Claudio Treves
Encyclopedia
Claudio Treves was an Italian
politician and journalist.
into a well off assimilated Jewish family. As a student he participated in the Radical
milieu of Turin and, in 1888, he joined first his university's student radical circle, then the local independent labor union, influenced by the Milan
ese socialist Filippo Turati
. In 1892 he graduated in law and made his way into the militant socialist community.
), and in 1894, prosecuted under the 'exceptional laws' on sedition, he spent two months in prison. For some years after he travelled abroad, spending two years to Berlin, then on to Paris, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. All the while Treves was sending reports from these countries to Avanti!
, the Italian socialist paper. He contributed to several newspapers and periodicals, among which were Per l'idea, Grido del popolo (which he edited from 1896 to 1898), Critica Sociale, Lotta, Lotta di classe, Rassegna popolare del socialismo, Riscatto and, finally, Milan's Università popolare
where he was on the editorial board until 1915.
movement. Working closely with Turati, in 1906 he was elected deputy from Milan. over the next decade, the PSI see-sawed between reformist and revolutionary factions. Seen as far too close to Giovanni Giolitti
and the Liberals, Turati and the Reformists lost control of the party in 1904, regained it in 1908, only to lose it again in 1912. After the Milan conference of the PSI]in 1910 he was named editor of Avanti!, a job in which he was succeeded in 1912 by Giovanni Bacci and later Benito Mussolini
before the one time socialist's drift to the right. As a result of the division in the socialist movement between 'Maximalists
' and Reformists
, in 1922, with Turati, Giacomo Matteotti
, and Treves founded the Partito Socialista Unitario
(PSU). He was named editor of the party's paper, La Giustizia, only to see it closed by state order of the new Fascist government in 1925.
), Rinascita socialista. In 1927 he was named editor of La Libertà, journal of the Concentrazione Antifascista Italiana, a coalition of non-communist Italian anti-fascist groups. In 1930 he supported the unification of the PSLI and the PSI. Always attentive to the evolution of European Socialism, he attended the British Labour Party conference of 1930, the international trade union conference in Madrid in June 1931 and the conference of the Socialist International
in Vienna in July 1931.
He died on 11 June 1933, still in exile in Paris, and in 1948 his ashes were returned to Milan.
, later succeeded him as a militant of the PSI and editor of Avanti!
, while his sister, Annetta Treves, was also active in Milanese politics. She is the mother of writer and activist Carlo Levi
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
politician and journalist.
Youth
Claudio Treves was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
into a well off assimilated Jewish family. As a student he participated in the Radical
Radicalism (historical)
The term Radical was used during the late 18th century for proponents of the Radical Movement. It later became a general pejorative term for those favoring or seeking political reforms which include dramatic changes to the social order...
milieu of Turin and, in 1888, he joined first his university's student radical circle, then the local independent labor union, influenced by the Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese socialist Filippo Turati
Filippo Turati
Filippo Turati was an Italian sociologist, poet and Socialist politician.-Early life:Born in Canzo, province of Como, he graduated in law at the University of Bologna in 1877, and participated in the Scapigliatura movement with the most important artists of the period in Milan, publishing poetry...
. In 1892 he graduated in law and made his way into the militant socialist community.
PSI
Treves became a member of the managing committee of the Piedmontese regional federation of the Partito Socialista Italiano (PSIItalian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
), and in 1894, prosecuted under the 'exceptional laws' on sedition, he spent two months in prison. For some years after he travelled abroad, spending two years to Berlin, then on to Paris, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. All the while Treves was sending reports from these countries to Avanti!
Avanti! (Italian newspaper)
Avanti! is an Italian daily newspaper, born as the official voice of the Italian Socialist Party, published since December 25, 1896. It took its name from its German counterpart Vorwärts.-History:...
, the Italian socialist paper. He contributed to several newspapers and periodicals, among which were Per l'idea, Grido del popolo (which he edited from 1896 to 1898), Critica Sociale, Lotta, Lotta di classe, Rassegna popolare del socialismo, Riscatto and, finally, Milan's Università popolare
Università popolare (Italian newspaper)
L'Università popolare was an Italian newspaper founded by Luigi Molinari in 1901 and ran until 1918. It was part of the movement for free workers' self-education, partly inspired by Francisco Ferrer's Escuela Moderna in Spain...
where he was on the editorial board until 1915.
From the PSI to the PSU
In 1899 he moved to Milan to become editor of the daily Il Tempo, which under his stewardship became a leading voice for greater democracy and the Italian Reformist SocialistReformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
movement. Working closely with Turati, in 1906 he was elected deputy from Milan. over the next decade, the PSI see-sawed between reformist and revolutionary factions. Seen as far too close to Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti
Giovanni Giolitti was an Italian statesman. He was the 19th, 25th, 29th, 32nd and 37th Prime Minister of Italy between 1892 and 1921. A left-wing liberal, Giolitti's periods in office were notable for the passage of a wide range of progressive social reforms which improved the living standards of...
and the Liberals, Turati and the Reformists lost control of the party in 1904, regained it in 1908, only to lose it again in 1912. After the Milan conference of the PSI]in 1910 he was named editor of Avanti!, a job in which he was succeeded in 1912 by Giovanni Bacci and later Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
before the one time socialist's drift to the right. As a result of the division in the socialist movement between 'Maximalists
Revolutionary socialism
The term revolutionary socialism refers to Socialist tendencies that advocate the need for fundamental social change through revolution by mass movements of the working class, as a strategy to achieve a socialist society...
' and Reformists
Reformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
, in 1922, with Turati, Giacomo Matteotti
Giacomo Matteotti
Giacomo Matteotti was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence they used to gain votes...
, and Treves founded the Partito Socialista Unitario
United Socialist Party (Italy, 1922–1930)
The United Socialist Party was a social-democratic political party in Italy, active from 1922 to 1930....
(PSU). He was named editor of the party's paper, La Giustizia, only to see it closed by state order of the new Fascist government in 1925.
Exile
In November 1926 Treves fled into exile, emigrating first to Switzerland and then to France, where he was one of the more frequent collaborators of the weekly journal of the PSLI (the underground successor to the now outlawed PSUUnited Socialist Party (Italy, 1922–1930)
The United Socialist Party was a social-democratic political party in Italy, active from 1922 to 1930....
), Rinascita socialista. In 1927 he was named editor of La Libertà, journal of the Concentrazione Antifascista Italiana, a coalition of non-communist Italian anti-fascist groups. In 1930 he supported the unification of the PSLI and the PSI. Always attentive to the evolution of European Socialism, he attended the British Labour Party conference of 1930, the international trade union conference in Madrid in June 1931 and the conference of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
in Vienna in July 1931.
He died on 11 June 1933, still in exile in Paris, and in 1948 his ashes were returned to Milan.
Family
Treves' son, Paolo TrevesPaolo Treves
Born in Milan in 1908, son of the well-known Italian socialist Claudio Treves . Paolo Treves worked for the Milanese socialist paper La Giustizia in the early 1920s and studied under Benedetto Croce, with whom he corresponded until the outbreak of war despite the latter's tacit support for Benito...
, later succeeded him as a militant of the PSI and editor of Avanti!
Avanti! (Italian newspaper)
Avanti! is an Italian daily newspaper, born as the official voice of the Italian Socialist Party, published since December 25, 1896. It took its name from its German counterpart Vorwärts.-History:...
, while his sister, Annetta Treves, was also active in Milanese politics. She is the mother of writer and activist Carlo Levi
Carlo Levi
Dr. Carlo Levi was an Italian-Jewish painter, writer, activist, anti-fascist, and doctor.He is best known for his book Cristo si è fermato a Eboli , published in 1945, a memoir of his time spent in exile in Lucania, Italy, after being arrested in connection with his political activism...
.
External links
- Reprint of an article on Treves by Carlo RosselliCarlo RosselliCarlo Rosselli was an Italian political leader, journalist, historian and anti-fascist activist, first in Italy then abroad...
. - Paulo Treves papers at the International Institute for Social History
- "The Fable of the Beaver" Antonio Gramsci, from State and Civil Society. A biting critique of Reformism, Treves, and Turati.