Ravachol

François Claudius Koënigstein (his father, Jean-Adam Koënigstein, were of origin Dutchwoman), known as Ravachol (of the name of his/her mother, Marie), is militant and terrorist a anarchistic born the October 14th 1859 with Saint-Chamond (the Loire) and dead guillotine the July 11th 1892 with Montbrison.

Biography

Workman dyer, it makes live his mother, his sister and his brother, and deals with his nephew. Sunday, to survive, he plays of the accordion in balls with Saint-Etienne. After a difficult childhood, it starts to wander in the dark mediums as of its eight years. Before becoming a symbol of terrorist anarchism, it is continued for the aggression of a 93 year old old man that it strangles in order to steal it. Among its other offenses the profanation of the tomb of a rich person countess appears of which he thought of being able to extract from the jewels.

Attacks

Become anarchistic, Ravachol is the author of three attacks to dynamite against representatives of justice.

May 1st 1891, with Fourmies, a demonstration is held to obtain the eight hours day's works. Confrontations take place, the policemen shoot at crowd. The business shows nine dead among the demonstrators, of which women and children. The same day, with Clichy, in a procession to which take share of the anarchists, of the serious incidents burst following the intervention of the police force. After a short shooting during which agents are slightly wounded, three anarchists are brought to the police station of Clichy. One of them, Léveillé, is wounded by bullets. They there are questioned and forced with aggravated assault. A lawsuit (the Business of Clichy) follows, the prosecuting attorney Bulot claims the capital punishment for the three men. Two of the three anarchists are condemned to custodial sentences. Decamps is condemned to five years, Dardare at three years, Léveillé is discharged decide to pass to the action by organizing attacks.

Their target is initially the police station of Clichy which they plan to explode the March 7th 1892. But in front of the difficulties of approach, the latter give up. The March 11th 1892 the residence of the adviser Benoit, president of the sitted at the time of the business of Clichy explodes. The March 27th it is with the turn of the building where the prosecuting attorney resides Bulot, in charge of the public ministry, to be devastated.

Denounced by an employee of restaurant called Jules Lhérot, Ravachol is captured. In reprisals, the restaurant where works Lhérot explodes the lawsuit day before of Ravachol.

Decree on March 30th 1892 by the Dresch police chief for his attacks at the Véry restaurant to the 24, Boulevard of Magenta in the X {{E}} district of Paris, its lawsuit with the sitted takes place on April 26th. Ravachol is condemned to the life imprisonment, then, in a second lawsuit, he is condemned to died for three assassinations, including two for which its participation remains very doubtful. The murder of the hermit of Montbrison, of which he recognizes being the author, is the acknowledged consequence of the misery in which he démenait himself.

December 9th 1893, Auguste Vaillant throws a bomb with the French House of Commons to avenge it.

Myth

Ravachol became a myth of the desperate revolt. Songs were devoted to him, like Ravachole , on the air of the Carmagnole , or the song of Renaud Ravachol in homage.

The tintinophiles will recognize in him a insult several times uttered by the Capitaine Haddock.

Quotations

“If you want to be heureux
Name of dieu
Hang your owner,
Coup' priests in deux
Name of dieu
Insane églis' by terre
Blood-god!
And the good god dans
shit. ”
- The Duchêsne father, sung song the morning of the execution of Ravachol with Montbrison on July 11th, 1892.

Drawn from its declaration at the time of its lawsuit:

“If I speak, it is not to defend me of the acts which one shows me, because only the company, which, by its organization, puts the men in continual fight the ones against the others, is responsible. Indeed, is not seen it today in all the classes and in all the functions of the people who wish, I will not say death, because that sounds badly with the ear, but the misfortune of their similar, if that can get advantages to them. ”

“Which can it make that which misses of necessary while working, if it has suddenly been unemployed? It has only to be let die of hunger. Then one will throw some words of pity on his corpse. It is what I wanted to leave with others. I preferred to be made smuggler, counterfeiter, robber, murderer and assassin. I could have begged: it degrading and loose and is even punished by your laws which make an offense of misery. If all the needy ones, instead of waiting, took where there is and by any means, the satisfied ones would include/understand perhaps more quickly than there is danger to want to devote the current social state, where concern is permanent and at every moment threatened life. ”

“One will undoubtedly end more quickly up including/understanding than the anarchists are right when they say that to have moral and physical peace, it is necessary to destroy the causes which generate the crimes and the criminals: it is not by removing that which, rather than to die of a slow death in consequence of deprivation that it had and would have to support, without hope to see them finishing, prefers, if it has a little energy, to take violently what can ensure the wellbeing to him, even with the risk of its death which can be only one term with its sufferings. ”

“Which is it necessary then? To destroy misery, this germ of crime, by ensuring each one satisfaction of all the needs! And how much that is difficult to realize! It would be enough to establish the company on new bases where all would be joint, and where each one, producing according to its aptitudes and its forces, could consume according to its needs. Then one will not see any more of people like the hermit of Our-Lady-of-Grace and others to beg a metal of which they become the slaves and the victims! One will not see any more the women yielding their soft foods, like vulgar goods, in exchange of this same metal which very often prevents us from recognizing if the affection is really sincere. ”

“Yes, I repeat it: it is the company which makes the criminals, and sworn you, instead of striking them, you should employ your intelligence and your forces to transform the company. Blow, you would remove all the crimes; and your work, while attacking the causes, would be larger and more fertile than is not your justice which is reduced to punish the effects. ”

“I worked to live and make live mine ; as long as neither me nor mine suffered too much, I remained what you call honest. Then work missed, and with unemployment the hunger came. At this point in time this great natural law, this pressing voice which does not admit counterpart: the instinct of self-preservation, pushed me to make some of the crimes and offenses that you reproach me and of which I recognize being the author. ”

“Judge me, sworn Sirs, but if you included/understood me, by judging me judge all the unhappy ones whose misery, allied with the natural pride, made criminals, and of which the richness, whose ease even would have made decent people!”

“an intelligent company would have made people like everyone of them! ”

And the any last (apocryphal book?)

" Live D… " the chopper falls. It will not be known if he wanted to say " République" or " Révolution" …

See too

Anarchism ~ Direct action (political theory) ~ provocative Agent ~ Strike ~ General strike ~ Homicide ~ It ~ Insurrection ~ Propaganda ~ Propaganda by the fact ~ Taken again individual ~ Revolution ~ Risings, riots and revolts ~ Terrorism

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