Politician and orator Jean Jaurès became famous for his active struggle against colonialism and militarism of European powers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was assassinated by a French nationalist on the eve of the outbreak of the First World War. The identity of this man and his death have become symbols of pacifism throughout the world.
Thinker's Views
The future writer and thinker Jean Jaurès was born on September 3, 1859 in the city of Castres, which is located in the province of Languedoc. He was the son of an entrepreneur with little capital. The child studied in Paris, where he also received a higher education at the Pedagogical Institute. In 1881, he became a candidate of philosophical sciences.
The first few years of his independent life, Jean Jaures worked as a teacher at the University of Toulouse. Philosopher's worldview has changed over the years. In his youth, he was a supporter of idealism and did not recognize other concepts. However, over time, Jean Jaures leaned towards views close to Marxism. Because of this, his figure became popular in the USSR. Soviet textbooks on philosophy always included a chapter about this French thinker.
Socialist MP
Already in his youth, Jean Jaures became famous in the circles of the European intelligentsia. At first, his name was well known in Parisian salons, where they liked to discuss the secular news of the country. Jaurès soon showed himself to be a capable orator. He could interest any audience with his speeches, even those far from his views.
In the 80s articles began to be published all over the country, the author of which was Jean Jaurès. The biography of this man makes us understand that he was a thinker who had an excellent secular career and did not like to lock himself in his own office. From 1885 to 1898, with a short break of several years, he was a deputy. Public life captivated the young speaker.
Leader of the Left
The socialist circles of France received a new idol, which was Jean Jaures. Quotes from his speeches and articles were constantly featured in the programs of the "left" parties, which in various ways tried to get into power in European countries.
In the early 90s, Jaurès also worked as Deputy Mayor of Toulouse. In this government post, he directly encountered the everyday problems of the population, including the working class. In 1892, strikes began in the province, the most active participants of which were coal miners. Zhores tried to help the protesters, including publicly defending their interests. As a result, the coal miners made him their candidate for parliament, where he again got in 1893. The experience gained while working in Toulouse changed a lot in the views of Jaurès. He became even more "to the left." In parliament, he became a member of the faction of independent socialists, who dissociated themselves from anyparties.
Public career
At this time, all the socialist forces of France, despite some mutual disagreements, needed a single leader. They became Jean Jaures. The brief biography of this politician is an example of a person who has not stained himself by giving up his beliefs. Thanks to his talent as an orator, Jaurès made his supporters many prominent socialists, who, in turn, recognized his leadership. Among them was Jules Guesde. Jaurès' eloquence allowed him to enlist support even in bourgeois circles, where socialists were generally not liked.
In the last years of the 19th century, France followed the high-profile trial of Alfred Dreyfus. It was an officer of the French General Staff who was accused of spying for the German Empire. He was supported by many public figures and writers: Zola, Clemenceau and Jean Jaurès. In short, the socialist's point of view was not popular with his like-minded people. A split began among the "leftists". One of the parties to the conflict was led by Jean Jaurès. The orator lost another election in 1898. After leaving politics, he turned to journalism.
For several years, Zhores changed several publications. In 1904, he founded the newspaper L'Humanité, which was popular throughout France. Also, the publicist became an active figure in the socialist international, overseeing the cells of the movement in his country.
Pacifist
At this time, all over Europe became popularmilitaristic sentiments. At the end of the 19th century, a young German Empire appeared on the continent, united around Prussia. This happened after the war against France, in which the latter lost. At home, Zhores was dominated by revanchist sentiments. Many inhabitants of the country wanted to return the provinces lost after the war with Prussia. These were Alsace and Lorraine, important industrial regions populated by both French and Germans.
In addition, the government in Paris has been actively colonial for many years. It mainly spread to Africa. This mainland became a "pie", which was divided between powerful European powers: France, Great Britain, Germany, etc. At the same time, military alliances began to take shape, which were to play an important role in the approaching world war.
This policy had many opponents, including Jean Jaurès. The publicist's aphorisms often ridiculed the belligerence of the government in Paris. Jaurès was increasingly known as a pacifist rather than a socialist. In 1911, he took part in a special international congress which was held in Basel and was organized in order to work out solutions to stop the buildup of war hysteria in Europe.
On the eve of the war
In 1913, French President Raymond Poincaré proposed a new law to increase the term of service in the army to three years. There was no war yet, but society understood that it was approaching, and only a pretext was needed. Jaurès, in order to show the unpopularity of the decisionof the state, gathered in Paris an unprecedented pacifist rally, in which 150 thousand people took part.
In the spring of 1914, Zhores led a faction of socialists, which went to the parliamentary elections. This association has achieved great success, having received 102 seats. Once in parliament, the "leftists" immediately blocked the provision of a large loan to the authorities, which was necessary to increase military spending.
The murder of Zhores
In June, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was shot dead in Sarajevo. The killer turned out to be Serbian nationalist and terrorist Gavrilo Princip. Austria announced an ultimatum to the neighboring country. Throughout July, the European powers were preparing for an imminent war. During these days, Zhores continued to speak publicly, urging them to refrain from bloodshed. In France, as elsewhere, on the contrary, nationalism became popular, as well as militarism. The politician began to receive threats. On July 31, 1914, he was shot dead by a fanatic. It happened on the eve of the declaration of war.
Quotes and aphorisms
Jores became known for his wit and eloquence. Here are his quotes, which became classics during his lifetime:
- "A true patriot is one who speaks the truth even to his own country".
- "We should take fire from the past, not ashes."
- "Revolution is possible only where there is a conscience."
