''Le Petit Provençal'' (''The Little
Provençal'') 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
(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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(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 ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...
. 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,
René Viviani, 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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
(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 19 ...
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(1939–45), ''Le Petit Provençal'' called for support for the administrative commission of the ''
Confédération générale du travail
The General Confederation of Labour (, , 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 the largest in terms of votes in the Labour C ...
'' (General Confederation of Labor), which had condemned the
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, officially the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and also known as the Hitler–Stalin Pact and the Nazi–Soviet Pact, was a non-aggression pact between Nazi Ge ...
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
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...
in its entirety.
Shortly after the Vichy government of Marshal
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...
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 (, 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 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
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.
Notes
Sources
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External links
* (21 Issues online)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petit Provençal, Le
1880 establishments in France
French newspapers confiscated for collaboration
Newspapers established in 1880
Newspapers disestablished in 1944
French Third Republic
Mass media in Marseille
Daily newspapers published in France