Henri Guilbeaux

{{Expand German|topic=bio|date=March 2022}}{{Expand French|topic=bio|date=March 2022}} {{Short description|French socialist}} thumb|Henri Guilbeaux in 1919 '''Henri Guilbeaux''' (1885–1938) was a French socialist politician and poet. He was active in the Zimmerwald Anti-War Movement during World War I.

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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zweig |first=Stefan |title-link=The World of Yesterday |title=The World of Yesterday: an Autobiography |date=1964 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |location=Lincoln, Neb. |oclc=17332726}}</ref> Lenin, Trotsky and Lunacharsky all published in the paper.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GUILBEAUX Henri, Louis, Émile. Pseudonymes : James BURKLEY, CARTIGNY, (...) - Maitron|url=https://maitron.fr/?article114483|access-date=2021-04-30|website=maitron.fr}}</ref> 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 and supported Leon Trotsky.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Henri Guilbeaux (1884-1938)|url=https://data.bnf.fr/en/12746661/henri_guilbeaux/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=data.bnf.fr|language=en}}</ref> 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 Benito Mussolini and collaborated with the French secret services.<ref>P. Broué, ''Histoire de l'Internationale Communiste. 1919-1943'', Fayard, 1997, <abbr>p.</abbr> 58, 88 et 1010</ref> Pardoned by the French justice, he died, almost forgotten, in Paris in 1938.

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Henri Guilbeaux}} * {{Librivox author |id=10643}} * [https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/214618018 ''Demain'' on Worldcat]

==References== {{Reflist}}

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