André Morizet, un intellectuel critique en Russie soviétique

Abstract

André Morizet, born of revolutionary unionism, magazine man, doctor of law, mayor of Boulogne-sur-Seine in 1919, joined the French Communist Party from its foundation. Driven by internationalism and concern for unity, he travelled to the young Soviet Russia in 1921 and brought back a book, Chez Lenine et Trotski, prefaced by the Commissary to the People himself, to the resounding audience. We analyze through the figure of Morizet the enthusiasm, hesitations and doubts that cross a part of the political intellectuals in the face of the birth of the socialist nation and the implications of the successes of the Bolsheviks on the international socialist movement. We show that already points in the work a critical detachment. Gradually, although playing a leading role in the new party, Morizet distanced himself from the party he left in January 1923. This difficulty to face a radically new reality, to express one’s point of view on a situation, in particular the balance of power, both national and international, in permanent and unpredictable transformation, is indicative of this period of the dawn of communism and constitutes the thread of our analysis.

Keywords

• internationalism
• André Morizet
• Intellectual
• Politics
• Communist Party
• Soviet Russia