French socialism in the Argentine Partido Socialista: political dimensions of an uncomfortable presence (1890–1915)

Abstract

The presence of French socialism in the Argentine Socialist Party is something of a paradox: the cultural weight of France in Argentina’s intellectual and artistic life from the nineteenth century until the first decades of the twentieth century had no equivalent impact on Argentine socialism. This is even more striking if we consider the intensity of personal exchanges, including a visit by Jean Jaurès to Buenos Aires in 1911. Of course, Francophilia was not unknown to these socialists, but their main leaders adopted a mostly critical approach towards French traditions, and later towards the Section française de l’Internationale ouvrière (SFIO), at least when compared to the Belgian and German socialist parties. This difference becomes even more perceptible when we compare the Partido Socialista (PS) in Argentina to other socialist parties from the same region. The thesis of this article is that the influence of French socialism served, in the early years of the PS in Argentina, to feed the leftist currents that opposed the leadership, promoting a revolutionary attitude on its part instead of its integration into the political system. At the same time, Jaurès’ immense international status as a socialist meant that his 1911 visit would facilitate the eventual integration of the Argentine party into the political system.