Émile Pouget
Encyclopedia
Émile Pouget was a French anarcho-communist, who adopted tactics close to those of anarcho-syndicalism
. He was vice-secretary of the General Confederation of Labour from 1901 to 1908.
As a young man, Pouget founded his first newspaper, Le Lycéen républicain (The Republican Student) at high-school, being revolted at the trial of the Narbonne
's Communards
in Rodez
.
He participated as soon as 1879, aged 19, at the creation of a textile union, the Syndicat des employés du textile. He then joined in 1881 a group of French anarchists at the London International Congress, following the dissolving of the First International.
Pouget was arrested on March 9, 1883, following a demonstration in Paris by unemployed people, during which three breadshops were pillaged. He was detained while trying to free Louise Michel
from the police's hands. Condemned to 8 years prison for "armed pillage", Pouget was detained from 1883 to 1886 at Melun
's prison.
Once freed, he started on 24 February 1889, the publication of Le Père Peinard. Following the 1894 assassination of President Sadi Carnot
and the ensuing repression in the ranks of the anarchist movement, he exiled himself to England in order to avoid being judged during the Trial of the thirty
. He returned to France only after the 1895 amnesty granted by president Félix Faure
.
Starting in 1896, he preconized sabotage
actions as means of struggle, a view expressed in various articles and leaflets. From 1901 to 1908 he was elected vice-secretary of the General Confederation of Labour
(CGT) trade-union, representing the anarcho-syndicalist tendency in the union. Pouget thereafter participated to the draft of the 1906 Charte d'Amiens, which set the foundations of the French trade-union movement. The following year, he became chief editor of La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People), edited by the CGT. But he finally took his distances with the trade-unionist movement starting in 1909.
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
. He was vice-secretary of the General Confederation of Labour from 1901 to 1908.
Biography
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Communards
Communards
The Communards were members and supporters of the short-lived 1871 Paris Commune formed in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War and France's defeat....
in Rodez
Rodez
Rodez is a town and commune in southern France, in the Aveyron department, of which it is the capital. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois.-History:Existing from at least the 5th century BC, Rodez was founded by the Celts...
.
He participated as soon as 1879, aged 19, at the creation of a textile union, the Syndicat des employés du textile. He then joined in 1881 a group of French anarchists at the London International Congress, following the dissolving of the First International.
Pouget was arrested on March 9, 1883, following a demonstration in Paris by unemployed people, during which three breadshops were pillaged. He was detained while trying to free Louise Michel
Louise Michel
Louise Michel was a French anarchist, school teacher and medical worker. She often used the pseudonym Clémence and was also known as the red virgin of Montmartre...
from the police's hands. Condemned to 8 years prison for "armed pillage", Pouget was detained from 1883 to 1886 at Melun
Melun
Melun is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Located in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, Melun is the capital of the department, as the seat of an arrondissement...
's prison.
Once freed, he started on 24 February 1889, the publication of Le Père Peinard. Following the 1894 assassination of President Sadi Carnot
Sadi Carnot
Sadi Carnot may refer to:*Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot , French physicist*Marie François Sadi Carnot , president of the third French Republic, and nephew of Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot...
and the ensuing repression in the ranks of the anarchist movement, he exiled himself to England in order to avoid being judged during the Trial of the thirty
Trial of the thirty
The Trial of the Thirty was a trial in 1894 in Paris, France, aimed at legitimizing the lois scélérates passed in 1893-1894 against the anarchist movement and restricting press freedom by proving the existence of an effective association between anarchists.Lasting from 6 August-31 October in 1894,...
. He returned to France only after the 1895 amnesty granted by president Félix Faure
Félix Faure
Félix François Faure was President of France from 1895 until his death.-Biography:Félix François Faure was born in Paris, the son of a small furniture maker...
.
Starting in 1896, he preconized sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
actions as means of struggle, a view expressed in various articles and leaflets. From 1901 to 1908 he was elected vice-secretary of the General Confederation of Labour
Confédération générale du travail
The General Confederation of Labour is a national trade union center, the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions.It is the largest in terms of votes , and second largest in terms of membership numbers.Its membership decreased to 650,000 members in 1995-96 The General...
(CGT) trade-union, representing the anarcho-syndicalist tendency in the union. Pouget thereafter participated to the draft of the 1906 Charte d'Amiens, which set the foundations of the French trade-union movement. The following year, he became chief editor of La Voix du Peuple (The Voice of the People), edited by the CGT. But he finally took his distances with the trade-unionist movement starting in 1909.
Works
- Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1894 read on-line
- Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1896 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k83576z
- Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1897 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k835779
- Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1898 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k83578n
- Comment nous ferons la Révolution, in collaboration with Émile Pataud, Paris, J. Taillandier, 1909 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k61660z
- L'action directe, Nancy, Édition du "Réveil ouvrier", coll. « Bibliothèque de documentation syndicale » http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k84028z
- La Confédération générale du travail, Bibliothèque du Mouvement Prolétarien, Librairie des sciences politiques et sociales Marcel Rivière, Paris, 1910 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k831071
- Le Parti du Travail
- Le Sabotage, Mille et une nuits, coll. « La petite collection », Paris, 2004 http://kropot.free.fr/Pouget-sabotage.htm
- Les Caractères de l'action directe
- Les lois scélératesLois scélératesThe lois scélérates — a pejorative name — are a set of French laws restricting the 1881 freedom of the press laws passed under the Third Republic , after several bombings and assassination attempts carried out by anarchist proponents of "propaganda of the deed".The first law was passed on December...
de 1893-1894, en collaboration avec Francis de Pressensé, Paris, Éditions de la "Revue blanche", 1899 http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k836767
Articles
- Barbarie française, Le Père Peinard, n°45, 12 janvier 1890
- Faramineuse consultation sur l'avenir, Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1896
- Jabotage entre bibi et un fiston, Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1894
- L'Automne, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1896
- L'été, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1897
- L'Hiver, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1897
- Le Muselage Universel, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1896
- Le Printemps, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1897
- Le Sabotage, Almanach du Père Peinard, Paris, 1898
- Les Lois Scélérates de 1893-1894, Éditions de la Revue blanche, 1899
- Patron assassin, Le Père Peinard, 4 juin 1893
- Pourquoi et comment Le Père Peinard s'est bombardé Journaleux, Almanach du Père Peinard, 1894
- Qu'on châtre la frocaille ! En attendant mieux, Le Monde libertaire, 31 janvier 2002
- Un cochon, Le Père Peinard, 10 août 1890