Le Petit Provençal
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''Le Petit Provençal'' (''The Little Provincial'') was a French provincial daily newspaper founded in Marseille in 1880. It took a Left Republican position, although it was never an official socialist organ. In the years before
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–18) many prominent politicians contributed to the paper. The paper opposed the pact between Germany and Russia just before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
(1939–45), and after the fall of France opposed the Vichy regime. However, it managed to continue publication until 1944.


History

''Le Petit Provençal'' was founded in Marseille in 1880, and distributed in south eastern France. It was originally titled ''La Jeune république'' (''The Young Republic''). The founder was Geoffroy Velten (1831–1915), also called Godfried Velten, a Protestant entrepreneur and militant Republican who became a Municipal Councillor in Marseilles in 1880, and on 25 January 1883 was made Senator for
Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...
. Velten also founded ''L'Égalité''. The paper competed with others such as '' Le Petit Marseillais'', ''Le Radical'' and ''Le Soleil du Midi''. At first the newspaper published opinions and polemics, but later it became a source of news and information. Thus, during the campaign in Madagascar, from September 1894 to December 1896 ''Le Petit Provençal'' devoted 95 editorials or feature articles on the front page to colonial issues. ''Le Petit Provençal'' paper called itself a Socialist Republican newspaper, but was never the official organ of the socialists. Between 1890 and 1900 it supported socialist candidates of all camps, including Guesdists. Regular contributors included
Alexandre Millerand Alexandre Millerand (; – ) was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 20 January to 23 September 1920 and President of France from 23 September 1920 to 11 June 1924. His participation in Waldeck-Rousseau's cabinet at the s ...
,
René Viviani Jean Raphaël Adrien René Viviani (; 8 November 18637 September 1925) was a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I. He was born in Sidi Bel Abbès, in French Algeria. In France ...
, Gustave Rouanet, Clovis Hugues and Léon Mirman. André Joseph Lefèvre wrote for ''Le Petit Provençal'' in the period before
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914–18). During the period leading up to 1914 the paper emphasized that it supported both radicals and socialists. The circulation was 40,000–50,000 in 1902. While papers at the time usually gave false circulation figures ''Le Petit Provençal'' by 1913 probably had a daily circulation of about 100,000. Advertising only filled 20% or so of the pages. By 1914 ''Le Petit Provençal'' had a circulation of 100,000–110,000 in 1914, mostly among the working-class people of Marseilles, although it also sold in the rural parts of the department and in the center of the city, where it faced fierce competition from ''Le Petit Marseillais''. ''Le Petit Provençal'' continued to take a socialist position after World War I. After the war the socialist
Marcel Déat Marcel Déat (7 March 1894 – 5 January 1955) was a French politician. Initially a socialist and a member of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), he led a breakaway group of right-wing ' Neosocialists' out of the SFIO in 1933 ...
contributed to the newspaper. ''Le Petit Provençal'' became the regional organ of the Left. On 29 August 1939, on the eve of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
(1939–45), ''Le Petit Provençal'' called for support for the administrative commission of the ''
Confédération générale du travail The General Confederation of Labour (french: Confédération Générale du Travail, CGT) is a national trade union center, founded in 1895 in the city of Limoges. It is the first of the five major French confederations of trade unions. It is ...
'' (General Confederation of Labor), which had condemned the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that enabled those powers to partition Poland between them. The pact was signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ri ...
between the USSR and Germany. On 18 June 1940 ''Le Petit Provencal'' and ''Le Petit Marseillais'' both published an appeal from General Charles de Gaulle in its entirety. Shortly after the Vichy government of Marshal
Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of Worl ...
had been established the newspaper published an article on 18 July 1940 that listed all that had been achieved by the
French Third Republic The French Third Republic (french: Troisième République, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 19 ...
since the 1875 constitution was established. It concluded with the words, "Vive la liberté! Vive la République!" American films were banned after the Germans arrived in Marseilles. Léon Bancal was jailed for an article ''Adieu á Mickey'' in ''Le Petit Provençal''. The newspaper was closed in 1944.


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External links

* (21 Issues online) {{DEFAULTSORT:Petit Provençal, Le 1880 establishments in France 1944 disestablishments in France Newspapers established in 1880 Newspapers disestablished in 1944 Defunct newspapers published in France French Third Republic Newspapers of the Vichy regime Mass media in Marseille Daily newspapers published in France