Jacques Bainville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacques Bainville
Born	9 February 1879 Vincennes, Val-de-Marne, France
Died	9 February 1936 (1936-02-10) (aged 57) Paris, France
Occupation	historian, journalist
Political party	Action Française

Jacques Pierre Bainville (born February 9, 1879 – died February 9, 1936) was a French historian and journalist. He was very interested in how countries relate to each other, especially France and Germany. He was a key member of a group called Action Française, which supported having a king again in France.

Bainville was worried about Germany becoming too powerful. He strongly spoke out against democracy (rule by the people), the French Revolution, internationalism (countries working closely together), and liberalism (ideas about individual rights and freedoms). A public square in Paris is named after him.

Jacques Bainville's Political Views

Bainville is well-known for his strong opinions about the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was signed in 1919 after World War I to set the peace terms for Germany. In his book The Political Consequences of Peace (1920), Bainville said the treaty was flawed.

He believed the treaty was "too harsh in its mild features, too mild in its harsh aspects." This meant it was tough enough to make Germany angry, but not tough enough to stop Germany from seeking revenge later. He warned that the treaty would make German states stick together more closely. He also thought it weakened Germany's neighbors, like Austria-Hungary, who could have helped control Germany.

Bainville argued that the treaty created a difficult situation where "40 million Frenchmen have as debtors 60 million Germans." He criticized leaders like Woodrow Wilson and David Lloyd George for not focusing enough on the real-world power struggles between countries.

His Writings and Ideas

Bainville wrote many books, including a History of France. He also wrote political articles for newspapers and edited a magazine. In his book History of Two Peoples (1915), he stressed that France needed Germany to be weak to ensure peace. He admired the Treaty of Westphalia (from 1648) as a good example of how to keep peace in Europe.

Because he was so focused on controlling Germany, he initially liked Italian fascism. When he heard about the actions of Benito Mussolini's group in 1921, he saw it as a sign that Italy was becoming strong again.

Bainville was a follower of Charles Maurras and helped start Action Française. He became an important figure in the group's college, which offered lectures and study groups. By 1900, Bainville had developed strong dislikes for disorder, romanticism, liberalism, democracy, internationalism, the French Revolution, and especially Germany. He also spoke out against Alfred Dreyfus in a famous case.

In 1935, Bainville was chosen to be a member of the Académie française, a very respected French institution. However, his health was poor, and he died soon after. He was a strong Catholic.

Works

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Bainville para niños