Breton National Party

The **Breton National Party** (**PNB**; in Breton: *Strollad Broadel Breizh*) was a nationalist political party in Brittany from 1931 to 1944.

## From creation in 1931 to ban in 1939 
### Foundation 
The party started when the Breton Autonomist Party (PAB) split after a meeting in Guingamp in August 1931. The nationalists made a new party. They made newspapers like *La nation bretonne* and *War Zao*. They restarted *Breiz Atao* from November 1931 to August 1939. The first meeting was in Landerneau on 27 December 1931 with 25 members.

### Ideology 
Some from the PAB who wanted separation, like Olier Mordrel, Yann Sohier, and François Debeauvais, joined the PNB. The first meeting was in Landerneau on 27 December 1931. *Breiz Atao* started again. It followed the Irish revolution and was nationalist.

### Actions 
The party was small and had little power. The actions gave publicity, but most newspapers said no, except ''L'Humanité''. Mordrel wanted a program like the Nazi Party, but the party did not fully follow.

In February 1937, tuberculosis made Debeauvais let Raymond Delaporte help. This stopped Mordrel from taking power. At the meeting in Carhaix. In May 1938, walls had writings like "Brittany to the Bretons", "Breiz Atao will win".

### Ban 
A law by Édouard Daladier on 24 May 1938 went against separatists. It let courts punish those who hurt France's land.

Near war, the PNB liked Germany and said no to war. At the meeting in Guingamp on 28 August 1938, they said Bretons give more soldiers than workers and no Breton blood for foreign causes. Posters said "No war for the Czechs". They had a small armed group, Kadervenn. for being too friendly with Nazi Germany. Goods were taken, papers destroyed. Debeauvais and Mordrel got death sentence on 7 May 1940. Searches happened at members' homes, some arrests (Yann Bricler, Kongar-Kervella, Marcel Guieysse, Édouard Gueguen, André Lajat, sister of Ange Péresse, abbé Perrot). In late October, Célestin Lainé was arrested on the north front.

## Time with Germans 
### Berlin 
Debeauvais went to Berlin (with Moyse, then Mordrel) to try for Breton freedom if France lost. In January 1940, they sent a "war letter" saying no true Breton dies for France. Enemies are French. In March 1940, they made *Ouest-Information* secretly.

### Breton Government 
Olier Mordrel said the *Breton Government* in Berlin in May 1940, a Breton government away from home.

Nazis wanted to grow the Reich to German speakers and break big countries by language. Hitler liked a Breton state. Talks in May-June 1940 between Otto Abetz and Mordrel/Debeauvais on making the state. Special camps for Breton prisoners in Germany, visits to Luckenwalde, Sagan.

In the 1940 defeat, some PNB helped German troops, like clearing mines near Hennebont or showing machine guns near Plougastel bridge.). ''L'heure bretonne'' printed 100,000 first free, then 8,000 from May 1941.

Jean-Jacques Monnier says of 1,500-3,000 members, tens joined Resistance and FFL, some in groups.

But leaders like Morvan Lebesque, Alan Heusaff collaborated with Nazis. Some links to Abwehr from 1920s.

Ties worse with hard wing. Double membership in Bagadoù stourm and Lainé's service banned. In 1943-1944, pro-German leaders kicked out for neutral line.

### Split by Célestin Lainé in late 1943 
After abbé Perrot killed, Lainé made Bezen Perrot with hard ones (Alan Heusaff). In May 1944, he made new PNB for full German side. Symbolic, did nothing.

He made second PNB, restarted Breiz Atao in May 1944.

## Nationalist Bretons in Resistance 
Jean-Jacques Monnier says six friends and nine young from party joined Liberté group of Saint-Nazaire, where liking England helped.

Liberté or "Timoléon" did spy and send to London, fought in Saint-Nazaire pocket in May 1945, as Monnier showed. Some nationalists deported to Germany and died: Paul Le Maguer, Jean Chauvel, Pierre Ropert. Doctor Georges Leclair, in "Centurie" network and PNB leader, shot by Nazis on 6 July 1944 in Brest. Some from "Bleiz Mor" group killed on 28 July 1944 in Saint-Gilles-du-Mené.

Monnier says of 250 cultural, regionalist, nationalist Bretons in Resistance and Breton groups, about 50 from PNB. Half in marked groups, rest in normal networks.

Most leaders punished for collaboration. Nine from Bezen Perrot, Guy Vissault group, or Selbstschutzpolizei shot in Rennes: Guy Vissault de Coëtlogon, Pierre Bernier, Hervé Botros, Fernand-André Geoffroy, Claude Geslin, Léon Jasson, Corentin Kergoat, Joseph Le Ruyet, Commandant Thomas; André Geoffroy's death changed. Ten death by absent: Michel Chevillotte, Louis Feutren, Gilbert Foix, Yann Goulet, Hervé Le Helloco, Edmond Joly, Auguste Ménard, Olier Mordrel, Ange Péresse.

Some escaped to Ireland with fake papers by Yann Fouéré. Few worried, only 15-16% to court, rare for friends. Epuration not big, not mass repression.

But 52 killed per Mordrel, 36 no trial, of 2,000-3,000 (2-3%). Not counting arrests. Like abbé Lec'hvien shot by FTP for culture work.

Mordrel, Delaporte to Germany then Ireland. Mordrel said he made deal with Doriot's PPF on 16 February 1945 for Breton freedom in Swiss federation.

Yann Goulet, Hervé Le Helloco, Olier Mordrel death by absent.

Others got national shame, banned from Brittany, to Paris or exile like Alan Heusaff.

Commandant Thomas, PNB leader, hurt by German on 3 August 1944 in Broons, wanted. died between Neuengamme and Bergen-Belsen on 28 March 1945.

Young Michel Plessis got life hard work on 4 May 1945 for giving Gestapo list of students (19 arrested 10 December 1943, 3 shot at Mont-Valérien, 5 died deported).

Books on Morbihan epuration: Annik Le Guen, collective, Charles Floquet.

## PNB books 
* *History of Brittany - general*. PNB Editions - Rennes, Central Print. 1941. The Militant's Notebooks.
* *Union of Health Insurance in Brittany. PNB no 2: our fight for Brittany.* PNB Editions - Rennes 1941
* *History of Brittany* by Jeanne Coroller-Danio, drawings by Xavier Haas. 1942. PNB Editions - Rennes
* *History of Brittany for all* by Jeanne Coroller-Danio, PNB Editions - Rennes, Central Print Rennes. 1942  
* *Our fight for Brittany*. PNB Editions - Rennes. 1942.
* *The road to far goal*.
* *Thoughts of a Breton nationalist*.
* *War raok! Road songs* by Xavier Haas. PNB Editions - Rennes. 1942.

## References 
## Further reading 
* Cadiou, Georges (2001). ''L'Hermine et la Croix gammée*. Mango Document.
* Boterf, Hervé Le (2000). *La Bretagne dans la guerre*.
* Bougeard, Christian (2011). "Bretagne et identités régionales pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale". Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique.
* Carney, Sébastien (2015). *Breiz Atao ! Mordrel, Delaporte, Lainé, Fouéré: une mystique nationale (1901–1948)*. Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
* Collectif (2006). *1939-1945 en Centre-Bretagne, Tome 4: Des lendemains qui chantent''. Liv'Éditions.
* Déniel, Alain (1976). *Le mouvement breton de 1919-1945*. Éditions Maspero.
* Floquet, Charles (2003). *Pontivy, la liberté retrouvée*. Keltia Graphic.
* Fouéré, Yann (1962). ''La Bretagne Écartelée: Essai pour servir à l'histoire de dix ans, 1938-1948*. Nouvelles Éditions Latines.
* Fouéré, Yann (2011). *Histoire d'un Breton (1): La patrie interdite: Autobiographie*. FeniXX réédition numérique.
* Fouéré, Yann. *La Maison du Connemara*.
* Hamon, Kristian (2001). *Les nationalistes bretons sous l'occupation*. An Here.
* Hamon, Kristian (2005). *Le Bezen Perrot: 1944, des nationalistes bretons sous l'uniforme allemand''. Yoran Embanner.
* Hamon, Kristian (2009). "Agents de l'Abwehr en Bretagne (PNB)". *Histomag 44*, special issue, Normandy Landing.
* Le Guen, Annik (1992). ''L'épuration dans le Morbihan''. A. Le Guen.
* Maignen, Étienne (2010). "De 1940 à 1941, Réapparition d'une Bretagne provisoirement incomplète, un provisoire destiné à durer". ''Bulletin et mémoires de la société archéologique d'Ille-et-Vilaine*, volume CXIV, pp. 237–258.
* Monnier, Jean-Jacques (2002). "Des militants bretons dans la Résistance". *Bretagne et identités régionales pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale*. Centre de Recherche Bretonne et Celtique.
* Monnier, Jean-Jacques (2007). *Résistance et conscience bretonne, 1940-1945, l'hermine contre la croix gammée*. Yoran Embanner.
* Mordrel, Olier. *Breiz Atao, histoire et actualité du mouvement breton*.
* Ory, Pascal (1974). *Les collaborateurs, 1940-1945*.
* Stora, Benjamin (2000). *Messali Hadj''.