Henri Barbusse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henri Barbusse
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Henri Barbusse in Moscow in 1933.
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| Born | 17 May 1873 Asnières-sur-Seine, France |
| Died | 30 August 1935 (aged 62) Moscow, Russian SFSR |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | French |
| Period | 1917–1935 |
| Subject | World War I, Communism |
| Notable works | Under Fire (1916) |
Henri Barbusse (born May 17, 1873 – died August 30, 1935) was a French writer. He was also a member of the French Communist Party, a political group that believes in a society where everyone is equal and shares resources. He was a close friend of the famous scientist Albert Einstein.
Contents
Early Life and War Experiences
Henri Barbusse was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, France, in 1873. His father was French, and his mother was English. When he was 16, he moved to Paris in 1889.
In 1914, when he was 41 years old, Henri joined the French Army. He fought in World War I on the western front. He was injured three times during the war. He served for 17 months until November 1915. After that, he was given a desk job because he had lung damage, was very tired, and had an illness called dysentery. In June 1915, he received the Croix de guerre, a French military award, for his bravery.
A Writer's Voice
Henri Barbusse became famous in 1916 when his novel Le Feu was published. The English title is Under Fire. This book was based on his own experiences during World War I. By this time, Barbusse had become a pacifist, which means he believed that war was wrong and should be avoided. His writing showed how much he disliked militarism, which is when a country relies heavily on its military and uses it to solve problems.
Under Fire was very realistic and showed the harsh truth of war. Some people criticized it for being too direct. However, the book won the Prix Goncourt in December 1916. This is a very important French literary award.
Life in Russia and Political Views
In January 1918, Henri Barbusse left France and moved to Moscow. There, he married a Russian woman and joined the Bolshevik Party. This party led the Russian Revolution, a big change in Russia's government.
His novel, Clarté, tells the story of an office worker who realizes that the war he is fighting is wrong. Vladimir Lenin, a leader of the Russian Revolution, even said that this novel was censored in France.
The Russian Revolution greatly influenced Barbusse's life and work. He joined the French Communist Party in 1923. He later traveled back to the Soviet Union, which was the new name for Russia and its surrounding countries. His later books, like Manifeste aux Intellectuels (Elevations) (1930), showed his strong support for the revolution. In his 1921 book Le Couteau entre les dents (The Knife Between My Teeth), Barbusse clearly supported Bolshevism and the October Revolution. He called the birth of Soviet Russia "the greatest and most beautiful phenomenon in world history."
Other books, like Light from the Abyss (1919) and Words of a Fighting Man (1920), encouraged people to fight against capitalism, an economic system where private businesses own most things. In 1925, Barbusse published Chains. This book showed history as a long story of people suffering and fighting for freedom and fairness. In The Butchers, he wrote about violence against people who supported the new government in some Balkan countries.
Fighting for Peace and Justice
In 1927, Barbusse attended a meeting in Moscow for friends of the Soviet Union. He also led the World Congress Against Imperialist War in Amsterdam in 1932. He became the head of the World Committee Against War and Fascism, which started in 1933. He also took part in other international meetings for young people and writers.
During the 1920s and 1930s, he edited magazines like Monde and Progrès Civique. Some of George Orwell's first writings were published in these magazines. Barbusse was also the literary editor for the daily newspaper l'Humanité from 1926 to 1929.
In 1934, Barbusse sent a writer named Egon Kisch to Australia. Kisch was there to represent a group that was against war and fascism. The Australian government tried to stop Kisch from entering the country, but they failed. This event actually helped to make Communism more popular in Australia.
Henri Barbusse was also connected to Romain Rolland, another famous writer. Barbusse tried to define "proletarian literature". This is a type of writing that focuses on the lives and struggles of working-class people. In 1936, he wrote a biography of Joseph Stalin, who was the leader of the Soviet Union. The book was called Staline: Un monde nouveau vu à travers un homme (Stalin. A New World Seen Through the Man).
Barbusse was an Esperantist, meaning he supported Esperanto. This is a language created to be easy for people from different countries to learn and use. He was even an honorary president of the first congress of the Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, an organization for Esperanto speakers.
Later Life and Legacy
While writing another book about Stalin in Moscow, Henri Barbusse became sick with pneumonia. He died on August 30, 1935. His funeral was attended by 500,000 people. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
His Writings
Henri Barbusse's work continued to inspire people after his death. In December 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, a group of soldiers was named the Henri Barbusse Battalion in his honor. This group was part of the XIV International Brigade.
Many people believed Barbusse was an important writer. In 1942, a writer named Lewis Gannett suggested that future writers about war would be compared to famous authors like Barbusse.
There is also a park in France called parc Henri Barbusse. It is located where the Château d'Issy once stood.
Works
- 1895 – Pleureuses; English translation: The Hired Mourners (poetry)
- 1903 – Les Suppliants; English translation: The Supplicants (prose novel)
- 1908 – L'enfer; English translation: Hell (novel)
- 1912 – Meissonier; (biography)
- 1916 – Le feu; English translation: Under Fire (novel)
- 1921 – Le couteau entre les dents; English translation: The Knife Between My Teeth (novel)
- 1921 – Quelque Coins du Coeur (prose pieces with 24 woodcuts by Frans Masereel)
- 1923 – Esperantista Laboristo; English translation: "Esperantist Worker" (magazine article)
- 1930 – Manifeste aux intellectuels; English translation: Elevations (novel)
See also
In Spanish: Henri Barbusse para niños
