Henri Guilbeaux

Who was Henri Guilbeaux?

Henri Guilbeaux was a French socialist politician. Active in the Zimmerwald Anti-War Movement during World War I. He was a prominent figure of a group of intellectuals who fought in Geneva against the war; friend of Stefan Zweig, whose poems he translated in French. Zweig nonetheless criticizes him in "Die Welt von Gestern," saying that he "was not a gifted person" and that "I must frankly denominate his literary ability as inconsiderable. His command of language was not more than average; his education was not profound. His entire power lay in controversy." He published a magazine, "Demain", that became a point of reference for all who were against the war. Among the other, on those pages wrote Lenin, Trotsky and Lunacharskij. Because of his political credo and his strong personality, he was judged by default in France and sentenced to death. He could escape in Russia, with the help of Lenin. Became a Communist and was active in the Comintern. Supporter of Trotsky. Pardoned by the French justice, he died, almost forgotten, in Paris.