In a June 1929 municipal by-election, the group around Charles Hueber supported a right-wing autonomist candidate against an official PCF candidate. The Strasbourg communists had also revived the newspaper Die Neue Welt
Die Neue Welt
Die Neue Welt was a newspaper issued from Alsace, France. It was founded in the end of January 1921 by Charles Hueber, a local leader of the French Communist Party in Alsace...
(which had been closed down in 1923), as an alternative to l'Humanité d'Alsace-Lorraine
L'Humanité
L'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
. The expulsions from PCF came two weeks after the launch of Die Neue Welt.
In October 1929 the expelled group around Hueber and Mourer founded the Opposition Communist Party. The new party counted with, at the time of its foundation, the mayor of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
(Charles Hueber) and were supported by the majority in the city municipal council. Jean-Pierre Mourer represented the party in the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
, and was re-elected to the National Assembly in 1932 and 1936.
The party had a conflictive relationship with PCF, and PCF often disrupted KPO meetings.
Rise of fascism
For the Alsatian KPO, the rise of fascism in Europe would complicate its political development. The party conceptualized fascism as largely synynimous to centralism, and compared the 'Italization' of South TyrolSouth Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
with 'Frenchification' by the French state in Alsace. KPO also criticized German Nazism. However, during the period of 1933-1936 the group around Hueber gradually moved towards pro-Nazi positions.
After the Machtübernahme in Germany, refugees belonging to the Communist Party of Germany (Opposition) (KPDO) began arriving in Alsace. The Alsatian KPO solidarized itself with the German KPDO refugees, and aided them to find jobs. Even after the KPDO foreign committee had shifted from Strasbourg to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, many KPDO cadres remained in Alsace and became active members of the Alsatian KPO. The editorial line of Die Neue Welt was clearly marked by the influence of KPDO refugees, who promoted more clearly anti-fascist
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
positions. The positions of the refugees eventually clashed with the autonomist aspirations of Alsatian cadres, leading to a split in 1934. The party expelled the refugee group, and the refugee group retaliated by expelling the party from the International Communist Opposition.
In September 1935 the name 'Alsatian Workers and Peasants Party' was adopted. With the change of name, autononism was confirmed as the primary ideological position of the party. During this period, Die Neue Welt was frequently quoted in German media, as expressing the feelings of the Alsatian people.
Die Neue Welt and Elsass-Lothringissche Zeitung (the organ of the Landespartei
Independent Regional Party for Alsace-Lorraine
The Independent Regional Party for Alsace-Lorraine was a political party in Alsace, France. The party was founded by a group of key supporters of the publication Die Zukunft...
) were merged in April 1939. In July 1939, the party merged with the Autonomist Landespartei.
Membership
As of 1932, the party had around 1,300 members, primarily concentrated in Bas-RhinBas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
. Membership would decline from then onwards, and by 1935 only a few hundred members remained.