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Eugène Varlin (; 5 October 1839 – 28 May 1871) was a French
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
,
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
, communard and member of the
First International The International Workingmen's Association (IWA; 1864–1876), often called the First International, was a political international which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, social democratic, communist, and anarchist ...
. He was one of the pioneers of French
syndicalism Syndicalism is a labour movement within society that, through industrial unionism, seeks to unionize workers according to industry and advance their demands through Strike action, strikes and other forms of direct action, with the eventual goa ...
.


Biography


Early life and activism

Louis-Eugène Varlin was born at Claye-Souilly (
Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...
), into a poor peasant family. Apprenticed as a painter, he moved to Paris and became a bookbinder by profession. As a young man he read the writings of the anarchist social critic
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, ; ; 1809 – 19 January 1865) was a French anarchist, socialist, philosopher, and economist who founded mutualist philosophy and is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". He was the first person to ca ...
, which greatly influenced him. In 1857, Varlin participated in founding a bookbinders' mutual aid society, which became the nucleus of a bookbinders' trade union. Varlin was one of the principal organisers of the very first strike of the Parisian bookbinders in 1864. The strike was a success, so in 1865, the bookbinders repeated the exercise; this time the results were less encouraging. Varlin also founded the bookbinders' mutual savings and credit association, organised along Proudhonist lines. As a firm believer in the equality of the sexes, he promoted the anarchist and feminist Nathalie Lemel (1827–1921) to a leading position in the bank. Varlin led the bookbinders' union into the International Working Men's Association (the
First International The International Workingmen's Association (IWA; 1864–1876), often called the First International, was a political international which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, social democratic, communist, and anarchist ...
), founded in 1864. He was a delegate to the London congress of the International in 1865, to the Geneva congress in 1866, along with Lemel, and to the Basel congress in 1869. He was a defendant in the second and third trials of the French section of the International in 1869 and 1870. In the controversy between Proudhonists and Marxists in the International, Varlin took the side of the Proudhonists. He became a close friend and associate of leading Proudhonists, such as Henri Tolain and
Benoît Malon Benoît Malon (23 June 1841 – 13 September 1893), was a French Socialist, writer, communard, and political leader. Biography Malon came from a poor peasant family. An opportunity to escape the life of a rural labourer presented itself wh ...
. Varlin believed that the nascent trade unions should overcome their professional, local and national particularism and form a united international labour movement, dedicated, as the statutes of his bookbinders' union put it, "to the constant improvement of the conditions of existence of ... the workers of all professions and all countries, and to ringingworkers into possession of the instruments of their labour."''Statuts de la Société de solidarité des ouvriers relieurs de Paris.'' On 14 November 1869 Varlin helped found the Parisian Federation of Workers' Associations, a confederation of trade unions that became the nucleus of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), the main organisation of the syndicalist movement. Varlin was also active in a number of other projects. In 1867 he helped found a co-operative called ''La Ménagère''. In 1868 he co-founded ''La Marmite'', a co-operative restaurant, which remained in business until after the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
. He was involved in numerous strikes and helped organise branches of the First International at Lyon, Creusot and Lille. Trade unions were not fully legal, and the International was treated as a dangerous conspiracy, so Varlin was arrested numerous times. In 1870, he helped organise protests against the impending war between France and Prussia and co-authored the anti-war manifesto of the Parisian section of the International. In 1870 Varlin briefly fled to Belgium, fearing political persecution. He returned to Paris after the revolution of 4 September, which overthrew
Napoléon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. Although he had opposed the war, Varlin participated in the defence of Paris. He became commander of the 193rd battalion of the National Guard in Paris.


The Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune

The
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
went badly for Napoléon III; the Emperor was captured by the Germans and his government fell. Varlin became a member of the Republican Central Committee in Paris. He also became a member of the Central Committee of the National Guard. Varlin's involvement in the premature insurrection of 31 October 1870 caused the government of
Adolphe Thiers Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers ( ; ; 15 April 17973 September 1877) was a French statesman and historian who served as President of France from 1871 to 1873. He was the second elected president and the first of the Third French Republic. Thi ...
to revoke his command. Varlin also participated in the uprising on 22 January. During the siege of Paris by the Prussians, Varlin devoted himself to organising relief for the population; his care packages became known as 'Varlin's marmites' (named after his co-operative restaurant). Varlin also became secretary for the French section of the First International. In February 1871, Varlin ran unsuccessfully as a Socialist-Revolutionary candidate in the elections to the
National Assembly of France The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...
. On 18 March 1871 Varlin participated in storming the
Place Vendôme The Place Vendôme (), earlier known as the Place Louis-le-Grand, and also as the Place Internationale, is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madelein ...
. He was one of the authors of the Manifesto of the Parisian section of the International on 24 March. On 26 March he was elected by a landslide to the Council of the
Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...
, representing the sixth, twelfth and seventeenth ''arrondissements'' (districts). He became the Commune's commissioner of finance and was the Commune's point man on labour relations. Among the various political factions which participated in the Paris Commune, Varlin sided with the Proudhonists, belonging to the left wing of that group. However, his tireless energy and idealism made him a popular figure in many quarters. On 1 May Varlin sided with the minority which voted against creating a 'Committee of Public Safety', modelled on that of the French Revolution. On 5 May he became a member of the Commune's war commission. During the 'Bloody Week' he tried in vain to save the lives of several hostages shot by the Communards. Varlin participated actively in the fighting against the troops of the Versailles government and was in charge of the defence of the sixth and eleventh ''arrondissements''. When the Commune was suppressed, Varlin was captured, and taken to
Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...
, where, with other prisoners, he was shot. Several streets and schools in Paris, Brest and Lyon bear Eugène Varlin's name.


References


Sources

*Varlin, E., and P. Lejeune (ed)., ''Pratique militante & écrits d'un ouvrier communard.'' Maspero, 1977. *Noël, B. (ed.), ''Dictionnaire de la Commune.'' Flammarion, 1978. *Bruhat, J., ''Eugène Varlin: Militant ouvrier, révolutionnaire et communard.'' Paris, 1975. *Cordillot, M., ''Eugène Varlin: Chronique d'un espoir assassiné.'' Editions de l'Atelier, 1991. *Shafer, D.A., ''The Paris Commune: French politics, Culture, and Society at the Crossroads of the Revolutionary Tradition and Revolutionary Socialism.'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. *''The Great Soviet Encyclopedia''. Moscow, 1979. *http://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/EspacoAcademico/article/view/12645/6701 *http://www.revistas.ufg.br/index.php/historia/article/view/18143


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Varlin, Eugene 1839 births 1871 deaths Bookbinders Executed French people French socialists Members of the International Workingmen's Association Mutualists People from Claye-Souilly People from Seine-et-Marne Communards French anarchists Executed anarchists