Breiz Atao
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Breiz Atao (also Breizh Atao) (in Breton Brittany For Ever), was a journal and a Breton nationalism movement during the mid-twentieth century.
Founded in 1918 in the aftermath of the First World War, Breizh Atao would exist through the interbellum. After World War II, many Breton nationalists would face persecution from the French state, partially because some of them had collaborated with the Nazis.
It was highly influenced by the Irish War of Independence, which began in 1916 and whose aftermath ran into the 1920s. Early on it adopted an official pan-Celtic policy.
[edit] History
[edit] Creation
At the time of its first publishing in January 1919, the group focussed mostly on cultural aspects of Brittany, but turned quickly into the official Breton autonomist movement hub. Its founders where Camille Le Mercier d’Erm, Job Loyant, Prado, Morvan Marchal and Job de Roincé. The first release was the function of the Groupe Régionaliste Breton, presided by Job Breiz, collaborating with Korentin Kerlann), whose secretary was Morvan Marchal. They were soon joined by young intellectuals Yann Bricler, Olier Mordrel and François Debauvais, who soon took up important roles within the group.
The Parti autonomiste breton (PAB) was created at the first congress of Breiz Atao in September 1927 in Rosporden. Maurice Duhamel was put in charge of following the political scene in France, in particular the relations with the French left wing, and became chief-editor of Breiz Atao. Being one of the most mature and most experienced, he gave the party its left and federalistic stance.
At the time of its congress on April 11, 1931, the PAB fractured somewhat under its divergences. In the same congress, the decision to abandon the journal Breiz Atao was taken, which would later find itself replaced momentarily by the journal "War Sao", a journal by the nationalists of Trégor, Goëlo and Haute-Cornouaille, who were preaching a return to nationalism, still keeping an eye on separatism.
[edit] La dérive fasciste
On December 27, 1931, in Landerneau, the first congress by the Parti national breton took place. Breiz Atao would reappear, used a simple means of linking the militants (including Yann Sohier).
In March 1933, Debauvais published in Breiz Atao a SAGA draft, drawn up by Mordrel. In this program, Modrel thinks up a constitution of an independent Breton state, to which the French state should bestow parts of its riches, colonies, art, libraries, industrial equipment etc; whose borders is to be rallied "by way of plebiscity". He also suggests the exclusion of foreigners (in particular Latino and coloured races, people from a Nordic background excepted) from official public duties. Later on in the draft "control of youth's education, destined to make men physically and morally healthy".
In July 1940, at a Pontivy congress, Debeauvis and Mordrel decided on editing a new journal, "L’Heure Bretonne" (Breton time). This journal succeeded Breiz Atao.
