Yvan Craipeau
Encyclopedia
Yvan Craipeau was a French
Trotskyist activist.
Born in La Roche-sur-Yon
, he helped found a local independent Marxist organisation while still in his teens. Expelled from school, he moved to Paris
and became associated with the Trotskyist group around La Verité
. In 1930 this group founded the Communist League. This considered itself an external faction of the Communist Party of France, and as such it only admitted current and former PCF members. However, this rule was relaxed and Craipeau was allowed to join in 1931. He joined the League's executive committee
with responsibility for developing a youth wing.
By 1933, he was able to organise a meeting attended by one thousand members of the youth wings of the Communist Party and the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière
. During 1933, he was Trotsky's personal secretary.
In 1936, Craipeau became a leading member of the new Internationalist Workers Party
(POI). The following year, in reaction to Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed
, he began a re-analysis of the nature of the Soviet Union
. He concluded that it could not be defended, as Trotsky held, as a degenerated workers' state
, but that it was a bureaucratic collectivist system - an idea he introduced to Trotskyism.
During World War II
, he was pronounced unfit for duty, and attempted, with Marcel Hic, to publish La Verité secretly. This was difficult, and following a series of setbacks, he turned instead to work influencing the German Army
.
In 1944, Craipeau was the architect of unity between three of France's four Trotskyist groups: the POI itself,the Comités Communistes Internationalistes and the Octobre group. They formed the PCI Internationalist Communist Party
, and in 1946, he was elected its General Secretary
. In the same year, he was also elevated to the International Secretariat of the Fourth International
. However, he could not agree with the International's perspective that a crisis in capitalism
was imminent, and soon after the POI sided with the International, he was expelled.
Craipeau temporarily withdrew from politics, and in 1951, he moved to Basse-Terre
in Guadeloupe
, where he became a school teacher
and soon secretary of the National Education Federation trade union
.
In 1954, Craipeau returned to mainland France, where he participated in the creation of the New Left
. This fused with the Movement for the Liberation of the City to form the Socialist Left Union and, in 1960 with several groups to form the Unified Socialist Party
. He remained a leading member of this party for many years, during which he wrote numerous books on left-wing politics
and revolution
.
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...
Trotskyist activist.
Born in La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...
, he helped found a local independent Marxist organisation while still in his teens. Expelled from school, he moved to 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...
and became associated with the Trotskyist group around La Verité
La Vérité
La Vérité was the last album by Niagara. Niagara was one of the few French bands who had success and critical acclaim outside of France despite not singing in English, because of this they embarked on an international tour in 1991 which included many sold out concerts...
. In 1930 this group founded the Communist League. This considered itself an external faction of the Communist Party of France, and as such it only admitted current and former PCF members. However, this rule was relaxed and Craipeau was allowed to join in 1931. He joined the League's executive committee
Executive Committee
Executive Committee may refer to:* The Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, a government body in the United Kingdom 1921–1972* The Northern Ireland Executive, a government body in the United Kingdom...
with responsibility for developing a youth wing.
By 1933, he was able to organise a meeting attended by one thousand members of the youth wings of the Communist Party and the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière
Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière
The French Section of the Workers' International , founded in 1905, was a French socialist political party, designed as the local section of the Second International...
. During 1933, he was Trotsky's personal secretary.
In 1936, Craipeau became a leading member of the new 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). The following year, in reaction to Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed
The Revolution Betrayed
The Revolution Betrayed: What Is the Soviet Union and Where Is It Going? is a book by the Russian Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky, published in 1937, analyzing and criticizing Stalinism and the post-Lenin development in the Soviet Union....
, he began a re-analysis of the nature of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He concluded that it could not be defended, as Trotsky held, as a degenerated workers' state
Degenerated workers' state
In Trotskyist political theory the term degenerated workers' state has been used since the 1930s to describe the state of the Soviet Union after Joseph Stalin's consolidation of power in or about 1924...
, but that it was a bureaucratic collectivist system - an idea he introduced to Trotskyism.
During 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...
, he was pronounced unfit for duty, and attempted, with Marcel Hic, to publish La Verité secretly. This was difficult, and following a series of setbacks, he turned instead to work influencing the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
.
In 1944, Craipeau was the architect of unity between three of France's four Trotskyist groups: the POI itself,the Comités Communistes Internationalistes and the Octobre group. They formed the PCI Internationalist Communist Party
Internationalist Communist Party
The Internationalist Communist Party was a Trotskyist political party in France. It was the name taken by the French Section of the Fourth International from its foundation until a name change in the late 1960s....
, and in 1946, he was elected its General Secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
. In the same year, he was also elevated to the International Secretariat of the Fourth International
Fourth International
The Fourth International is the communist international organisation consisting of followers of Leon Trotsky , with the declared dedicated goal of helping the working class bring about socialism...
. However, he could not agree with the International's perspective that a crisis in capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
was imminent, and soon after the POI sided with the International, he was expelled.
Craipeau temporarily withdrew from politics, and in 1951, he moved to Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre
Basse-Terre is the prefecture of Guadeloupe, an overseas region and department of France located in the Lesser Antilles...
in Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, where he became a school teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and soon secretary of the National Education Federation 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...
.
In 1954, Craipeau returned to mainland France, where he participated in the creation of the New Left
New Left (France)
New Left was an organized caucus in the French Socialist Party.The New Left was founded in 1993 by Benoît Hamon and Jean-Patrick Gille within the PS' youth movement, the MJS. It was considered close to Michel Rocard and often cited to be the Christian left of the party...
. This fused with the Movement for the Liberation of the City to form the Socialist Left Union and, in 1960 with several groups to form the Unified Socialist Party
Unified Socialist Party (France)
The Unified Socialist Party was a socialist political party in France, founded on April 3, 1960. It was originally led by Édouard Depreux , and by Michel Rocard .- History :...
. He remained a leading member of this party for many years, during which he wrote numerous books on left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
and revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
.