Louis Bouët
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Louis Bouët (6 April 1880 - 9 July 1969) was a French teacher and
anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...
. He played a leading role in the National Federation of Teachers' Unions and in the socialist party. He was briefly a member of the steering committee of the
French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...
. For many years he edited the pedagogical review '' L'Ecole Emancipée'' (The Emancipated School), which he had founded.


Early years

Louis Bouët was born on 6 April 1880 in Montfaucon-sur-Moine, Maine-et-Loire, from
Cholet Cholet (, probably from Latin ''cauletum'', "cabbage") is a commune of western France, in the Maine-et-Loire department. With 54,307 inhabitants (2019), it is the second most populous commune of Maine-et-Loire, after the prefecture, Angers. ...
. His father was a shoemaker and café operator, with little money and less faith. A great uncle in the church offered to pay his fees if he entered the minor seminary to become a priest, but Bouët was not a believer and wanted to become a teacher. He managed to gain admission in 1897 to the ''École normale'' in
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
. He was influenced by the headmaster who was a socialist and supporter of Dreyfus. After leaving school Bouët was assigned to
Trélazé Trélazé () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. Population See also *Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 176 communes of the Maine-et-Loire department of France F ...
and then
Saumur Saumur () is a Communes of France, commune in the Maine-et-Loire Departments of France, department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgu ...
, where he stayed for two years before being called up for military service. While at Saumur he spent time with Émile Masson who told him about libertarian doctrines. He met Gabrielle Dechezelles, an accountant in a wholesale grocery, and helped her prepare for her ''Brevet élémentaire'' examination. With a small inheritance he was able to return to college and earn his Brevet supérieur. He married Gabrielle and they were to have three children.


Union activist

In 1905 the Louis Bouët signed the manifesto of the teachers' union. Bouët joined the socialist party, the '' Section Française de l'Internationale Ouvrière'' (SFIO) in 1906. His revolutionary syndicalist views did not prevent Bouet from joining the socialist party, where he often defended " Hervéiste" concepts. In 1908 the Maine-et-Loire teachers' syndicate, led by Louis Bouët, advocated the organization of joint conferences of civil servants and workers. This had been explicitly forbidden, and charges were laid against the leaders. Bouët revived the revolutionary spirit of the Federation of Teachers' Unions when he launched the pedagogical review '' L'Ecole Emancipée (The Emancipated School)'' in 1910. After the congress of Chambéry in 1912 Bouët drew up the manifesto of unionized teachers. In 1913 the existence of the syndicate was threatened by the government.
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 ...
(July 1914 - November 1918) caused many socialists to abandon their internationalist principles and accept the patriotic cause. Bouët stood firm to his principles. On 15 August 1915 a pacifist resolution was presented at the CGT's national congress at the initiative of
Alphonse Merrheim Alphonse Adolphe Merrheim (7 May 1871 – 23 October 1925) was a French copper smith and trade union leader. Early years Alphonse Adolphe Merrheim was born on 7 May 1871 in La Madeleine, Nord, a suburb of Lille. He became a coppersmith, and adop ...
and Albert Bourderon, signed by several militants of the federation of teachers' unions including Bouet,
Fernand Loriot Fernand Loriot (; 10 October 1870 – 12 October 1932) was a French teacher who was active in forming the teachers' union. He took a pacifist stance during World War I. He was one of the founders of the French Communist Party. Early years Loriot ...
, Louis Lafosse,
Marie Guillot Marie Guillot (9 September 1880, Damerey – 5 March 1934) was a teacher in Saône-et-Loire and a pioneer of trade unionism in primary education. She associated the social emancipation that syndicalism would bring with the empowerment of women. ...
,
Marie Mayoux Marie Mayoux (24 April 1878 – 16 June 1969) was a French teacher, revolutionary syndicalist, pacifist and libertarian. She and her husband François Mayoux were imprisoned during World War I (1914–18) for her pacifist activities. Life Early ...
, Marthe Bigot and
Hélène Brion Hélène Brion (27 January 1882 – 31 August 1962) was a French teacher, feminist, socialist and communist. She was one of the leaders of the French teachers' union. During World War I (1914–18) she was arrested for distributing pacifist propag ...
. The resolution said "this war is not our war" and laid responsibility on the leaders of the belligerent states. The resolution denounced the ''
union sacrée The Sacred Union (, ) was a political truce in the French Third Republic in which the left-wing agreed during World War I not to oppose the government or call any strikes. Made in the name of patriotism, it stood in opposition to the pledge made ...
'' and called for the restoration of liberty. In the period immediately after the war Bouët played a decisive role in the teachers' federation. At the congress of the National Federation of Teachers' Unions in August 1919 the organization took the name ''Fédération des Membres de l'Enseignement Laïque'' (FMEL: Federation of Lay Teachers)', since it was in favor of a single union for all types of teachers. Bouet was designated secretary general. He laid the foundations for an International of Education. Due to his union activities, Louis Bouët and his wife were dismissed from their teaching jobs from 8 August 1920 to 1925. Bouët represented Maine-et-Loire at the 3rd International's congress at
Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...
in December 1920. He confirmed his syndicalist views, and would not accept that one organization should be subject to another.
Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...
, whom he had met in August 1916, encouraged him to accept a leadership position in the communist party. At the December 1921 congress in
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
he was appointed to the steering committee, but he resigned on 8 February 1922.


Journalist

From April 1922 to 1936 Bouët was in charge of the ''l'École Émancipée''. The Politburo decided to offer Bouët a position as general secretary of ''
l'Humanité (; ) is a French daily newspaper. It was previously an organisation of the SFIO, ''de facto'', and thereafter of the French Communist Party (PCF), and maintains links to the party. Its slogan is "In an ideal world, would not exist." History ...
'' in April 1924 after
Alfred Rosmer Alfred Rosmer (born Alfred Griot, 23 August 1877 – 6 May 1964) was an American-born French communist political activist and historian who was a leading member of the Comintern. Rosmer is best remembered as a political associate of Leon Trotsky a ...
had resigned, but it seems that he turned the position down. Bouet privately expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the Communist party given the evolution of Russia under Stalin, and devoted himself to editing ''l'École Émancipée''. Louis Bouët left the Communist party around 1927. In 1930 he joined the ''
Cercle Communiste Démocratique Cercle is French for ''circle''. It can refer to: * Circle (administrative division) * Cercle (French colonial), an administrative unit of the French Overseas Empire * Cercle (Mali), the Malian administrative unit ** The specific Cercles of Mali ...
'' (Democratic Communist Circle) of Boris Souvarine. During
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 - 1945), in June 1940 Louis Bouët was arrested and interned in the
Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...
for eight months. After the Liberation of France in 1944 he helped to relaunch ''l'École Émancipée'', and remained involved with the journal for the rest of his life. He died on 9 July 1969 in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, aged 89.


Bibliography

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References

Citations Sources * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouet, Louis 1880 births 1969 deaths 20th-century anarchists Anarcho-syndicalists French anarchists French communists French schoolteachers French syndicalists French trade union leaders Libertarian socialists People from Maine-et-Loire