Jacques Julliard

Jacques Julliard is a French intellectual journalist and, historian of formation and trade-union former head.

Biography

It was born on April 4th, 1933 with Brénod, a commune of the high Bugey whose his/her father and his grandfather had been mayors. In this family of notable buildings enriched by the wine trade, it bathes in a republican medium of radical tradition , even anticlerical. But it follows nevertheless the Catéchisme under the influence of a mother Catholique, practicing but critical with regard to the Église.

Raise with the college Nantua, it enters in Khâgne to the Lycée of the Park to Lyon in 1950. Two close relations of Mounier then mark it among its professors. Initially, Jean Lacroix, collaborator of Spirit and philosopher personalist not hiding his interest for Proudhon. Then, the chaplain of the khâgne, Lucien Mills, which teaches a mixture of christology and reflection on the political insertion of the religion. But the readings of Marx, Proudhon, Pascal, Kant and Lagneau remain dominating at a spirit which is defined then as “catho-proudhonien”. Politically uncommitted, Pacifist Anticommunist but neither , nor antiaméricain, it founds a club of reflection which, falling under the mobility of the Observer , enables him to become acquainted with Gilles Martinet.

In 1954, it integrates the National university street of Ulm as Germanist. Put in contact with Spirit by the means of Jean Lacroix, it integrates the following year the authorities of the review and in particular its political group where it crosses Pierre Viansson-Ponté, Olivier Chevrillon, Claude Bourdet or Michel Crozier. It there contracts positions anticolonialists and is waked up with the question of the Impérialisme and the “Soviet Totalitarisme” . But if he is “fellow traveller” of various catholic movements of left, there remains opposite with the part which the Church in the political company can play. He prefers to invest himself in the Syndicalisme studied with the UNEF where, following a voyage in Algérie (1955), he succeeds Robert Chapuis at the post of vice-president to the businesses of overseas.

In 1956, it leaves the UNEF to chair the national conference coed for the solution of the Algerian problem. Thus it comes into contact with Paul Vignaux which makes it enter to SGEN and take part in the Reconstruction group. This last is, with Esprit and the UNEF, the third principal place of sociability where its intellectual and political formation is carried out. It in particular become acquainted there with Edmond Mayor, Eugene Descamps, Albert Détraz, Gilles Declercq or of Pierre Mendès France. In 1958, it obtains its Agrégation of history. It is then sent in September 1959 in Algeria where it is useful as officer of psychological action near the civil populations. Of return to Paris in May 1961, it is named professor of college with Chartres.

The following year marks, with its nomination as secretary of the SGEN for the second degree and its entry with CNRS as attache of research, the beginning of a double course (university/trade unionist) which does not attach its mental activities. On the university level, it is accommodated in the group made up around Ernest Labrousse and that of the review the Social movement which includes/understands, inter alia, Annie Kriegel, Madeleine Rebérioux, Jacques Ozouf and Jean Maitron. It launches out in a thesis on the revolutionary trade unionism. On the trade-union level, it becomes semi permanent and militates near Paul Vignaux for the deconfessionnalisation of the CFTC. Lastly, on the intellectual level, it is invested with the review Esprit with, inter alia, an article on “the morals in question” (n°310, October 1962) and of the chronicles on the trade union movement, the crisis of the UNEF or the evolution of the Communist party. It is besides by Esprit that it côtoie the Club Jean Moulin without adhering to it of fear to be badly seen with the CFTC.

The year 1965 sees it being detached from the basic research to go to teach one year with the Institut of political studies of Bordeaux and to integrate - thanks to Jean-Marie Domenach - the Threshold as director of the “Political” collection. The following year, it leaves CNRS to teach at the same time with the Institut of political studies of Paris as lecturer and with the Sorbonne as assistant of modern history. That does not prevent it from taking an active part, in 1967, with the internal debates with the CFDT on its relationship with the political parties, defending an autonomous strategy ardently. In May 68, it takes part, like representative of the CFDT in the Sorbonne, the events and the discussions, seeming there a moderate element of the dispute. But its support for the latter causes its rupture with Paul Vignaux and its resignation, a few months later, of its national office of the SGEN. It however seems moderate when in September 1968, it founds with Jacques Ozouf the department history of the University center of Vincennes. Promoted lecturer co-opting member of the core charged to recruit the teachers, it makes come his friend Michel Winock. But this year 1968 also sees it starting to teach with the Training center of the journalists (CFJ) and to publish Naissance and dead Fourth Republic (Calmann-Levy), its second book after Clemenceau, strikebreaker (Julliard, 1965). If not, it maintains a collaboration active with the review Esprit , in particular through chronicles of interior policy.

It is besides by these last that he is noticed by André Gorz and is presented by the latter to Jean Daniel to collaborate in the Nouvel Observateur . As of its first interview with the director of the drafting a deep intellectual complicity appears which leads immediately to a proposal for a collaboration to the newspaper.
Indeed, if it had already published a criticism in 1967, its collaboration starts in December 1969 to take a more constant rate/rhythm in 1973. This year it ceased its courses with CFJ and integrated the confederal office of the CFDT like representative of SGEN. Underlining the political dead end of the gauchism like PSU, it supports and takes part in the processes of Sitted of socialism until its adhesion with the PS in 1974. He greets besides the works of Michel Rocard ( Questions at the socialist State , 1973), Robert Chapuis ( the Christians and socialism , 1976) and Patrick Viveret ( Attention Illich , 1976), political friend with which, within the review Faire , he sticks to the ideological modernization of the party starting from 1975.

It intervenes also episodically on the University and the CFDT, supporting the step of its direction at the time of Bases of socialism or the congress of 1979. As from September 1977, it replaces Jacques Ozouf for the analysis of the political surveys but remains external with the political service, its interventions especially taking the form of platforms and Leitartikeces on the political situation. He plays also a leading role in the intellectual debates which the newspaper shelters. Thus, it launches the debate on the Nouvelle philosophy (May 1977) and on “the third world and the left” (June 5th 1978), takes part in that on the Iranian Révolution (December 1978), the boycott of the Olympic Games of Moscow (February 1980) and concludes that on the French Idéologie (March 1981).

Passing sometimes in the literary pages like criticism of tests, it attempts to make known Arendt, Sorel, Proudhon, Péguy or Gramsci. Apart from books of history, he greets also the works of “friends” - personal or of the newspaper - as Pierre Vidal-Naquet ( the Platform in the Republic , 1972), Maurice Clavel (Parishioners of License, 1974), Roger Priouret ( mystified French , 1974), or André Gorz ( Adieux with the proletariat , 1980). But in March 1981, it does not hesitate to criticize with force the French Ideology of Bernard-Henri Levy and to be caught some with the role of “spiritual adviser” played by Jean Daniel. Lastly, it sometimes happens to him to make interviews of historians (Roy Ladurie, Ferro) or of Mendès-France (March 4th 1978). The years 1977/1978 sees it being detached from its trade-union activities and leading to the profit of the university and journalistic spheres.

Thus, after having left its confederal functions with the CFDT with the congress of 1976, it presents its candidature the following year for EHESS. Directing elected official of studies in 1978, it tends to less collaborating in the review Esprit even if he is member of the editorial board installed with the new formula in 1977. Conversely, it is invested with the Nouvel Observateur where it is named leader-writer in July 1978 in company of André Gorz, Roger Priouret and Claude Roy. There do not remain about it less not very present at the newspaper.

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