A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #366 - Culture - Reading: Michel Cordillot, "1864-1880, The First International in France" (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

A historian specializing in social history, Michel Cordillot has written 
a book in the same rigorous vein as his previous work on the Paris 
Commune. This time, he explores the history of the First International 
between 1864 and 1880. His study is limited to France, but he does not 
neglect its interactions with international groups. ---- His work, in an 
encyclopedic style, is enriched by a wealth of biographies of activists, 
many of which are drawn from the Commune 1871 website and the pages of 
the Maitron biographical dictionary. Thus, it is possible to browse 320 
entries, alphabetically integrated into the book's sections. These 
biographies break up the rhythm of the research and lighten the text. 
The book is organized into thematic and biographical sections. The 48 
thematic pages allow the reader to grasp the complex history of the 
International Workingmen's Association (IWA) in France by examining 
certain aspects of its activities and the intensity of the debates. They 
are grouped into six sub-sections that structure the history of the 
First International. It begins, as expected, with the founding of the 
IWA and its early days in France.

Referring to the political and social situation of the time, the book 
then explores the first conflicts with the imperial power and the 
difficulties the organization faced, culminating in the threat of its 
demise. Next comes the most dramatic and instructive period: the 
Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune. This is followed by an 
examination of the realities of the internationalist movement's presence 
in France. The author offers a critical analysis that goes beyond the 
myths perpetuated by the various protagonists. Finally, the book covers 
the last years of this remarkable human endeavor.

Michel Cordillot, and this is perhaps what is most compelling about his 
work, focuses on the plural and multifaceted expressions of the 
International Workingmen's Association (IWA), expressions of the 
diversity of the activists who animated it. He does not approach this 
multifaceted adventure solely from the perspective of the political and 
ideological debates of the most well-known and publicized figures in 
history. He seeks to understand the perspectives from both the 
grassroots and the elite, highlighting the multiplicity of individual 
paths. He strives to bring to light the exchanges, reflections, and 
myths conveyed by socialist, communist, and anarchist organizations, as 
well as by the anxieties and fears of the opposing camp. The latter 
attributed to the IWA imaginary hidden resources and masses of members.

Michel Cordillot evokes the debates that divided internationalists on 
the question of politics, without dwelling on the controversy 
surrounding the principles. That is not his focus. He aims to highlight 
the values that united more than those that divided. One need only 
browse the sections entitled "Taking Stock" or "Debates and 
Controversies," which are very useful for demystifying.

This remarkable organization, this direct expression of the working 
class's political capacity, had a short lifespan of about ten years. To 
situate it chronologically, Michel Cordillot extends his analysis to a 
few years before its creation and continues it up to the founding of the 
Second International, questioning in passing the relevant year for 
determining the International's demise. He reminds us that the 
International owes nothing to Karl Marx for its creation; the initiative 
came from French workers who went to London in 1864 to lay its 
foundations. The initial decision rested with the English and French 
trade unionists who initiated its creation.

An easy-to-read and information-rich book that invites further 
reflection on this era, so full of lessons about the role of political 
parties, trade union issues, and the autonomy of the social movement. 
Many thanks for having addressed so many topics and brought to light the 
forgotten men and women who contributed to and left us a significant 
chapter in social history.

Dominique Sureau (UCL Angers)

Michel Cordillot, 1864-1880: The First International in France. Its 
History, Its Establishment, Its Activists, L'Atelier, April 2025, 712 
pages, EUR29.50.

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Lire-Michel-Cordillot-1864-1880-La-Premiere-Internationale-en-France
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