The Action Française is a French Monarchist movement and periodical founded by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois and whose principal ideologist was Charles Maurras.

It was founded in 1898 during the Dreyfus affair, partly in reaction to the left wing revitalisation that was happening around the defense of the army captain. Originally a Republican organisation which attracted many nationalist figures such as Maurice Barrès, under the influence of Maurras it became monarchist, following the earlier ideas of Joseph de Maistre. Until its dissolution at the end of the Second World War, the Action Française was a prominent proponent of integral nationalism, which regarded the nation as an organic entity of blood and soil.

Contents

2 1898 - 1926

3 Papal Condemnation and Decline

4 The Inter-War Revival

5 Since the Second World War

6 Judgement of Political Scientists

7 Fictional accounts

8 External links

Ideology

The ideology of the Action Française was dominated by the thought of Charles Maurras, following his adherence and his conversion of the movement's founders to monarchism. The Action Française supported a restoration of the monarchy and of Roman Catholicism as the state religion even though Maurras was an atheist. It should not be considered that the movement intended to restore real power to the king, merely to set him up as a rallying point in distinction to the Third Republic of France which was considered corrupt and unworkable by many of its opponents, whom they hoped to come to their banner. The movement advocated decentralisation (a "federal monarchy"), with the restoration of pre-Revolutionary "liberties" to the ancient provinces of France (replaced during the Revolution by the departmental system). It aimed to achieve a restoration by means of a coup d'état, probably involving a transitional authoritarian government.

The Action Française was not focused on denouncing one social or political group as the conspiratorial source of ills befalling France. Different groups of the extreme French right had especial animus against either the Jews, Protestants, or Freemasons. To these Maurras added unspecific foreigners residing in France, who had been outside of French law under the ancien regime, and to whom he invented a slur name derived from ancient Greek history: mÃ©tÃ¨ques. These four groups of "internal foreigners" Maurras called les quatre états confédérés &ndash and were all considered to be part of "Anti-France." Of course he was also opposed to the Communists, and the left in general, but antagonism against them did not have to be constructed or marshalled.

1898 - 1926

The movement published a review, the Bulletin de l'Action française, which subsequently became the Revue de l'Action Française and then, in 1908, a daily paper Action Française. It gained large number of readers outside the movement and made Maurras a significant figure in French politics, his influence extending far beyond the extreme right. It was edited by Léon Daudet, son of the writer Alphonse Daudet, and other contributors included the historian Jacques Bainville, the critic Jules Lemaître and the economist Georges Valois, who later left the movement to found the Faisceau. The Camelots du Roi were recruited in 1908 to sell the paper, but they also served as the movement's paramilitary wing, regularly engaging in street violence with political oponents. In this period the Action Française became a significant actor in French politics. However, its rise caused some concern among the Roman Catholic hierarchy.

Papal Condemnation and Decline

In spite of the Action Française's support for Roman Catholicism as state religion and the fact that the vast majority of its members were practising Catholics (indeed, they included significant numbers of clergy), some Catholics regarded it with distrust. Much of this was due to Maurras' influence. Maurras was an agnostic whose advocacy of Catholicism was due to his belief that it was a factor of social cohesion and stability and to its importance in French history. This rather utilitarian view of religion disturbed people who were often in agreement with many of Maurras' ideas. Its influence on young Catholics was also considered problematic. In 1926, Pope Pius XI condemned the Action Française. Several of Maurras' writings were placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum at the same time. However in 1939, the Pope Pius XII decided to end the condemnation, without couterparts. Since then the Action Française claimed that the condemnation was decided for political purposes.

This was a devastating blow for the movement. Many of its members left (two Catholics who were forced to look for a different path in politics and life were François Mitterrand and Georges Bernanos) and it entered a period of decline. The condemnation would not be lifted until 1938.

The Inter-War Revival

Its fortunes revived in the inter-war period. As increasing numbers of people in France (as in Europe as a whole) turned to authoritarian political movements, many turned to the Action Française. It was represented for a time in the Chamber of Deputies, notably by Léon Daudet (for Paris, 1919-1924). By now, however, many younger people considered it to be lacking in dynamism and its monarchism probably discouraged more people than it attracted. It did attract some prominent figures though, such as Robert Brasillach, Thierry Maulnier and Lucien Rebatet, and took part in the massive demonstrations and riots in Paris called the Stavisky Affair, on February 6, 1934.

The Action Française greeted the appearance of the authoritarian governments of Benito Mussolini in Italy and Francisco Franco in Spain with delight. It was less happy about the Nazi Party's rise to power. The movement - like most French nationalists - regarded Germany as the major threat to France, and advocated an alliance with Italy against Germany.

Although it scarcely welcomed the German occupation in the Second World War, the establishment of an authoritarian regime under Marshal Philippe Pétain did please many Action Française supporters (Maurras described it as a "divine surprise"). Some thought that Pétain might even restore the monarchy. The Action Française's headquarters were moved from Paris to Vichy. Some of its members became active collaborators, but some joined the Resistance and the Free French Forces. Others, including Maurras, supported the Vichy government while not advocating collaboration. This was sufficient for him to be condemned to death in 1944, though he was reprieved. The Action Française ceased to exist in 1944.

Since the Second World War

The Action Française was re-formed by Maurice Pujo in 1947 around the magazine Aspects de la France and the movement la Restauration Nationale. In 1971 a breakaway movement, the Nouvelle Action Française was formed by Bertrand Rouvin. It subsequently became the Nouvelle Action Royaliste and supported François Mitterrand in the 1981 presidential election.

The movement still exists as the monarchist and anti-European Union Centre royaliste d'Action Française and publishes a magazine Action Française 2000.

Judgement of Political Scientists

In the 1960s, Ernst Nolte, political scientist, considered the Action Française to be the first fascist party, and the most manipulative and duplicitous of them all. But his viewpoint is generally considered extreme, and the movement is not considered as historically important as the fascisms which gained power on their own.

Fictional accounts

In Harry Turtledove's American Empire alternate history books, the Action Française becomes a popular movement in France following the nation's defeat in the Great War. By the early 1930s it has placed France under the rule of King Charles XI and spends the decade rearming for a rematch with Germany. After Kaiser Wilhelm's death in 1941, Action Francaise declares war on Germany but its offensive by early 1942 has stalled at the Rhine and outside Hamburg.