League against the imperialism and colonial oppression

1927: Birth

The congress founder of the League against the imperialism and colonial oppression opens with the palate of Egmont with Brussels on February 10th 1927, in the presence of 175 delegated, of which 107 come from 37 colonial countries. The congress, which aims to the organization of a " anti-impérialiste movement of mass " on a world level, under the communist strategy falls moment. It confirms engagement, since 1924, of the Komintern in direction of " Orient" (colonial and semi-colonial countries), and the hard search for convergences with the International left wing of IIe.

The creation of this league, whose seat is fixed at Berlin then with London, is in particular related to the revolutionary great strides which the China makes since 1926 and with the efforts of the Internationale Communist to approach the Kuomintang, nationalist party which directs it.

As for the initiative, it emanates officially from various formations and personalities: African National Agree (A.N.C.) of South Africa, the North-African Star, Albert Einstein, Henri Barbusse, Jawaharlal Nehru, of pacifist like Gabrielle Duchêne, of Socialists of left like the English Fenner Brockway, members of the Ligue of the human rights like Victor Basch, etc the whole is orchestrated by a right-hand man of the Comintern, the German Willy Münzenberg.

Three points dominate the debates in Brussels: the fight of emancipation in China, interventions of the the United States in Latin America, the claims " nègres". Being these last, they are presented to the platform by the South-African Gumene, the Bloncour West-Indian, of the intercolonial Union, and Lamine Senghor. The president of the Defense committee of the negro race stops lengthily on the exactions made in Congo and concludes: " The exploltation imperialist has as a result the gradual extinction of African races. Their culture will be lost (...). For us, the fight against the imperialism is identical to the fight against the capitalisme." Messali Hadj, on its side, claims L “the total independence of the Algérie”.

A " Manifeste" is finally addressed “to all the colonial people and to the workers and to peasants of the world” inviting them to organize itself to fight " against the ideology imperialist ".

1926-1931: Difficulties

Been unaware of then boycotted by the Internationale Socialist (Longuet speaks about " vague chitchat soviétique"), the congress hardly appears more profitable Chinese side: the next April 12th, the Kuomintang enters to Shanghai and massacres there the Communists who opened the doors of them to him, just like it crushes in December the " Common of Canton ". The policy of alliance with the nationalists proclaimed by the League against the imperialism goes bankrupt.

Learning the lesson from the failure, the Life Congress of the Internationale Communist in 1928 transfers edge completely and denounces, within the framework of what it names " the third period of the movement ouvrier" (rebuilding on new bases of the capitalism of the post-war period imperialist), the " social-fascisme". Of course this change of course weighs extremely on IIe Congrès of the League joined together with Frankfurt at the end of July 1929. 84 delegated " country opprimés" there sit and the confrontation between Communists and " middle-class man nationals-réformistes" reached an extreme violence. Real life of the deeply affected organization in remainder: it vegetates until in 1935 VIIe Congrès of the international Communist grants to him in slide a discrete license to bury. Nehru is already excluded from it for " trahison" and Einstein, honorary president, démissonné because " in dissension with the policy pro-Arabic of the League in Palestine ". But especially the movement forever met " masses" hoped. It is remained business of intellectuals.

1932-1936: Final failure

The French section hardly exceeds the 400 members, counted in 1932 for a short period. As for some effective militants, they do not cease tearing between them. The secretary Jacques Ventadour declares as of May 1927 before the colonial commission of the PC, which it is about " to pluck the poultry of the anticolonialists sentimentaux" ? Undoubtedly it aims the " notabilities bourgeoises" who, like Romain Roland, Moro-Giafferi and Henry Torrès, Leon Werth or Georges Pioch have to see little with the strategists of the I.C. The more so as the Communists " coloniaux" shine by their absence. The only initiative of importance is a meeting origin on April 26th, 1927 in front of 6oo people, where speak Félicien Challaye in the name of the League of the human rights, Jean Zyromski, S.F.I.O of left, Paul Valiant-Dressmaker for the Communist party, Lamine Senghor and a representative of the Kuomintang. A test of reactivation in 1933, with the publication of the Newspaper of the oppressed people (13 numbers), of the calls in favor of the Tunisia NS (1934) and of the Ethiopia NS (1935) do not have more echo. The ultimate signs of life of the League, that the Communists entirely gave up, are a wise conference on the Hindu revolutionary movement, in February 1936 room of Reciprocity in Paris. For the history, the League remains despite everything the first temptation of international opposition to the colonial system . The project, initially erected scaffolding by the international Communist and his French branch to leave their insulation, failed in vain, the myth of a vast plot Bolshevik radio-controlled of Moscow through the Empire in reinforced fate.

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