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Success with Separatism? Brittany, Corsica, and the Indivisible French Republic Kate Walker Samford University Separatist movements are one of the most common sources of conflict in today’s international system. Separatist movements have arisen in developing nations in Africa and Asia, as well as in older, established states of Western Europe—take for example the movements in Wales, Flanders, or Catalonia. This paper seeks to understand why some movements are successful and others are unsuccessful in their goal of ultimate independence and sovereignty, specifically in states with established democracies. While in the past the level of violence has been held as the determinant of the success of a separatist movement, this study argues that the reaction of the central government is ultimately the most important factor in determining a movement’s success or failure. The study examines the separatist movements in the French regions of Brittany and Corsica between World War II and the late 1980s, looking specifically at the central government’s response to increased separatist action and momentum. It concludes that small concessions on the part of the central government reduce the effectiveness of the separatist movement, and ultimately result in the movement’s failure.
Introduction A small boy chattered nervously in his native Breton tongue on his way to school for the first time. His uncle walked beside him completely silent. As they approached the school building, the older man warned his nephew that once inside, he must never utter a word in Breton—French was the only acceptable language. When the astonished child asked why, his uncle’s only response was: “Because if you do, you will get the rod” (Reece 1977, 33). Once inside, the boy’s amazement continued. His teachers warned him that God was offended when he spoke Breton. On the playground, he even saw a sign that read, “It is forbidden to spit and to speak Breton” (Reece 1977, 32). Sixteen years later, the young boy—now known as Abbé Jean-Marie Perrot—became the founder
of the Bleun-Brug, a group aiming to separate the region of Brittany from the rest of France. Perrot never forgot the incident of his first day of school, and as a result he devoted his life to the creation of an independent Breton state. Years later, frustrated Breton students with experiences similar to Perrot’s would exclaim together, “First a Breton, then a Celt; never a Frenchman” (Foster 1980, 151). It is precisely these sentiments that have fueled the separatist movements that have taken place throughout France—and throughout the world. According to the Center for International Development and Conflict Management (from Cunningham 2011), 148 separatist movements have occurred since the late 1940s, and in today’s international system, they are the most common source of conflict. Some separatist conflicts, like those in the former Yugoslavia, result in the creation of new