Les influences du socialisme belge sur le socialisme français : la coopération (1885-1914)

While the French influence on the Belgian socialist movement throughout a large part of the 19th century is well-known, the author considers the impact of Belgian socialism on French socialism during the period between the creation of the Belgian Labor Party (POB) and WW1. The important role of cooperatives in the POB made them one of the characteristic features of the Belgian socialist movement. Focusing on this area provides an interesting angle from which to examine this question. The large community of Belgian workers in France that resulted from their temporary or permanent emigration, the visits by French socialists in Belgium, and the mutual contributions to journals represent three forms of direct contact between French and Belgian socialists. In addition, the Belgian cooperative model attracted the attention of the French socialists, who were quite often inspired by it. From 1885 to 1914, their opinions about cooperatives markedly developed under the influence of the Belgian model and its two crown jewels: Ghent’s Vooruit and Brussels’ Maison du peuple.