Albert Camus's Break with the French Left: From Communist Activist to 'The Rebel'
At the age of 21, Albert Camus became a member of the Communist Party of Algeria in 1935, inspired by his mentor Jean Grenier. He actively advocated for Algerian Arab rights and opposed fascism. However, in 1937, he was expelled for his support of the Algerian People's Party and branded a traitor. The 1939 Soviet non-aggression pact intensified his disillusionment. By 1940, he had relocated to Paris, where he worked for Paris-Soir, married Francine Faure, and moved to Oran, where he authored The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus. In 1943, he joined the Resistance, met Sartre and de Beauvoir, and took on the role of editor at Combat. His 1951 work, The Rebel, signified his break from the French Left, although he continued to consider himself left-wing.
Key facts
- Albert Camus joined the Communist Party of Algeria in 1935 at age 21, influenced by his mentor Jean Grenier.
- Camus was expelled from the Communist Party of Algeria in 1937 for supporting the Algerian People's Party.
- The 1939 Soviet non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany was a huge betrayal for Camus.
- In 1943, Camus joined the French Resistance in Paris and met Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.
- Camus published The Rebel (L'Homme révolté) in 1951, which was seen as an explicit rejection of the Left.
- Camus and Sartre had different conceptions of the absurd and rebellion, leading to their falling out.
- Camus opposed the justification of murder for political ends, including Soviet labor camps and executions.
- The fallout from The Rebel was so severe that Camus never got over it, marking his definitive split with the Left.
Entities
Artists
- Albert Camus
- Jean Grenier
- Jean-Paul Sartre
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Francine Faure
- Stalin
- Ribbentrop
- Hitler
- Karl Marx
- Leon Trotsky
- Titian
Institutions
- Communist Party of Algeria
- University of Algiers
- Algerian People's Party
- Paris-Soir
- Alger républicain
- Combat
- The Collector
- Wikimedia Commons
Locations
- Algeria
- Paris
- France
- Lyon
- Oran
- USSR
- Soviet Union
- United States
- Germany
- Europe
- Vorkuta Region