Salvador Dali Expelled from Surrealist Group in 1939

Salvador Dali was officially expelled from the Surrealist group in 1939 after years of disturbing behavior and controversial political views. Dali, known for his violent tendencies toward women and open admiration for Adolf Hitler, had long troubled the group. Ideological leader Andre Breton, a devoted anti-fascist and member of the French Communist Party, led two semi-public trials against Dali. The first, in 1934, ended with a warning after Dali defused tension with absurd jokes, supported by Paul Eluard and Tristan Tzara. By 1939, Breton had amassed shocking letters from Dali praising Hitler and Francisco Franco, expressing plans for a white supremacist religion with human sacrifice, and describing racist violence in the US as sexually exciting. These letters, recently rediscovered in Breton's archive and private collections, led to Dali's formal expulsion. Afterward, Dali claimed he was the only real Surrealist and commercialized his brand, becoming known as "Avida Dollars." His 1942 autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dali, sparked criticism from George Orwell, who called him a "disgusting human being" yet a good artist. Some argue Dali's provocations were aimed at shocking rather than reflecting genuine beliefs, but his support for fascist regimes had real consequences for victims.