Maurice Joyeux

Submitted by syndicalist on April 1, 2019

Looking for on-line (if possible) links on the French anarchist Maurice Joyeux. I'm particularly interested in his post WW II role with the French Anarchist Federation's its labor union commission and the debates and battle to develop an anarcho-syndicalist stance in post-war/cold war France.

My curiosity was sparked after reading this informative chapter "How and Why the French Anarchists Rallied to the CGT-FO (1947–1950)" Alternative Libertarire militant Guillaume Davranche.

The chapter appears in "New Perspectives on Anarchism, Labour and Syndicalism: The Individual, the National and the Transnational", Edited by David Berry and Constance Bantman. PDF version on Libcom:
https://files.libcom.org/files/David_Berry_and_Constance_Bantman,_David_Berry,_Constance_Bantman_New_perspectives_on_anarchism,_labour_and_syndicalism__the_individual,_the_national_and_the_transnational.pdf

Also looking for any links to French CNT-AIT information/perspectives from this immediate post-WW 2 period as well.

BigFluffyTail

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by BigFluffyTail on April 1, 2019

Maurice Joyeux was an anarcho-syndicalist and well known anti-marxist (of any kind). There's a bit on him in the recent Voyage en outre-gauche by Lola Miesseroff. Many young anarchists who discovered Marx's critique of capitalism through the situationists came into conflict with him. L'Hydre de Lerne ou la maladie infantile de l’anarchie is the text where Joyeux attacks what he saw as a "plot" against FA (Fédération Anarchiste): situationists and libertarian communists too close to Marx. Splits and exclusions occurred from this. The connection you mention Maurice Joyeux (sometimes parodied as Grincheux) had with FO (Force Ouvrière) didn't help. Do not confuse the text with L'Hydre de Lerne, a review created by those who left the old FA. The title of the review is obviously to mock him. I say old because one of the bigger problems seems to have been a divide between old members like Joyeux forming a power clique and younger, more servile members.

As evidenced by his text on the subject, he was in favor of workers' self-management of companies.

syndicalist

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on April 1, 2019

Thank you. I gather you must be referring to those surronding Georges Fontenis and the FCL?

BigFluffyTail

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by BigFluffyTail on April 1, 2019

No that stuff is older, pretty sure Lola Miesseroff is referring to 1967. Théorie Communiste actually made a chart. It's the last page.

Sike

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on April 2, 2019

There is a bit in the book Eyes to the South: French anarchists & Algeria about Joyeux and the Fédération Anarchiste. The relevant pages, 57 to 67, can be read on google books and the entire book is available here.

syndicalist

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on April 2, 2019

Thanks

Sike

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Sike on April 2, 2019

Your welcome.

Battlescarred

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on April 2, 2019

Read this discussion on Joyeux and his autobiography Sous Les Piis du Drapeau Noir (Under The Folds of the Black Flag (you'll need Google translate if you don't speak French)

http://forum.anarchiste-revolutionnaire.org/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=565&sid=7ade57a9f19cecc08256973d329bce3b
Sous Les Plis... is not available online

Battlescarred

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on April 2, 2019

But you can find a fair bit of Joyeux here :
http://www.antimythes.fr/individus/joyeux_maurice/joyeux_maurice.html
You'll find some interesting stuff about Pierre Besnard and syndicalist perspectives at this link

I met him in early 1970s when I went to a meeting of the Groupe Louise Michel (part of the FA) in Paris.
The main character Fred Barthélemy,in the novel Mémoire des vaincus by Michel Ragon is partly based on Joyeux

BigFluffyTail

5 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by BigFluffyTail on April 2, 2019

I was given positive feedback on La Mémoire des vaincus I need to read it someday