Léon Daudet
Encyclopedia
Léon Daudet was a French journalist, writer, an active monarchist
, and a member of the Académie Goncourt
.
and his younger brother, Lucien Daudet
, would also become an artist. Léon Daudet married Jeanne Hugo, the granddaughter of Victor Hugo
, in 1891 and thus entered into the higher social and intellectual circles of the French Third Republic
. He divorced his wife in 1895 and became a vocal critic of the Republic, the Dreyfusard
camp, and of democracy in general.
Together with Charles Maurras
(who remained a lifelong friend), he co-founded (1907) and was an editor of the nationalist, integralist
periodical Action Française
. A deputy
from 1919 to 1924, he failed to win election as a senator
in 1927 – despite having gained prominence as the voice of the far right. When Maurras was released from prison after serving a sentence for verbally attacking Prime Minister Leon Blum, Daudet (according to Robert Paxton
's book Vichy France and the Jews, 1995, p. 250), joined other far-right-wing leaders Xavier Vallat
, Darquier de Pellepoix, and Philippe Henriot
to welcome him in the Vel d'Hiv in July 1937.
activists in what he believed to be a murder, and lost a lawsuit for defamation brought against him by the driver of the taxi in which Philippe's body was found. Condemned to five months in prison, Daudet fled and was exiled in Belgium
, receiving a pardon
in 1930. In 1934, during the Stavisky Affair
, he was to denounce Prime Minister Camille Chautemps
, calling him the "leader of a gang of robbers and assassins". He also showed particular detestation for the subsequent Prime Minister Léon Blum
, candidate of a coalition of socialists and other parties of the left.
A supporter of the Vichy administration
headed by Marshal Pétain
, Léon Daudet died in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
.
Monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
, and a member of the Académie Goncourt
Académie Goncourt
The Société littéraire des Goncourt , usually called the académie Goncourt , is a French literary organization based in Paris. It was founded by the French writer and publisher Edmond de Goncourt...
.
Move to the right
Daudet was born in Paris. His father was the novelist Alphonse DaudetAlphonse Daudet
Alphonse Daudet was a French novelist. He was the father of Léon Daudet and Lucien Daudet.- Early life :Alphonse Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the bourgeoisie. The father, Vincent Daudet, was a silk manufacturer — a man dogged through life by misfortune...
and his younger brother, Lucien Daudet
Lucien Daudet
Lucien Daudet was a French writer, the son of Alphonse Daudet. Although a prolific novelist and painter, he was never really able to trump his father's greater reputation and is now primarily remembered for his ties to fellow novelist Marcel Proust...
, would also become an artist. Léon Daudet married Jeanne Hugo, the granddaughter of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
, in 1891 and thus entered into the higher social and intellectual circles of the French Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
. He divorced his wife in 1895 and became a vocal critic of the Republic, the Dreyfusard
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
camp, and of democracy in general.
Together with Charles Maurras
Charles Maurras
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras was a French author, poet, and critic. He was a leader and principal thinker of Action Française, a political movement that was monarchist, anti-parliamentarist, and counter-revolutionary. Maurras' ideas greatly influenced National Catholicism and "nationalisme...
(who remained a lifelong friend), he co-founded (1907) and was an editor of the nationalist, integralist
Integralism
Integralism, or Integral nationalism, is an ideology according to which a nation is an organic unity. Integralism defends social differentiation and hierarchy with co-operation between social classes, transcending conflict between social and economic groups...
periodical Action Française
Action Française
The Action Française , founded in 1898, is a French Monarchist counter-revolutionary movement and periodical founded by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois and whose principal ideologist was Charles Maurras...
. A deputy
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
from 1919 to 1924, he failed to win election as a senator
French Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president.The Senate enjoys less prominence than the lower house, the directly elected National Assembly; debates in the Senate tend to be less tense and generally enjoy less media coverage.-History:France's first...
in 1927 – despite having gained prominence as the voice of the far right. When Maurras was released from prison after serving a sentence for verbally attacking Prime Minister Leon Blum, Daudet (according to Robert Paxton
Robert Paxton
Robert O. Paxton is an American political scientist and historian specializing in Vichy France, fascism and Europe during the World War II era...
's book Vichy France and the Jews, 1995, p. 250), joined other far-right-wing leaders Xavier Vallat
Xavier Vallat
Xavier Vallat , French politician, was Commissioner-General for Jewish Questions in the wartime Vichy collaborationist government, and was sentenced after World War II to ten years in prison for his part in the persecution of French Jews.- Until World War II :Vallat was born in the department of...
, Darquier de Pellepoix, and Philippe Henriot
Philippe Henriot
Philippe Henriot was a French politician.Moving to the far right after beginnings in Roman Catholic conservatism in the Republican Federation, Henriot was elected to the Third Republic's Chamber of Deputies for the Gironde département in 1932 and 1936...
to welcome him in the Vel d'Hiv in July 1937.
Scandals and later life
When his son Philippe died in mysterious circumstances in 1923, Daudet accused the republican authorities of complicity with anarchistAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
activists in what he believed to be a murder, and lost a lawsuit for defamation brought against him by the driver of the taxi in which Philippe's body was found. Condemned to five months in prison, Daudet fled and was exiled in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, receiving a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
in 1930. In 1934, during the Stavisky Affair
Stavisky Affair
The Stavisky Affair was a 1934 financial scandal generated by the actions of embezzler Alexandre Stavisky. It had political ramifications for the French Radical Socialist moderate government of the day...
, he was to denounce Prime Minister Camille Chautemps
Camille Chautemps
Camille Chautemps was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic, three times President of the Council .-Career:Described as "intellectually bereft", Chautemps nevertheless entered politics and became Mayor of Tours in 1912, and a Radical deputy in 1919...
, calling him the "leader of a gang of robbers and assassins". He also showed particular detestation for the subsequent Prime Minister Léon Blum
Léon Blum
André Léon Blum was a French politician, usually identified with the moderate left, and three times the Prime Minister of France.-First political experiences:...
, candidate of a coalition of socialists and other parties of the left.
A supporter of the Vichy administration
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
headed by Marshal Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
, Léon Daudet died in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:...
.
Works
- A biography of his father
- Several novels
- Souvenirs des milieux littéraires, politiques, artistiques et médicaux (6 vol., 1914–21, tr. of selections, Memoirs of Léon Daudet, 1925)
- Le Voyage de Shakespeare (1927)
Further reading
- Kershaw, Alister, An Introduction to Léon Daudet, with Selections from His Writings, Typographeum Press (Francestown, New Hampshire), 1988. ISBN 0930126238.
- Weber, Eugen, Action Française: Royalism and Reaction in Twentieth-Century France, Stanford University Press (Palo Alto, California), 1962. ISBN 0804701342.
External links
- http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=mediatype%3A%28texts%29%20-contributor%3Agutenberg%20AND%20%28subject%3A%22Daudet%2C%20L%C3%A9on%201867-1942%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Daudet%2C%20L%C3%A9on%2C%201867-1942%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22L%C3%A9on%20Daudet%22%20OR%20title%3A%22L%C3%A9on%20Daudet%22%20OR%20description%3A%22L%C3%A9on%20Daudet%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Daudet%2C%20Leon%201867-1942%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Daudet%2C%20Leon%2C%201867-1942%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Leon%20Daudet%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Leon%20Daudet%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Leon%20Daudet%22%29Works by or about Léon Daudet] at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions)