Political activism Maurice Barrès

as young man, barrès carried romantic , individualist theory of ego politics ardent partisan of general boulanger, locating himself in more populist side of heterogenous boulangist coalition. directed boulangist paper @ nancy, , elected deputy in 1889, @ age of 27, under platform of nationalism, protectionism, , socialism , retaining seat in legislature until 1893, when defeated under etiquette of national republican , socialist (républicain nationaliste et socialiste). 1889, barrès activism overshadowed literary activities, although tried maintain both.

he shifted right-wing during dreyfus affair, becoming leading mouthpiece, alongside charles maurras, of anti-dreyfusard side. socialist leader léon blum tried convince him join dreyfusards, barrès refused , wrote several antisemitic pamphlets. wrote, dreyfus guilty, deduce not facts themselves, race. barrès anti-jewishness found roots both in scientific racial contemporary theories , on biblical exegesis.

he founded short-lived review la cocarde (the cockade) in 1894 (september 1894 – march 1895) defend ideas, attempting bridge gap between far-left , far-right. cocarde, nationalist, anti-parliamentarist , anti-foreign, included diverse collection of contributors wide variety of backgrounds (monarchists, socialists, anarchists, jews, protestants), including frédéric amouretti, charles maurras, rené boylesve , fernand pelloutier.

he again beaten during 1896 elections in neuilly, candidate of socialist leader jean jaurès, , again in 1897 nationalist antisemitic candidate, having broken left-wing during dreyfus affair.

barrès assumed leadership of ligue de la patrie française (league of french fatherland), before taking membership in ligue des patriotes (patriot league) of paul déroulède. in 1914, became leader of patriot league.

close nationalist writer charles maurras, founder of monarchist action française movement, barrès refused endorse monarchist ideas, although demonstrated sympathy throughout life action française. of later monarchist theorists (jacques bainville, henri vaugeois, léon daudet, henri massis, jacques maritain, georges bernanos, thierry maulnier...) have recognised debt toward barrès, inspired several generations of writers (among montherlant, malraux, mauriac , aragon).

barrès elected deputy of seine in 1906, , retained seat until death. sieged @ time among entente républicaine démocratique conservative party. in 1908, opposed in parliament friend , political opponent jean jaurès, refusing socialist leader s pantheonize writer Émile zola. despite political views, 1 of first show respect jaurès remains after assassination on eve of world war i.

during world war i, barrès 1 of proponents of union sacrée, earned him nickname nightingale of bloodshed ( rossignol des carnages canard enchaîné satirical newspaper called him chief of brainwashers tribe ( chef de la tribu des bourreurs de crâne ). personal notes showed himself did not believe in purported war optimism, being @ times close defeatism. during war barrès partly came on mistakes of youth, paying tribute french jews in les familles spirituelles de la france, placed them 1 of 4 elements of national genius , alongside traditionalists, protestants , socialists – opposing himself maurras saw in them 4 confederate states of anti-france .

after world war i, barrès involved irredentist forces in luxembourg, , sought increase french influence in rhineland. on 24 june 1920, national assembly adopted draft aiming establish national day in remembrance of joan of arc.