Henri Guilbeaux (1885–1938) was a French

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

politician and poet. He was active in the Zimmerwald Anti-War Movement during

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 ...

. Guilbeaux was a prominent figure in a group of intellectuals in Geneva who opposed continuation of the war. Another member of the group was his friend Stefan Zweig, whose poems he translated into French. Zweig nonetheless criticizes him in " Die Welt von Gestern," saying that he "was not a gifted person" and that "I must frankly denominate his literary ability as inconsiderable. His command of language was not more than average; his education was not profound. His entire power lay in controversy." However, Zweig praises his talent for writing polemics. He published a magazine called "'' Demain''", that became a point of reference for all who were against the war.

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian M ...

and

Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky (russian: Анато́лий Васи́льевич Лунача́рский) (born Anatoly Aleksandrovich Antonov, – 26 December 1933) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Bolshevik Soviet People' ...

all published in the paper. Because of his political credo and his strong personality, he was judged by default in France and sentenced to death but managed to escape to Russia with the help of Lenin. He became a Communist and was active in the Comintern. He later opposed

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

and supported

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

. Becoming more politically isolated and distant from the French communist movement in the final years of his life, he showed public support for the regime of Bentio Mussolini and collaborated with the French secret services.P. Broué, ''Histoire de l'Internationale Communiste. 1919-1943'', Fayard, 1997, p. 58, 88 et 1010 Pardoned by the French justice, he died, almost forgotten, in Paris in 1938.

External links

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''Demain'' on Worldcat

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guilbeaux, Henri Comintern people French Trotskyists French communists 1938 deaths 1885 births