The Breton Federalist League (french: Ligue fédéraliste de Bretagne) was a short-lived

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

in the 1930s. A new organization with the same name was created in the 21st century.

Origin

At its congress on April 11, 1931, the

Breton Autonomist Party The Breton Autonomist Party (french: Parti Autonomiste Breton or PAB, br, Strollad Emrenerien Vreiz) was a political party which existed in Brittany from 1927 to 1931. Origin The party was created at the first congress of the nationalist journal ' ...

broke up under the differences between the federalist and nationalist factions. Faced with the formation of the separatist

Breton National Party The Breton National Party (French ''Parti National Breton'', Breton ''Strollad Broadel Breizh'') was a nationalist party in Brittany that existed from 1931 to 1944. The party was disbanded after the liberation of France in World War II, because of ...

, the federalists

Maurice Duhamel Maurice Duhamel (23 February 1884 – 5 February 1940) was the pen-name of Maurice Bourgeaux, a Breton musician, writer and activist who was a leading figure in Breton nationalism and federalist politics in the years before World War II. Early life ...

Morvan Marchal Morvan Marchal (31 July 1900, Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine – 13 August 1963, Paris), is the Breton name of Maurice Marchal, an architect and a militant Breton nationalist. He is best known for having designed the national flag of Brittany. Biog ...

, Yann-Morvan Gefflot, Goulven Mazéas,

René-Yves Creston René-Yves Creston (25 October 1898 – 30 May 1964), born René Pierre Joseph Creston, was a Breton artist, designer and ethnographer who founded the Breton nationalist art movement Seiz Breur. During World War II he was active in the French Resi ...

and others, founded the Breton Federalist League.

Aims

Its emblem was the Hevoud (a form of "Celtic"

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

). The League's principal publication was ''Federal Brittany'' (Breiz kevredel), founded in 1931 by Morvan Marchal, which was a "leftist" variant of the quasi-fascistic positions espoused by Breiz Atao. In the first issue of this journal, Goulven Mazéas wrote:

the truth is that our Masters rip apart piece by piece our sense of who we are in order to fill us with a burning love for an alleged fatherland
rance Rance may refer to: Places * Rance (river), northwestern France * Rancé, a commune in eastern France, near Lyon * Ranče, a small settlement in Slovenia * Rance, Wallonia, part of the municipality of Sivry-Rance ** Rouge de Rance, a Devonian re ...
a patriotic cloak already adopted by those who ignore their motherland... we perhaps disavowed an effective nationality to adopt a fictitious nationality to which our blood, our race are completely foreign. (November 1931).

The League was short lived. It was dissolved in 1934 to be replaced by the Breton Federalist Movement which was joined by Morvan Marchal, Gestalen, Francis Bayer du Kern, Goulven Mazéas and

Rafig Tullou Raffig Tullou (born Raphaël Jean-Baptiste Joseph Tulou), alias Neven Lewarc’h (6 January 1909 in Mordelles – 16 January 1990 in Saint-Herblain) was a Breton sculptor and set designer. His works included modern Celto-Breton furnishing art, w ...

. Members also founded the neo-Pagan Druidic group

Kredenn Geltiek Hollvedel Kredenn Geltiek (Celtic Creed) is a neo-Pagan Druidic group founded in Brittany in 1936. It was later known as Kredenn Geltiek Hollvedel (Celtic Creed of the World). It now exists under the name Kevanvod Tud Donn (Parliament of people of Dêua Ana ...

. In 1938 the Breton federalists signed a manifesto which affirmed:

...the pressing duty to gather those of our compatriots who do not want to confuse Brittany with the Church; Brittany with reaction; Brittany with puerile anti-French bias; Brittany with capitalism; and even less, Brittany with racism.''Manifesto of Breton Federalists'', p. 14.

New league

When the

Parti pour l'Organisation d'une Bretagne Libre The Party for the Organization of a Free Brittany ( br, Strollad Evit Breizh Dizalc'h; french: Parti pour l'organisation d'une Bretagne libre) was a Breton political party that advocated political sovereignty for Brittany. Its initials "POBL" f ...

split in 2000, two new parties were created on the model of the PNB and the LFB. The former was named Adsav, and the latter reused the name of the old Breton Federalist League.

Publications

La Bretagne Fédérale, revue de la Ligue Fédéraliste de Bretagne.

Bibliography

La Ligue Fédéraliste de Bretagne - Breiz Kevredel (1931-1935) : aux origines du bretonnisme de gauche, maîtrise d'histoire, Christian Guyonvarc'h.

Notes

{{Authority control Breton nationalist parties