The PCF,the Surrealists,Clarté and the Rif War

Abstract

The French war in the mountainous Moroccan region of the Rif lasted from spring 1925 until spring 1926. Considered from a perspective of the anti-colonial struggle within France, the Rif War presents a number of important features. It was the first attempt by the newly formed French Communist Party (PCF) to initiate a mass mobilisation in France, culminating in a general strike on 12 October 1925. It also coincided with a rapprochement between the surrealists and the militants grouped around the review Clarté, providing them with a shared practical focus for political action. This article traces the relationships between the PCF, the surrealists and the Clarté group during the period of the Rif War.