David Korner
Encyclopedia
David Korner was a Romania
n and French
communist
militant, trade union
ist, and journalist. A Trotskyist
for most of his life, he was active in the labor movement of France from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Born into a Jewish
family, Korner was a member of the Romanian Communist Party
(PCR) in 1932-1933. In July 1933, alongside Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
, Constantin Doncea and other PCR activists, he was brought to trial in front of a Bucharest
court for his part in convening the Griviţa Strike
, and ultimately sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Recruited to Trotskyism as a student in Paris
in the 1934, he formed the Bolshevik Leninist Group of Romania upon his return to Romania (April 1935). The latter faction opposed the Stalinist
PCR, as well as the Social Democrats
and the Unitary Socialist Party of Leon Ghelerter. When the Spanish Civil War
and the June 1936 strikes
took place, Korner again returned to France and was a member of the Internationalist Workers Party
(POI).
In line with Leon Trotsky
's advice to his French followers to enter the Workers and Peasants Socialist Party (PSOP) he joined that party and stood on its far left
(see French Turn
). Upon the start of World War II
, as the PSOP collapsed, he formed the tiny Trotskyist Group in opposition to what he considered the petty bourgeois methods of organization of the other French Trotskyist groups, as well as to the politics of mainstream socialist
party (the French Section of the Workers' International). This group was active in clandestinity under the Nazi German
occupation of France, and later became the Communist Union (UC).
The group concentrated on factory work but also maintained the regular production of its political publications and took part in agitation against the colonial politics
of France. The factory work came to fruition with the Renault
strike of 1947, which Korner's group helped lead and organize. The request for support addressed by the newly-formed Democratic Trade Union of Renault (SDR) was accepted by the UC, which effectively caused a merger between the two.
While the SDR broke apart in 1949, the political grouping was revived only briefly in 1950, without enlisting support; when some former militants of the UC began publishing Voix Ouvrière
in 1956 (later known as Lutte Ouvrière), Barta did not partake in the move (although, as late as 1964, Bois, a leader of Voix Ouvrière, was still writing to him to request his involvement). Relations between Barta and the leadership of the Voix Ouvrière group until his death, in part because Barta believed that the group had wrongly appropriated his work and was philistine in its methods.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
militant, trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist, and journalist. A Trotskyist
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
for most of his life, he was active in the labor movement of France from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Born into a Jewish
History of the Jews in Romania
The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....
family, Korner was a member of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
(PCR) in 1932-1933. In July 1933, alongside Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej was the Communist leader of Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965.-Early life:Gheorghe was the son of a poor worker, Tănase Gheorghiu, and his wife Ana. Gheorghiu-Dej joined the Communist Party of Romania in 1930...
, Constantin Doncea and other PCR activists, he was brought to trial in front of a Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
court for his part in convening the Griviţa Strike
Grivita Strike of 1933
The Grivița Strike of 1933 was a railway strike which was started at the Grivița Workshops, Bucharest, Romania, on 16 February 1933 by workers of Căile Ferate Române . The strike was brought about by the increasingly poor working conditions of railway employees in the context of the worldwide Great...
, and ultimately sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Recruited to Trotskyism as a student in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the 1934, he formed the Bolshevik Leninist Group of Romania upon his return to Romania (April 1935). The latter faction opposed the Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
PCR, as well as the Social Democrats
Romanian Social Democratic Party (defunct)
The Romanian Social Democratic Party was a social-democratic political party in Romania. It published the magazine România Muncitoare, and later Socialismul, Lumea Nouă, and Libertatea.-Early party:...
and the Unitary Socialist Party of Leon Ghelerter. When the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and the June 1936 strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
took place, Korner again returned to France and was a member of the Internationalist Workers Party
Internationalist Workers Party
The Internationalist Workers Party was a French Trotskyist party established in 1936 after the exclusion of militant Trotskyists from the French Section of the Workers' International in 1935 and dissolved in 1939 when most of the militants had rejoined the Workers and Peasants' Socialist Party...
(POI).
In line with Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
's advice to his French followers to enter the Workers and Peasants Socialist Party (PSOP) he joined that party and stood on its far left
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
(see French Turn
French Turn
The French Turn was the name given to the entry between 1934 and 1936 of the French Trotskyists into the Section Française de l'International Ouvrière...
). Upon the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as the PSOP collapsed, he formed the tiny Trotskyist Group in opposition to what he considered the petty bourgeois methods of organization of the other French Trotskyist groups, as well as to the politics of mainstream socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
party (the French Section of the Workers' International). This group was active in clandestinity under the Nazi German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupation of France, and later became the Communist Union (UC).
The group concentrated on factory work but also maintained the regular production of its political publications and took part in agitation against the colonial politics
French colonial empires
The French colonial empire was the set of territories outside Europe that were under French rule primarily from the 17th century to the late 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the colonial empire of France was the second-largest in the world behind the British Empire. The French colonial empire...
of France. The factory work came to fruition with the Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
strike of 1947, which Korner's group helped lead and organize. The request for support addressed by the newly-formed Democratic Trade Union of Renault (SDR) was accepted by the UC, which effectively caused a merger between the two.
While the SDR broke apart in 1949, the political grouping was revived only briefly in 1950, without enlisting support; when some former militants of the UC began publishing Voix Ouvrière
Workers' Struggle
Lutte Ouvrière is the usual name under which the Union Communiste , a French Trotskyist political party, is known, after the name of its weekly paper. Arlette Laguiller has been its spokeswoman since 1973 and has run in each presidential election, but Robert Barcia was its founder and central...
in 1956 (later known as Lutte Ouvrière), Barta did not partake in the move (although, as late as 1964, Bois, a leader of Voix Ouvrière, was still writing to him to request his involvement). Relations between Barta and the leadership of the Voix Ouvrière group until his death, in part because Barta believed that the group had wrongly appropriated his work and was philistine in its methods.