Cultura de Canadá

See also: Humanity (homonymy), Huma (homonymy)

Humanity is a Journal French communist, founded in 1904 by the leader Socialiste Jean Jaurès. Central body of the French Communist party of 1920 to 1994, it remains very close to the PCF in spite of the opening of its pages to other components of the left.

History of the newspaper

Birth of the socialist daily newspaper Humanity (1904)

The first number of Humanity appears on April 18th, 1904. For Jean Jaurès his founder, this new socialist daily newspaper (subtitle of the newspaper " daily newspaper socialiste") must be initially a tool for the unification of the French socialist movement and thereafter one of the levers of the revolutionary fight against capitalism.

In its first leading article, Jaurès wishes to fix two operating rules at its new newspaper: the search for " wide information and exacte" to give " with all the free intelligences the means of including/understanding and of judging themselves events of the monde" , and financial independence.

The Humanity of Jaurès (1904-1914)

During its birth in 1904, Humanity represents only part of the French socialist movement. Within its drafting appear in particular Rene Viviani, Aristide Briand, Leon Blum, Jean Longuet, Lucien Herr, Jean Allemane, Octave Mirbeau, Henry de Jouvenel, Abel Hermant and Albert Thomas.

The unification of the French Socialists within SFIO in 1905 opens the newspaper with the whole of the French socialist movement (in particular with the Guesdistes). In 1911, SFIO makes of Humanity her official body to the congress of Saint Quentin. In the more and more tended international context of the beginning of the XXe century, the newspaper of Jaurès defends resolutely of the pacifist positions in agreement with the internationalism of the socialist movement. The newspaper is also very present in the combat for secularity and wants to be the defender of the working class.

These the first ten years are difficult economically for the newspaper. After a successful launch with: 140000 specimens, the newspaper fall to: 15000 specimens in 1905. It goes up then slowly with: 80000 specimens in 1912.

During the summer 1914, the life of the newspaper is completely upset by two closely dependant events:

Humanity and the First World War (1914-1920)

The release of the war, the death of Jean Jaurès and the rallying of the majority of the French socialist directors to the Sacred union brutally transform the newspaper during the summer 1914.

Pierre Renaudel succeeds Jaurés and chooses a leading line favorable to the war in the name of the defense of the Republic. According to the historian Alexandre Courban, the newspaper is then taken under triple forced:

  • forced official with the censure.
  • forced partisane, (the majority Socialists favorable to the war impose their line).
  • economic constraint because of rationing.

Finally in October 1918, Pierre Renaudel is replaced with the head of Humanity by Marcel Cachin. This change translates the catch of increasing distance from the Socialists with the Sacred union.

Humanity: body of the French Communist party during the inter-war period (1920-1939)

The year 1920 is a new turning for Humanity. Indeed at the time of the Congress of Turns of SFIO, two thirds of the delegates vote adhesion with the Internationale Communist, transforming SFIO into SFIC (later Communist party). The newspaper follows the majority and thus becomes the official body of the young person PCF.

During this period, the leading line of the newspaper follows the political line of the PCF. In the Twenties, the newspaper conducts an intense campaign against the Guerre of Rif. In 1926, Paul Valiant-Dressmaker becomes editor association. Under its direction in the years 1930, the newspaper exceeds the 300.000 specimens in particular at the beginning of the Popular front. Humanity insists then on the Antifascisme, the defense of the Spanish Republic and preaches the model of the the USSR of Stalin.

As a central body of the PCF, Humanity is at the same time a tool for mobilization of the militants and a newspaper of information. Another characteristic of Humanity is the place which plays the readers in the life of the newspaper. They are often used as contributors (rabcors, corresponding workmen) or like diffusers (within the CDH, defense committee of Humanity). To meet its financial needs, the newspaper creates in 1930 the Fête of Humanity.

Humanity in the Resistance during the Second world war (1939-1945)

August 27th, 1939 the government Daladier interdict of publication Humanity after the advertisement of the Pact germano-Soviet. This prohibition confirmed thereafter by the authority of Vichy and the German occupant obliges the newspaper with clandestinity until the release of 1944 (in spite of the request rejected for made republication in June 1940 near the authorities of German occupations, initiative, repudiated by many militants then by the International Communist, which had initially let it make).

Humanity appears clandestinely during five years (383 diffused numbers with 200.000 specimens) playing a big role in the Résistance. Many journalists of its drafting perished in the fight against the occupant Nazi, like Gabriel Péri, appointed Seine-et-Oise, person in charge of its international heading, which was shot the December 15th 1941 with the Mont Valérien. The newspaper reappears freely the August 21st 1944 during the insurrection of Paris.

The Humanity of 1945 to 1994

After 1945, Humanity joins again with the situation of the Entre-deux-guerres. Central body of the PCF, its line leading follows the line of the party and interferes information and countryside mobilization.

In the context of Cold war, the newspaper is obviously prosovietic. November 7th, 1956, whereas the international situation is extremely tightened (revelation of the XX {{E}} congress of the Communist party of the Soviet Union on Stalinism, Soviet intervention in Hungary, Crise of Suez Canal and Guerre of Algeria) the seat of Humanity (and the central committee of PCF) is attacked by a crowd of militants of right-hand side who try to set fire to it. In front of inertia even the complicity of the police force, the building is defended by the personnel of the newspaper and the militants of PCF. These attacks make three dead. When the Red Army enters to Hungary, in November 1956, the newspaper titrates: “Budapest finds the smile”.

In parallel, the newspaper is daily French to only support everywhere in the world the liberation struggles main road (Décolonisation) what is worth many prohibitions of publication to him in particular during the wars of Indo-China and of Algérie. The articles of Madeleine Riffaud on the Guerre of Algeria, which were worth to him an attempt at attack of OAS, then on the war of Vietnam since the maquis Vietcong illustrate its positions well.

In 1945, the newspaper draws with 400.000 specimens and is the figurehead of the communist press. Its diffusion declines then (150 000 specimens in 1972,107000 specimens in 1986) parallel to the decline of the influence of the PCF and with the crisis of the daily press.

The Humanity of 1994 with today

After the congress of the French Communist party (1994), the mention “body central of PCF” is replaced by “newspaper of PCF”. At the time of a new formula in 1999, the mention of the bond with the party is removed. PCF remains according to the statutes “the editor” of the newspaper but its direction does not chair officially any more the development of its leading line. The militants of PCF remain however very implied in the diffusion of the newspaper (primarily through the militant sale of Humanity Sunday ).

After having dropped below: 70000 specimens, it is one of the rare daily newspapers to rectify its audience today; its fragile survival is ensured by the financing of private groups, although that does not open decisional capacity to them on the newspaper.

The question of the survival of the newspaper in its daily form is always outstanding.

Some “Ones”

The fight antifascist

  • November 10th 1926: Valiant-Dressmaker and “Humanity” Continued for insult with Mussolini!

  • January 31st 1933: Results of the policy of the “less evil” - Hitler chancellor! - Flanked Von Papen and of Hugenberg, the chief of the fascistic assassins chairs the government of terror antiouvrière, misery and the Guerre
  • February 13rd 1934: The unit of action will stop the Fascisme
  • March 8th: Peace in danger! … Hitler denounces the Traité of Locarno
  • August 26th 1936: For Spanish freedom, French safety… Let us shout: “Of the Plane S for the Spain! ”…
  • October 5th 1938: In the name of the communist group Gabriel Péri denounced… the ashamed Diktat of Munich
  • August 25th 1939: The action of the Soviet Union by the non-aggression pact with Germany contributes to harden general peace
  • August 26th 1940 (clandestine edition): Capitalism brings back humanity to cruelty… To empty the prisons and the Concentration camps, Unisons us!

The support for the liberation movements main road

  • March 9th 1949: Dirty the Guerre of Vietnam continues - It is there the result most clearly of the agreement Auriol - Bao-Dai

  • October 22nd 1950: Immediate peace is possible with the Vietnam
  • August 24th 1955 (special edition): Because she tells to the truth on the events of North Africa “SEIZED HUMANITY” THIS MORNING
  • June 19th 1976: The Raciste S South-Africans break out
  • May 6th 1988: The colonial order reigns with Noumea

The support for the fights of the workers

  • February 25th 1931: Require work or Pain! Today February 25th, express!

  • May 13rd 1968: Interdependent workers and students against repression, for the defense of freedoms - General strike

Evolution of the relationship with the USSR

  • November 9th 1917: A coup d'etat in Russia - Maximalist Masters with Pétrograd - Kerensky was deposited

  • August 14th 1920: For the Russian Revolution - Call to the Proletariat
  • November 2nd 1922: Live the Russian Revolution! ( the advent of the Bolchevism , leading article of Leon Trotsky)
  • November 16th 1927: Discipline revolutionary - the exclusion of Trotsky and Zinoviev
  • March 10th 1931: The lawsuit of Moscow - the supreme court pronounced its sentence
  • August 25th 1939: The action of the Soviet Union by the non-aggression pact with Germany contributes to harden general peace
  • August 26th 1939 (the newspaper is interdict starting from this edition): Union of the French Nation against the attacker hitlérien… The pact of Moscow causes the division of the block of the fascistic warmongers
  • March 19th 1949: The Atlantic pact of anti-Soviet aggression is published
  • March 6th, 1953: Mourning for all the people, large Stalin died
  • March 10th 1953: Imposing funerals of the chief, the friend, the brother of all the workers - To continue the work of Stalin for the construction of Communism and the Peace…
  • September 16th 1959: Khrouchtchev “thaws out” Washington
  • August 22nd, 1968: Five socialist countries intervene militarily in Czechoslovakia - the French Communist party expresses its surprise and its reprobation
  • August 20th 1991: Mikhaïl Gorbatchev brutally évincé of the capacity - the USSR: CONCERN

Humanity today

A militant newspaper

Humanity asserts values of its founder Jean Jaurès, who put the fight for the Paix, the “communion with the Labor movement” and independence vis-a-vis the “lobbys” in the middle of its priorities. It on the other hand moved away from him on the unit of the socialist movement: Jaurès wished, in 1904, to maintain to him the unit of the Socialists within the newspaper. Until in the Years 1990, the Humanité supported all the campaigns carried out by the Communist party. Today, it lines up among the door words of the movements, associations, and left which claim “Gauche antilibérale”. It took an active part in the campaign of “not left” in 2005, at the time of the referendum on the European Constitutional treaty draft.

Life of a daily newspaper of opinion

Today, as all the newspapers of opinion which receive in France only one very weak share of the advertizing budgets, for which the State grants is in reduction and whose expenses of station particularly increased in the years 1990, the economic situation is very unfavourable and of the regular calls to the support militant are necessary to avoid the disappearance of the Journal.

Thus, in great financial problems, it opened its capital with its association of readers (Friends of Huma), but also with TF1 and the Groupe Lagardere. The drafting preserves nevertheless all its leading independence. The symbols of the sickle and the hammer disappeared from the One, and “Huma” is not any more the official body of the French Communist party. It in addition calls upon the generous givers to help it to face its financial problems.

The newspaper organizes each year its festival, the Fête of Humanity to Courneuve.

Special issues and supplements

  • Humanity Sunday : weekly magazine sold in a militant way on the markets and in the public places. Is today in kiosk as of Thursday.

  • the French Letters : directed a long time by Louis Aragon, this literary review of quality is directed by Jean Ristat, his friend and poet himself. Published in insert first Saturday of the month.
  • Communist : bond of exchanges and communication bound for the militants. This eight-pages inserted in the daily newspaper is published each Wednesday.
  • Free trade: a page reserved to the young people who wish it and send articles to the newspaper. Thursday appears.
  • the Humanity of the debates : every saturday, under the responsibility of editor association, leader-writer and chronicler Jean-Emmanuel Ducoin, publishes debates, platforms and free expression on political subjects and of company.

Internet site

Internet site of Humanity proposes all the editions of the newspaper, free with a day of delay on the version paper. It also contains all the posterior files digitized with the creation of the site (in February 2006: 347000 articles since February 2nd, 1990). The free provision of the files is a political will of opening of the direction of the newspaper, just as the choice of the free software for this site (SPIP, FreeBSD,…).

Reference mark, references, bonds and notes

Lists of the leaders of the newspaper

Directors

Editor associations (since 1926)

References and bonds

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