Europe from the bottom up: Town twinning in france during the cold war

Contemporary European History

Volumn 11, Issue 4, 2002, Pages 623-640

  Vion, Antoine ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 33646948382     PISSN: 09607773     EISSN: 14692171     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S096077730200406X     Document Type: Review

References (56)

1. Renaud Payre and Pierre-Yves Saunier, 'L'Union Internationale des Villes o l'Internazionale municipale (1913-1940)', Amministrare, 30, 1-2 (July/August 2000), 217-39
2. Sophie Bourgeois, Relations culturelles et premiers jumelages franco-allemands de 1945 à 1963: un premier effort de rapprochement, masters dissertation in history, University of Paris I, 1990
3. Cécile Chombard-Gaudin, 'Pour une histoire des villes et communes jumelées', Vingtième Siècle (July/September 1992), 60-77
4. Daniel Gandreau, Les jumelages et leurs développements en Côte d'or, doctoral dissertation in political science, University of Dijon, 1968
5. Bertrand Girod de l'Ain, Marina Girod de l'Ain and Sylvie Banoun, 'Des liens indestructibles: histoire des jumelages franco-allemands', Documents, 2 (April 1996), 122-8
6. Holger Mirek, Deutsch-französische Gemeindepartnerschaften (Kehl: Engel Verlag, 1984)
7. Pascal Vion, Les jumelages des villes. Origines et développement. L'exemple de la ville d'Orléans. 1946-1978, doctoral dissertation in twentieth-century history, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, 1990
8. Wilbur Zelinsky, 'The Twinning of the World: Sister Cities in Geographic and Historical Perspective', Annals of the Association of American Geographers 81 (I), (1991), 1-31
9. In thus borrowing from Paul Ricoeur's comments on the writings of Hannah Arendt, my intention is to bring out the essentially political character of such action during the Cold War. The notion that living together in peace was an ethical priority is not normally articulated: 'This is why it may make sense to call this common initiative a forgotten endeavour. That is why this fundamental constituent can only be detected at irregular intervals, when it suddenly breaks into the very heart of history.' Paul Ricoeur, 'Le soi et la visée éthique', in Soi-même comme un autre (Paris: Seuil, 1996), 230
10. On these exchanges see Dieter Tiemann, Deutsch-französiche Jugendbeziehungen der Zwischenkriegszeit (Bonn: Röhrscheid, 1989)
11. Jean-Claude Delbreil, 'Les premiers rapprochements franco-allemands 1919-1932', in Maurice Vaïsse, ed., Le pacifisme en Europe (Brussels: Bruylant, 1994)
12. Subsection Central Europe (Seydoux) to Minister's office, summary note on 'Visit to Germany by French mayors and to France by German mayors', 28 July 1950, Series Europe (1944-1960), Subsection Central Europe, Subseries Germany, April-July 1950, Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangè res, Paris, France
13. On the overall programme of French cultural diplomacy in Germany, aimed at the political reeducation of young Germans (and of which the Gaullist Raymond Schmittlein was one of the principal architects), see the comprehensive study by Corinne Defrance, La politique culturelle de la France sur la rive gauche du Rhin 1945-1955 (Strasbourg: Presses Universitaires de Strasbourg, 1994)
14. Subsection Central Europe, Subseries Germany, April-July 1950, Report by the French High Commissioner in Germany, 2 June 1950, Series Europe (1944-1960), Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères, Paris, France. André François-Poncet, 'Address to the Congress of French and German Mayors at Stuttgart, 2 June 1950', Réalités Allemandes, 18 (1950), 25-7
15. See Nicolas Barret, Les Citoyens du Monde, 1948-1951, masters dissertation in contemporary history, University of Paris I, 1992, 2 vols
16. Jean-Maurice Martin, 'Dix années d'action communale', Fédération, 118 (November 1954), 752-7
17. Edgard Milhaud, 'Une importante création en perspective: Le Conseils des communes d'Europe (26-27 janvier 1951). Une déclaration de principes', Annales de l'Économie Collective, 205 (1950), 205ff
18. This configuration of the CEM is not dissimilar to the heterogeneous composition of the Congress for the Freedom of Culture which was created at about the same time. See Pierre Grémion, Intelligence de l'anticommunisme. Le congrès pour la Liberté de la Culture (Paris: Fayard, 1996)
19. Also involved were figures such as Paul and Alfred Coste-Floret, members of François Mitterrand's UDSR, and some 'opportunistic' Gaullists, associates of Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Raymond Mondon (mayor of Metz), who were to found the social republican party after the collapse of the Rassemblement Pour la France in 1951
20. Eric Hobsbawm, 'Inventing traditions', in Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger, The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983), 1
21. Paul Ricoeur, Du texte à l'action (Paris: Seuil, 1998 [1990]), 139
22. Jean-François Bayart, L'illusion identitaire (Paris: Fayard, 1995), 48
23. In what follows I am drawing on my current joint research project with Romain Pasquier on 'La Fédération and the mobilisation of local authorities, 1944-1965', to be published in 2003
24. Other authors have retraced some of the origins of the movement and situated it within the galaxy of federalist movements in Europe: see esp. Jean-Louis Loubet del Bayle, Les non-conformistes des années trente. Une tentative de renouvellement de la pensée politique française (Paris: Seuil, 1969)
25. Jean-Pierre Gouzy, Les pionniers de l'Europe communautaire (Paris: Presses d'Europe, 1968)
26. Alain Greilsamer, Les mouvements fédéralistes en France (Paris: Presses de la FNSP, 1974)
27. On the history of this organisation see Steven L. Kaplan, 'Un laboratoire de la doctrine corporatiste sous Vichy: l'Institut d'Etudes Corporatives et Sociales', Le Mouvement Social, 195 (April-June 2001), 35-77
28. Max Weber's concept of 'organic' social ethics was rooted in the objectively proven inequality resident in the notion of religious charisma: 'The very fact that the holy should be accessible to some and not to all is unbearable to organic social ethics. It therefore attempts to synthesise this inequality of charismatic qualifications with secular stratification by status, into a cosmos of God-ordained services which are specialised in function. Certain tasks are given to every individual and every group according to their personal charisma and their social and economic position as determined by fate.' Max Weber, Sociologie des religions (collected writings, trans. J. P. Grossein) (Paris: Gallimard, 1996), 430-1
29. There are constant references to the municipal movement in the collection of roneoed pamphlets produced by Jean Bareth for La Fédération's training teams: 'Le fédéralisme par la commune' (April 1946) and 'Le fédéralisme, c'est d'abord la commune' (July-August 1946). The author defends a concept of municipal autonomy inspired by the municipal movement in the twelfth century: 'Since the government of the commune was autonomous, it follows that, like central government, it had executive, legislative and judicial powers.' 'Le fédéralisme par la commune' (La Fédération, 1946), 5, Archives de La Fédération, Paris, France
30. La Pira was a founder member of the Christian Democrat party whose ideas were strongly influenced by the Thomism of Maritain. He was elected mayor of Florence in 1951; in 1955 he founded the world congress of mayors of capital cities. See P. Chenaux, Une Europe vaticane? (Geneva: Ciaco, 1991), 215-22
31. Le Figaro, l'Aurore (31 January 1956), extracts reprinted in Communes d'Europe (February 1956)
32. Archives de l'Association Française du Conseil des Communes d'Europe (Documents historiques CCRE II, General report on the situation of the CCE [CEM]). Cited in Fabio Zucca, 'Il Conseil des communes d'Europe e il rilancio europeo di Messina', in L. V. Majocchi, ed., Messina quarant'anni dopo. L'attualità del metodo in vista della conferenza intergovernativa del 1996 (Bari: Cacucci Editore, 1996), 245
33. Pierre Trémintin, 'Conseil des Communes d'Europe', Départements et communes de France (March 1951), 41
34. 'Le congrès de l'Association Française du Conseil des Communes d'Europe', Départements et communes de France (July-August 1952), 148-9. Local affiliation lists might reproduce such interlinks at the highest levels of responsibility: for example Le Gallo, the SFIO mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt, general secretary of AMF since 1948, had as his deputy the federalist Jean Bareth, general secretary of the CEM
35. Comité Directeur, Circular 678, 14 June 1954, Archives du Parti Socialiste SFIO, Paris, France
36. The first municipal initiative in support of the CEM's pro-European activities took place during the General Meeting in Vienna. Georges Dardel, mayor of Puteaux, organised a large international exhibition entitled 'Europe through its municipalities', aimed at introducing citizens to a number of European countries (Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland and West Germany), as represented by municipalities in the CEM or UIM, to which Puteaux belonged. The exhibition, supported by a prestigious honorary committee, was organised by the municipality of Puteaux in collaboration with the town's businessmen and industrialists, whose contributions were exhibited, along with those from foreign municipalities, in three pavilions: one for tourism, one for industry and one for training schools. The mayor did not swear any ritual oath, but he did strive to promote his numerous affiliations with international bodies such as the UIM, IULA and the CEM, citing them as exemplars. See account of the meeting of the Puteaux town council, 12 September 1954, in the municipal news sheet Notre commune (October 1954), 2
37. On this see Laurent Douzou and Dominique Veillon, 'Les relations entre les résistances intérieure et extérieure françaises vues à travers le prisme des archives du BCRA (1940-1942)', in Jacqueline Sainclivier and Christian Bougeard, eds., La Résistance et les Français. Enjeux stratégiques et environnement social (Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 1995), 13-27
38. Butterfly (bulletin of Monde Bilingue), 2 (Spring 1952)
39. Weber, Sociologie des religions, 419, 426-7
40. At the first conference on the Atlantic Community (Oxford, September 1952), all fourteen countries represented in NATO voted unanimously to use both French and English. During discussions on European military co-operation, Alfred Coste-Floret, rapporteur to the French Assembly on the plans for a European Defence Community, defended Monde Bilingue's project before President Pléven, the secretaries of state for war, the air force and the navy, Marshal Juin and all the members of the Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre. When the European Defence Community project collapsed, NATO's resolution became a dead letter. On this story see Jean-Maurice Chevallier, 'Bilan de Babel', Revue Administrative, 45 (May-June 1955), 356; G. Jaquet, 'Dialogue autour du bilinguisme par René Vettier, Directeur de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure de St Cloud, Gérard Jaquet, Député, Michel Debré, Sénateur et Jean-Marie Bressand, Directeur du Monde bilingue', Revue Administrative, 27 (May-June 1952), 277
41. François Lahire, 'Ethique bilingue', Revue Administrative, 39, (May-June 1954), 343 (paper published in Le Figaro, 22 January 1954, Le Monde, 25 January 1954, and Combat, 27 January 1954)
42. André Cornu, Secretary of State for Education and the Arts 'Les activités du Monde Bilingue', Revue Administrative, 34 (July-August 1953), 449
43. C. Renault, Les activités culturelles du Conseil de l'Europe. 1948-1958, Mémoire de DEA (Paris: IEP de Paris, 1992), 24
44. In the United Kingdom two groups supported the initiatives of Monde Bilingue from 1954-5 onwards: a parliamentary group led by John Hay, and a professional association of town clerks. Together they created the British Bilingual Association, which remained active until 1957, organising meetings of various groups (parliamentary action group, university committee), and writing to French and English mayors encouraging them to get in contact with one another
45. Butterfly, I (Summer 1951)
46. Some members were brought together by personal experience of German persecution. Jean-Marie Bressand was interned, but escaped. Max Brusset, MP and mayor of Royan, was arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 and saved by the Allies' arrival in Lyon a year later. Two lawyer MPs, the progressive Pierre Cot and the republican socialist Henry Torrès, had both been deprived of their French nationality by decree and struck off by the French Bar Council in 1940 for refusing to recognise the Vichy government, after which they had fled to the United States
47. Jean Klein, 'Des savants contre la guerre nucléaire: le mouvement Pugwash', in Michel Girard, ed., Les individus dans la politique internationale (Paris: Economica, 1994), 251-68
48. In early 1956, the Soviet embassy was instructed to encourage town twinning and urge the satellite countries to take part: report by A. Aratounian on measures to improve Franco-Soviet relations, 5 January 1956, cited in Thierry Wolton, La France sous influence. Paris-Moscou, trente ans de relations secrètes (Paris: Grasset, 1997), 206. Parallel discussions were going on at the US embassy, if we are to believe a letter from Jean-Bernard Piobetta describing the negotiations: 'Naturally the Soviets were among the first to respond to the appeal ... need hardly say that all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that this affair cannot be used to further Soviet propaganda. Bressand is working closely with the French foreign office (Jean Moreau), the ministry of the interior (Raffi), the US Information Service (Morrill Cody) and France-Etats-Unis (Makinsky). As for me, I am constantly on the lookout for squalls and I am confident you will trust me on this.' Letter from Jean-Bernard Piobetta to Guy Mollet, President of the Council, 21 May 1956, 559 AP 24 (Cote initiale CEMS), Archives Marceau Pivert, Archives Nationales de France, Paris, France
49. On the planning of these visits and the internal debates they aroused in the SFIO, see the detailed account by Frédéric Cépède in 'Histoire du PS-SFIO (janvier-juillet 1956)', Cahiers de l'OURS, 166 (3rd quarter, 1988)
50. For a descriptive account of the preliminary work and the discussions see Gérard Bossuat, L'Europe des Français (Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne, 1997), 291-332
51. On the Mollet government's reversion to a pro-European policy in Venice see Pierre Guillen, 'L'Europe, remède à l'impuissance française? Le gouvernement Mollet et la négociation des traités de Rome', Revue d'Histoire Diplomatique, 102 (1988), and 'La négociation du traité d'Euratom', Relations Internationales, 44 (1985)
52. Marceau Pivert and Georges Jumel, 'Le Monde Bilingue et le Conseil des Communes d'Europe devant le parti socialiste SFIO', SFIO internal pamphlet, 24 January 1957, 559 AP 24 (Cote initiale CEMS), Archives Marceau Pivert, Archives Nationales de France, Paris, France
53. Communes d'Europe (November-December 1956), 10
54. Alfred Coste-Floret, 'Le Monde Bilingue et le Conseil des Communes d'Europe devant le Parlement', circular issued by the parliamentary support group of Monde Bilingue to the French National Assembly on 6 February 1957. Jean-Marie Bressand, private archive
55. Denise Poulain, 'Un congrès pas comme les autres', Cités Unies, 2 (Avril 1957), 45
56. Grémion, Intelligence de l'anticommunisme, 623