He was born in a working-class family of watchmakers with socialist beliefs. His grandfather was a member of the International Workingsmen's Association. Humbert joined the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (Swiss Socialist Party) in 1911, at the age of twenty years. After studying Protestant theology in Neuchâtel, Paris and Berlin, he wrote a thesis about Socialism and christianism. He became a pastor in 1914, and started writing in the socialist daily newspaper La Sentinelle soon after.[2][3]
He married Eugénie (Jenny) Perret in 1916, who would accompany him throughout his political life, becoming known as Jenny Humbert-Droz.[4]
Humbert-Droz opposed the First World War and refused to serve in the Swiss Army, for which he was imprisoned.[5] He received another jail sentence for his participation the 1918 Swiss general strike.[3] He supported the Bolshevik revolution, and travelled with Walther Bringolf to Russia to represent the left wing of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland.[6] There, the two of them joined the Provisional International Bureau of the Kultintern. In 1921 at the third International Congress of the Comintern, Jules Humbert-Droz was elected secretary of the Communist International, on the proposal of Lenin himself.[3] He became after 1920 an outstanding leader in the international communist movement, travelling all around the world to organize the national sections of the Comitern. He exerted some control over the French Communist party and called himself the eye of Moscow in Paris. He eventually became the first director of the Latin Secretariat of the Comintern.[7] He was an ally and friend of Nikolai Bukharin. After the Sixth Comintern Congress, Bukharin was politically isolated and only few people in the Moscow Apparatus stayed loyal to him, including Humbert-Droz,[8] who was disgraced along with his ally.[7] Their friendship later ended. He stated in his 1971 Mémoires that it was because, in his last encounter with Bukharin in 1929, the latter said he had sought to establish contact with Zinoviev and Kamenev in order to enlist their support in removing Stalin from the leadership, and that Bukharin also told him he was planning to use individual terror (assassination) against Stalin. Humbert-Droz writes that he replied to Bukharin by criticizing any rapprochement with Zinoviev and Kamenev, and argued that resorting to individual terror would destroy the Bolshevik leadership.[9] He managed to re-enter the Executive Committee of the Communist International after self-criticizing and capitulating. In 1943, he was definitely expelled from the Swiss Communist Party.[5] Aware of his worth and experience, the Swiss Socialist Party invited him to return to his original party, where he was party secretary until 1959, and then secretary of the Neuchâtel cantonal section of the party until 1965. He retired to La Chaux-de-Fonds, yet remained politically active. He militated against the atomic armament of Switzerland, and contributed to various journals. Toward the end of his life, he undertook the writing of his memoirs, published between 1969 and 1973.[2]
Works
L’œil de Moscou à Paris, 1922-1924 (1964)
L'origine de l'Internationale communiste : de Zimmerwald à Moscou (1968)
Mémoires
1, Mon évolution du tolstoïsme au communisme, 1891-1921 (1969)
2, De Lénine à Staline, dix ans au service de l'Internationale communiste, 1921-1931 (1971)
3, Dix ans de lutte antifasciste : 1931-1941 (1972)
4, Le couronnement d'une vie de combat : 1941-1971 (1973)
References
^"Nachts kamen Stalins Häscher" Der Spiegel (October 16, 1978), p. 100. Note: The HTML file is an OCR scan of a bad photocopy and is full of typos. There is a link at the URL to a PDF version, but it's not much easier to read. Retrieved November 15, 2011 (in German)
^ ab"Fonds Jules Humbert-Droz". biblio.chaux-de-fonds.ch. Bibliothèque de la ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
^ abc"Death of Jules Humbert-Droz, former secretary of the Communist International". Le Monde.fr (in French). 1971-10-19. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
^"Jules Humbert-Droz". rts.ch (in French). 1971-02-16. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
^ abCaballero, Manuel. "Latin America and the Comintern, 1919–1943 page 158". Cambridge Core. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
^Drachkovitch, Milorad M.; Lazitch, Branko (1986). Biographical Dictionary of the Comintern. Stanford, California: Hoover Press. ISBN978-0-8179-8403-8.
^ abMcDermott, Kevin; Agnew, Jeremy (1996). The Comintern. History of international Communism from Lenin to Stalin. London: MacMillan. pp. 85–86. ISBN0-333-55284-9.
^Cohen, Stephen F. (1980). Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution: A Political Biography, 1888-1938. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-502697-9.
^Humbert-Droz, Jules (1971). De Lénine à Staline : dix ans au service de l'Internationale communiste, 1921-1931. Mémoires de Jules Humbert-Droz. Neuchatel: La Baconnière.
January 29, 2023
jules, humbert, droz, jules, frédéric, humbert, droz, september, 1891, chaux, fonds, october, 1971, swiss, pastor, journalist, socialist, communist, founding, member, communist, party, switzerland, held, high, comintern, office, through, 1920s, also, acted, co. Jules Frederic Humbert Droz 23 September 1891 La Chaux de Fonds 16 October 1971 was a Swiss pastor journalist Socialist and Communist A founding member of the Communist Party of Switzerland he held high Comintern office through the 1920s and also acted as Comintern emissary to several west European countries He was involved in the Right Opposition in 1928 1 He rejoined the Swiss Socialist Party in the 1940s serving as secretary from 1946 to 1965 Humbert Droz in 1926 Contents 1 Early life 2 Political life 3 Works 4 ReferencesEarly life EditHe was born in a working class family of watchmakers with socialist beliefs His grandfather was a member of the International Workingsmen s Association Humbert joined the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland Swiss Socialist Party in 1911 at the age of twenty years After studying Protestant theology in Neuchatel Paris and Berlin he wrote a thesis about Socialism and christianism He became a pastor in 1914 and started writing in the socialist daily newspaper La Sentinelle soon after 2 3 He married Eugenie Jenny Perret in 1916 who would accompany him throughout his political life becoming known as Jenny Humbert Droz 4 Political life Edit A group of members of the International Bureau of Proletkult Sitting left to right War Van Overstraeten Pavel Lebedev Polianskii secretary Anatoly Lunacharsky chairman Nicola Bombacci Wilhelm Herzog Standing Walther Bringolf Jules Humbert Droz Humbert Droz opposed the First World War and refused to serve in the Swiss Army for which he was imprisoned 5 He received another jail sentence for his participation the 1918 Swiss general strike 3 He supported the Bolshevik revolution and travelled with Walther Bringolf to Russia to represent the left wing of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland 6 There the two of them joined the Provisional International Bureau of the Kultintern In 1921 at the third International Congress of the Comintern Jules Humbert Droz was elected secretary of the Communist International on the proposal of Lenin himself 3 He became after 1920 an outstanding leader in the international communist movement travelling all around the world to organize the national sections of the Comitern He exerted some control over the French Communist party and called himself the eye of Moscow in Paris He eventually became the first director of the Latin Secretariat of the Comintern 7 He was an ally and friend of Nikolai Bukharin After the Sixth Comintern Congress Bukharin was politically isolated and only few people in the Moscow Apparatus stayed loyal to him including Humbert Droz 8 who was disgraced along with his ally 7 Their friendship later ended He stated in his 1971 Memoires that it was because in his last encounter with Bukharin in 1929 the latter said he had sought to establish contact with Zinoviev and Kamenev in order to enlist their support in removing Stalin from the leadership and that Bukharin also told him he was planning to use individual terror assassination against Stalin Humbert Droz writes that he replied to Bukharin by criticizing any rapprochement with Zinoviev and Kamenev and argued that resorting to individual terror would destroy the Bolshevik leadership 9 He managed to re enter the Executive Committee of the Communist International after self criticizing and capitulating In 1943 he was definitely expelled from the Swiss Communist Party 5 Aware of his worth and experience the Swiss Socialist Party invited him to return to his original party where he was party secretary until 1959 and then secretary of the Neuchatel cantonal section of the party until 1965 He retired to La Chaux de Fonds yet remained politically active He militated against the atomic armament of Switzerland and contributed to various journals Toward the end of his life he undertook the writing of his memoirs published between 1969 and 1973 2 Works EditL œil de Moscou a Paris 1922 1924 1964 L origine de l Internationale communiste de Zimmerwald a Moscou 1968 Memoires1 Mon evolution du tolstoisme au communisme 1891 1921 1969 2 De Lenine a Staline dix ans au service de l Internationale communiste 1921 1931 1971 3 Dix ans de lutte antifasciste 1931 1941 1972 4 Le couronnement d une vie de combat 1941 1971 1973 dd References Edit Nachts kamen Stalins Hascher Der Spiegel October 16 1978 p 100 Note The HTML file is an OCR scan of a bad photocopy and is full of typos There is a link at the URL to a PDF version but it s not much easier to read Retrieved November 15 2011 in German a b Fonds Jules Humbert Droz biblio chaux de fonds ch Bibliotheque de la ville de La Chaux de Fonds Retrieved 2021 04 06 a b c Death of Jules Humbert Droz former secretary of the Communist International Le Monde fr in French 1971 10 19 Retrieved 2020 08 05 Jules Humbert Droz rts ch in French 1971 02 16 Retrieved 2020 08 05 a b Caballero Manuel Latin America and the Comintern 1919 1943 page 158 Cambridge Core Retrieved 2020 08 05 Drachkovitch Milorad M Lazitch Branko 1986 Biographical Dictionary of the Comintern Stanford California Hoover Press ISBN 978 0 8179 8403 8 a b McDermott Kevin Agnew Jeremy 1996 The Comintern History of international Communism from Lenin to Stalin London MacMillan pp 85 86 ISBN 0 333 55284 9 Cohen Stephen F 1980 Bukharin and the Bolshevik Revolution A Political Biography 1888 1938 Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 502697 9 Humbert Droz Jules 1971 De Lenine a Staline dix ans au service de l Internationale communiste 1921 1931 Memoires de Jules Humbert Droz Neuchatel La Baconniere Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jules Humbert Droz amp oldid 1074747724, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
