Breton Autonomist Party
Encyclopedia
The Breton Autonomist Party (Parti Autonomiste Breton, or PAB) was a political party which existed in Brittany from 1927 to 1931
in Rosporden
on September 1927. It followed from establishment of the Unvaniez Yaouankiz Vreiz (UYV: Union of Breton Youth). The steering committee comprised Olier Mordrel
, Morvan Marchal
and Maurice Duhamel
. At Quimper, following the congress, representatives of Brittany, Alsace-Lorraine
and Corsica
signed the founding charter of Central Committee of the National Minorities of France. The guests were the Alsatian separatists, Paul Schall and Hermann Bickler, the Corsican separatist Petru Rocca, the Flemish Franz Wielders, and, more discreetly, Hans-Otto Wagner, the German representative who established links between the Breton movement and the Abwehr
.
and attempted to steer the party to establish links to wider French politics, particularly with the French left. Having more political experience than the other leaders, he guided the PAB to a broadly leftist and federalist position with the intention to forge an alliance with the French Communist Party
, which, under the leadership of Marcel Cachin
, supported the struggles of national minorities in France up until 1932.
In August 1928, at the second party congress, in Châteaulin
, a statement was drafted which proclaimed that Brittany has all "the characteristics of a nationality to meet the modern definitions", and that the Breton people should have "the right to self-determination".
In 1929 Duhamel wrote the PAB's manifesto, The Question of Brittany in its European Framework.
constituency, but he only secured 376 votes. Their candidate in Rennes
received 81 votes out of 16084. The PAB's complete failure to gain electoral success in addition the cost of the campaigns had ruined its finances. Moreover, it was unable to compete with the Catholic regionalist party Adsao. François Debeauvais
proposed the creation of a weekly newspaper entitled Le Peuple Breton to improve the party's public profile, but it could not be published for lack of funding.
. The federalists (Morvan Marchal
, Yann-Morvan Gefflot, Goulven Mazéas, René-Yves Creston
, Le Men, Abeozen
) went on to create the Breton Federalist League
whose new journal was Federal Brittany.
Breiz Atao was briefly replaced by the journal War Zao, run by the nationalist faction in Trégor
, Goëlo and Haute-Cornouaille
, which called for a return to nationalism without excluding separatism. The nationalists went on to create the Breton National Party
at the Congress of Guingamp
in August 1931, reviving Breiz Atao as their party's paper.
Origin
The party was created at the first congress of the nationalist journal Breiz AtaoBreiz Atao
Breiz Atao , was a Breton nationalist journal in the mid-twentieth century. The term is also used for the broader movement associated with the journal's political position....
in Rosporden
Rosporden
Rosporden is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.The small city specializes in the manufacture of "chouchen," a version of mead native to Bretagne, and is known as "The Capital of Chouchen."-Population:...
on September 1927. It followed from establishment of the Unvaniez Yaouankiz Vreiz (UYV: Union of Breton Youth). The steering committee comprised Olier Mordrel
Olier Mordrel
Olier Mordrel is the Breton language version of Olivier Mordrelle, a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with the Third Reich who founded the separatist Breton National Party. Before the war he worked as an architect. His architectural work was influenced by Art Deco and the International...
, Morvan Marchal
Morvan Marchal
Morvan Marchal , is the Breton name of Maurice Marchal, an architect and a militant Breton nationalist. He is best known for having designed the national flag of Brittany.-Biography:...
and Maurice Duhamel
Maurice Duhamel
Maurice Duhamel , was the pen-name of Maurice Bourgeaux, a Breton musician, writer and activist who was a leading figure in Breton nationalism and federalist politics in the years before World War II.-Early life:...
. At Quimper, following the congress, representatives of Brittany, Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
signed the founding charter of Central Committee of the National Minorities of France. The guests were the Alsatian separatists, Paul Schall and Hermann Bickler, the Corsican separatist Petru Rocca, the Flemish Franz Wielders, and, more discreetly, Hans-Otto Wagner, the German representative who established links between the Breton movement and the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
.
Federalism
Maurice Duhamel became editor of Breiz AtaoBreiz Atao
Breiz Atao , was a Breton nationalist journal in the mid-twentieth century. The term is also used for the broader movement associated with the journal's political position....
and attempted to steer the party to establish links to wider French politics, particularly with the French left. Having more political experience than the other leaders, he guided the PAB to a broadly leftist and federalist position with the intention to forge an alliance with the French Communist Party
French 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...
, which, under the leadership of Marcel Cachin
Marcel Cachin
Marcel Cachin was a French politician.In 1891, Cachin joined Jules Guesde French Workers' Party . In 1905, he joined the new French Section of the Workers' International and won election to the Chamber of Deputies representing the Seine in 1914...
, supported the struggles of national minorities in France up until 1932.
In August 1928, at the second party congress, in Châteaulin
Châteaulin
Châteaulin is a commune in the Finistère department in the region of Brittany in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:...
, a statement was drafted which proclaimed that Brittany has all "the characteristics of a nationality to meet the modern definitions", and that the Breton people should have "the right to self-determination".
In 1929 Duhamel wrote the PAB's manifesto, The Question of Brittany in its European Framework.
Electoral failures
At elections in 1930, Goulven Mazéas was put forward by the PAB as a candidate in the GuingampGuingamp
Guingamp is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Guingamp are called guingampais.-Breton language:...
constituency, but he only secured 376 votes. Their candidate in Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
received 81 votes out of 16084. The PAB's complete failure to gain electoral success in addition the cost of the campaigns had ruined its finances. Moreover, it was unable to compete with the Catholic regionalist party Adsao. François Debeauvais
François Debeauvais
François Debeauvais was a Breton nationalist and wartime collaborator with Nazi Germany. His name is also spelled in many "Breton" variants: François Debauvais, Fransez Debeauvais, Fransez Debauvais, Fañch Debeauvais, Fañch Debauvais, Fañch deb.-Breiz Atao:Debeauvais was the son of a gardener from...
proposed the creation of a weekly newspaper entitled Le Peuple Breton to improve the party's public profile, but it could not be published for lack of funding.
Dissolution of the party
The two election failures, and the financial crisis crystallized the party's internal quarrels. A final attempt at conciliation took place at the annual party Congress April 11, 1931. It was a failure, and the party broke up under the differences. It split between the federalists on the one hand and nationalists on the other. At the same congress, it was decided to relinquish the newspaper Breiz AtaoBreiz Atao
Breiz Atao , was a Breton nationalist journal in the mid-twentieth century. The term is also used for the broader movement associated with the journal's political position....
. The federalists (Morvan Marchal
Morvan Marchal
Morvan Marchal , is the Breton name of Maurice Marchal, an architect and a militant Breton nationalist. He is best known for having designed the national flag of Brittany.-Biography:...
, Yann-Morvan Gefflot, Goulven Mazéas, René-Yves Creston
René-Yves Creston
René-Yves Creston , born René Pierre Joseph Creston, was a Breton artist, designer and ethnographer who founded the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur...
, Le Men, Abeozen
Abeozen
François Eliès, born Fañch Eliès and better known by the pseudonym Abeozen, was a Breton nationalist, novelist and dramatist who wrote in the Breton language. Abeozen was also a noted scholar of the Welsh language.Abeozen started contributing to the Breton literary journal Gwalarn in 1925...
) went on to create the Breton Federalist League
Breton Federalist League
The Breton Federalist League was a short lived Breton political party in the 1930s. A new organization with the same name was created in the 21st century.-Origin:...
whose new journal was Federal Brittany.
Breiz Atao was briefly replaced by the journal War Zao, run by the nationalist faction in Trégor
Trégor
Trégor is one of the nine provinces of Brittany, in its northwestern area. It comprises the western part of the department of Côtes-d'Armor and a small part of the northeast of Finistère, as far as the river Morlaix...
, Goëlo and Haute-Cornouaille
Cornouaille
Cornouaille is a historic region in Brittany, in northwest France. The name is identical to the French name for the Duchy of Cornwall, since the area was settled by migrant princes from Cornwall...
, which called for a return to nationalism without excluding separatism. The nationalists went on to create the Breton National Party
Breton National Party
The Breton National Party was a nationalist party in Brittany that existed from 1931 to 1944. The party was disbanded after the liberation of France in World War II, because of ties to the Nazi party....
at the Congress of Guingamp
Guingamp
Guingamp is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Guingamp are called guingampais.-Breton language:...
in August 1931, reviving Breiz Atao as their party's paper.