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The Syndicalist Defense Committee (; CDS), also known as the Committee for the Defense of Revolutionary Syndicalism (; CDSR), was a French
anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...
trade union centre Organizers within trade unions have sought to increase the bargaining power of workers in regards to collective bargaining by acting in collaboration with other trade unions. Multi-union organizing can take place on an informal basis, or on a ...
of the United General Confederation of Labour (CGTU). The CDS was formed to oppose the influence of the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
(PCF), which quickly took over the leadership of the CGTU and brought it into the
Red International of Labour Unions The Red International of Labor Unions (, RILU), commonly known as the Profintern (), was an international body established by the Communist International (Comintern) with the aim of coordinating communist activities within trade unions. Formally ...
(RILU). Despite its conflict with the CGTU leadership, the CDS remained within the organisation, as it sought to preserve working class unity. While still within the CGTU, the CDS participated in the founding of the
International Workers' Association International Workers' Association may refer to: * International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA; 1864–1876), often called the First International, was a political international which aimed at unitin ...
(IWA), in which it called for a conciliatory stance towards the RILU. After the murder of two libertarian activists by a PCF member, the CDS broke away from the CGTU. In 1924, the CDS formed the short-lived Federative Union of Autonomous Trade Unions; and in 1926, they established the Revolutionary Syndicalist General Confederation of Labour (CGT-SR).


Background

When the
Red International of Labour Unions The Red International of Labor Unions (, RILU), commonly known as the Profintern (), was an international body established by the Communist International (Comintern) with the aim of coordinating communist activities within trade unions. Formally ...
(RILU) was established in July 1921, French syndicalists of the Revolutionary Syndicalist Committees (CSR) called for a congress to be held outside the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, so syndicalist organisations could freely debate the RILU's affiliation with the
Communist International The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internationa ...
(CI). The CSR itself rejected the subordination of French trade unions to the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
(PCF) and likewise the requirement for "reciprocal representation" between the RILU and the CI, although it didn't entirely reject collaboration between the two. The revolutionary syndicalists' opposition to these terms resulted in the strengthening of the libertarian faction, as the pro-communist faction of the CSR found itself disorientated by the break with Moscow. Despite frequent disagreements, the two opposition factions put forward a joint resolution to reaffirm the independence of trade unions from political parties. The CSR deferred its affiliation to the RILU until trade union independence was secured and called for an international trade union congress to debate the issue. By 1922, the divisions between the reformists and the revolutionaries within the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) had culminated in a split, as the CSR dedicated itself to establishing a new trade union centre. The revolutionary faction ultimately withdrew from the CGT and established the United General Confederation of Labour (; CGTU). The libertarians of the CSR initially dominated the leadership of the CGTU, which declared French syndicalism to be a definitively
revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...
and anti-statist movement, positioning it against all political parties and governments. The CGTU refused to affiliate itself with the RILU unless it remained completely independent from the nascent
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
(PCF) and the Communist International. In March 1922, the CGTU decided to send delegates to a planned international syndicalist conference in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, where syndicalist organisations would discuss the terms of affiliation with the RILU. The CGTU was represented at the Berlin conference by the libertarians Louis Lecoin and
Pierre Besnard Pierre Besnard (8 October 1886 – 19 February 1947) was a French anarcho-syndicalist. He was the co-founder and leader of the Confédération Générale du Travail-Syndicaliste Révolutionnaire (CGT-SR) and its successor the Confédérat ...
; they announced that they would abstain from the vote, as the CGTU had not yet held its inaugural St. Etienne Congress, which would decide its international policy. The conference's resolutions were protested by the RILU delegate Andrey Andreyev, who told the CGTU delegates that the RILU intended to organise French workers in spite of their opposition. Fearing this to be a declaration of intent to take over the CGTU, the French delegates requested that the conference not provoke the Russian government further, as it would put the libertarians of the CGTU in jeopardy. The CGTU delegates were the only ones that supported the continuation of negotiations with the RILU and proposed that alternative statutes for the international be drawn up. The conference ultimately resolved to establish a separate syndicalist international, but the CGTU's official position on the matter had not yet been decided. The French delegates themselves declared their intention to support the establishment of a syndicalist international at their inaugural congress.


Establishment

By the time of the Berlin syndicalist conference, the libertarian leadership of the CGTU was already being challenged by a growing communist faction, led by
Pierre Monatte Pierre Monatte (15 January 188127 June 1960) was a French trade unionist, a founder of the '' Confédération générale du travail'' (CGT, General Confederation of Labour) at the beginning of the 20th century, and founder of its journal '' La V ...
, which had recovered from its disorientation and prepared to take over the CGTU. As the RILU had so far only managed to secure the affiliation of small, minor unions, it focused its recruiting efforts on the CGTU, despite its concerns about the strong libertarian and anti-statist influence over the organisation. The Bolsheviks directed the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
(PCF) to rally support for the RILU within the CGTU by infiltrating its trade unions, attacking the libertarians in their publications and forming alliances with other pro-communist factions. Communists denounced the libertarians for taking over the leadership of the CSR, for their role in the Berlin conference and for their withdrawal of support for the Russian Revolution. accused the delegates to the Berlin conference of exceeding their mandate and deliberately sabotaging the affiliation with the RILU. At the St. Etienne congress of the CGTU, RILU general secretary
Solomon Lozovsky Solomon Abramovich Lozovsky (, family birth name: Dridzo , 1878–1952) was a prominent Communist and Bolshevik revolutionary, a high-ranking official in the Soviet government, including as a Presidium member of the All-Union Central Council of Tr ...
promised the organisation that affiliation between it and the PCF would not be mandatory and that its autonomy would be respected by the RILU. Two resolutions on international affiliation were put before the congress, one by the libertarian
Pierre Besnard Pierre Besnard (8 October 1886 – 19 February 1947) was a French anarcho-syndicalist. He was the co-founder and leader of the Confédération Générale du Travail-Syndicaliste Révolutionnaire (CGT-SR) and its successor the Confédérat ...
and the other by the communist
Gaston Monmousseau Gaston René Léon Monmousseau (17 January 1883 – 11 July 1960) was a French railway worker, trade union leader, politician and author, from a rural working-class background. He became an anarcho-syndicalist, then a communist, and played a leadi ...
: the former called for the creation of an independent trade union international, without any links to the Communist International; the latter advocated for the CGTU to affiliate with the RILU, provided its autonomy would be respected and no reciprocal representation required. With the support of the pro-communist faction, Monmousseau's motion was carried and the new political bureau of the CGTU was brought under the control of the ''
Vie Ouvrière Vie or VIE may refer to: * Vie, Oradea, a district of Oradea, a city in Romania *Vie (river), a river in western France *, another river in France and tributary of the Dives *Vie (cards), a term in card games * VIE, the IATA code for Vienna Inter ...
'' group, with the PCF declaring it a "brilliant victory for the party". Although the RILU agreed to drop the condition of "reciprocal representation" between the RILU and the CI, it insisted that communist parties would take a "leading role" in the unions affiliated with the RILU. Nevertheless, the leadership of the CGTU agreed to these terms and finalised its affiliation with the RILU. The
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
minority subsequently formed the Syndicalist Defense Committee (; CDS), which acted as an internal opposition within the CGTU, aiming to reassert libertarian control over the union. The CDS called for the complete independence of trade unions from political parties and expressed support for the establishment of a syndicalist international. The bureau of the RILU expressed hope that, in the interest of unity, the CDS would change its mind. Although RILU general secretary
Solomon Lozovsky Solomon Abramovich Lozovsky (, family birth name: Dridzo , 1878–1952) was a prominent Communist and Bolshevik revolutionary, a high-ranking official in the Soviet government, including as a Presidium member of the All-Union Central Council of Tr ...
publicly disregarded the CDS as an unimportant splinter group, in his private correspondence with Pierre Monatte, he called for the organisation to be destroyed "with fixed bayonets" and insisted that each issue of ''La Vie Ouvrière'' and ''L'Humanité'' carry hit pieces against it.


International relations

The CDS quickly established relations with other syndicalist organisations throughout Europe, including in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. In December 1922, delegates of the CDS, representing 100,000 workers, participated in the founding congress of the
International Workers' Association International Workers' Association may refer to: * International Workingmen's Association The International Workingmen's Association (IWA; 1864–1876), often called the First International, was a political international which aimed at unitin ...
(IWA). Representing the CDS were Pierre Besnard and Albert Lemoine, who were given consultative votes. While the majority of delegates present were ready to establish a syndicalist international, Besnard and Lemoine were reluctant to endorse this. Unlike the other organisations represented, the CDS was not an autonomous organisation; as an organised minority within the CGTU, it hoped to regain influence in the organisation rather than break off. Although they distrusted that the amendments to the RILU statutes had significantly changed its relationship with the CI, they requested that the assembly negotiate further with the RILU and proposed that any new syndicalist international work towards a
united front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...
with revolutionary unions affiliated with the RILU. Lemoine's proposal for further negotiations was met with widespread opposition from the conference. Ultimately, the resolution to establish an independent syndicalist international was passed unanimously, with the qualified support of the CDS. Besnard stated that while the CDS "attached itself morally" to the new international, it did so on the condition that the international seek a united front with all revolutionary organisations, including those not affiliated with it. The CDS delegates also proposed that the new secretariat of the IWA make one last attempt to come to an agreement with the RILU, and if the RILU rejected conciliation, that they then approach the RILU's affiliate unions. This proposal was vocally opposed by delegates from the
Argentine Regional Workers' Federation The Argentine Regional Workers' Federation (Spanish: ''Federación Obrera Regional Argentina''; abbreviated FORA), founded in , was Argentina's first national trade unions in Argentina, labor confederation. It split into two wings in 1915, the la ...
(FORA), which urged the CDS to stop seeking a diplomatic solution to the break with the RILU, which they believed would only undermine the syndicalist movement. Despite the FORA's opposition, most delegates at the congress sympathised with the position of the CDS and endorsed the proposal. The following month, the IWA reached out to the RILU to coordinate action against the
occupation of the Ruhr The occupation of the Ruhr () was the period from 11 January 1923 to 25 August 1925 when French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region of Weimar Republic Germany. The occupation of the heavily industrialized Ruhr district came in respons ...
. When the RILU Executive failed to respond, the IWA Bureau declared that the RILU had "automatically rejected" the CDS resolution for a diplomatic solution.


Conflict with the CGTU leadership

As the question of affiliation with either the RILU or IWA was raised, the CGTU entered into a protracted internal dispute over the issue. As the CDS advocated staunchly for working class unity and wanted to avoid another split in the labour movement, it requested that its members remain in the CGTU, despite disagreements on international affiliation. After Gaston Monmousseau had taken over the leadership of the CGTU, the French Communist Party had consolidated control over the organisation, which presented a challenge to attempts by the CDS to negotiate a solution. The PCF tightened relations between it and the CGTU, sought to exclude libertarians from union official positions and took over its publications. In May 1923, the CDS publicly condemned the consolidation of power by the PCF; the CDS was supported by the construction workers' union of the CGTU, which likewise rejected the PCF's entryist tactics. The conflict between the communists and the libertarians came to a head at the CGTU's congress in
Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...
, in November 1923. At the congress, the anarcho-syndicalist Marie Guillot spoke out against the communist takeover, which she said had subverted internal democracy and purged union members not aligned with the party. Pierre Besnard complained that the minority had been sidelined into mere dues-paying members, without decision-making power. He put forward a resolution that declared syndicalism to be a revolutionary movement to abolition both capitalism and the state, and which called for the CGTU to remain autonomous of political parties. But the CGTU majority rebuffed the minority's overtures, insisting that union autonomy was a
counterrevolutionary A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution has occurred, in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "c ...
proposal and dismissing the CDS leadership as "enemies of the working class". The majority passed a resolution that sanctioned collaboration between the PCF and CGTU, and revoked the minority's
freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
by denying them the right to speak at union assemblies. An appeal from the IWA, passed on by Besnard, for the CGTU to reject communist party control, but it was unsuccessful in eliciting further support. The Bourges congress ultimately proved to be a victory for the communist faction; although the CDS criticised the decisions of the congress, it nevertheless affirmed its allegiance to the CGTU, maintaining its desire to preserve working class unity. In December 1923, the first IWA conference in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
criticised the CDS for its conciliatory approach towards the communists, which it considered indecisive and lacking in "ideological clarity". Over the following year, the libertarian minority began to align with the view of their international counterparts and came to consider their desire for working class unity to be untenable. On 11 January 1924, communists murdered two libertarian members of the CGTU in Paris. The CGTU leadership refused to censure the communists for the murders, while the RILU alleged that the CDS itself had been responsible, despite an internal inquiry finding that the murderer had been a member of the PCF. The murders caused a further breakdown in relations between the libertarian minority and the communist majority, which respectively attacked each other in communications and attempted to seize control of each other's organisational structures. The minority called a conference to decide how to respond: either they reunite with the CGT, despite its turn towards reformism; they join with other independent unions that remained outside of both the CGT and CGTU, despite their lack of organisational cohesion; or they found their own organisation, which Besnard proposed would be a "third CGT". Before the conference had a chance to be held, the construction workers' union of the Seine broke away from the CGTU.


Split

In November 1924, the minority syndicalist conference was held, bringing together CGTU dissidents and representatives of independent trade unions. They established the Federative Union of Autonomous Trade Unions (; UFSA), which they intended to be a provisional organisation to link together unions outside of the CGT and CGTU. Besnard hoped that the UFSA would encourage defections from disillusioned members of both organisations, which in turn could compel their leaderships to reunite the syndicalist movement around
anti-political Anti-politics is a term used to describe opposition to, or distrust in, traditional politics. It is closely connected with anti-establishment sentiment and public disengagement from formal politics. Anti-politics can indicate practices and ac ...
principles. However, neither the CGTU nor the CGT lost a substantial amount of members, while the UFSA itself steadily declined in influence. By 1926, the collapse of the UFSA had prompted its leading members to reassess their strategy. They began publishing the monthly periodical ''La Voix du Travail'', which provided them a means to propagate their views and regroup their forces. The UFSA leadership no longer considered working class unity in France to be a possibility, as their opponents had already broken working class unity in order to consolidate their own power. They also considered the informal structure of the UFSA to have been a reason for its downfall, as it had hindered the united action required of a trade union federation. To solve the minority syndicalists' organisational crisis, Lucien Huart called for the creation of a third
national trade union centre Organizers within trade unions have sought to increase the bargaining power of workers in regards to collective bargaining by acting in collaboration with other trade unions. Multi-union organizing can take place on an informal basis, or on a ...
. In November 1926, at a congress in
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, the Revolutionary Syndicalist General Confederation of Labour (; CGT-SR) was established, bringing together eighty independent unions. The CGTU became the IWA's French affiliate.


Notes


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

* * {{refend 1922 establishments in France 1926 disestablishments in France National trade union centers of France Syndicalist trade unions Trade unions established in 1922 Trade unions disestablished in 1926