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Brittany (France): Political movements

Part 1: 1900-1945

Union Régionaliste Bretonne (Breton Regionalist Union)
Fédération Régionaliste de Bretagne (Regionalist Federation of Brittany)
Bleuñ-Brug (Flower of Heather)
Urz Goanag Breiz (Order of the Breton Hope)
Parti National Breton/ Strollad Broadel Breiz (Breton National Party)
Bagadoù Stourm (Battle Groups)
Bezen Perrot (Perrot Unit)
Mouvement Ouvrier Social-National Breton ( Breton Social-National Workers' Movement)

See also:

Union Régionaliste Bretonne (Breton Regionalist Union)

Flag of the URB - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

The URB was founded in 1898 in Morlaix by a group of intellectuals to promote the Breton language, theadministrative decentralization and the establishment of a Breton region.
The first flag of the URB, as shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), was the plain ermine; in 1907 a green saltire of unknown origin and meaning was added to prevent confusion with the so-called Bourbon flag (white flag semé with golden fleurs-de-lis) then used by the French Legitimist monuarchists.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Fédération Régionaliste de Bretagne (Regionalist Federation of Brittany)

Two successive flags of the FRB - Images by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Seceding from URB, the FRB was founded by J. Cholleau and Y. Le Diberder, who added economical demands to the program of URB.
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the first flag of the FRB, first documented in January 1913 in the review Brittia, combined the black cross and the ermine. It was made of a white field charged with a black centered cross voided throughout and seven ermine spots (4+3) placed in canton.
To prevent confusion with the German Reichskriegsflagge, the cross was subsequently changed to a black centered voided cross.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bleuñ-Brug (Flower of Heather)

Two successive flags of Bleuñ-Brug - Images by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bleuñ-Brug was founded in 1905 by the priest Y.-V. Perrot to defend the Breton language and the Roman Catholic religion.
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the first flag of Bleuñ-Brug was white with a black centered cross and seven ermine spots (4 + 3) in each of the four quarters.
The association also used a more specific flag made of a purple field charged with a white Celtic cross including an unusual geometrical ermine spot with a wide basis. Purple stood for heather, the Celtic cross for Christianity and Celtic culture, and the ermine spot for Brittany.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Urz Goanag Breiz (Order of the Breton Hope)

Flag of Urz Goanag Breiz - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Urz Goanag Breiz was a youth movement for Celtic revival founded in 1943 by Y.-V. Perrot and H. Caouissin, on the model of the Welsh movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Order of the Welsh Hope).
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the flag, designed by H. Caouissin, is similar to the second Bleuñ-Brug flag, purple being replaced by green to recall the Welsh origin of the movement. Rectangular and square flags were used.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Parti National Breton/Strollad Broadel Breiz (Breton National Party)

The PNB was a separatist movement, founded by O. Mordred and F. Debauvais in 1932 and dissolved in 1945.

Election flag of the PNB, 1936 - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the PNB used during a local election held in Guingamp in 1936 a vertical red flag charged with a red ermine spot in a white disc.

Banner of the PNB, 1940 - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

The PNB also used the Gwenn-ha-Du and black and white triangular or swallow-tailed flags. A triangular, horizontally divided black-white flag was hoisted in July 1940 on the balcony of the castle of Pontivy, where the PNB expected to proclaim a Breton state with the help of the German army.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bagadoù Stourm (Battle Groups)

Flags of Bagadoù Stourm - Images by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bagadoù Stourm was a youth paramilitary movement founded in 1941 by the PNB and directed by Y. Goulet.
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the flag of Bagadoù Stourm, designed by Y. Goulet and C. Lainé, was adopted on 7 September 1941. The flag, derived from the German Reichskriegsflagge, is made of a white field charged with a Scandinavian black cross. The middle of the cross is charged with a yellow-orange triskelion in a black disk outlined in white. The cross is outlined in white and yellow-orange.
The movement also used an horizontally divided black-white-black flag.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bezen Perrot

Flag of Bezen Perrot - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Bezen Perrot was a "Breton company fighting war against France", founded by C. Lainé, who rejected the neutrality of the PNB. The unit was renamed Bezen Perrot in 1943 after the murder of Y.-V. Perrot by an anti-German Resistance movement. The unity was composed of a few dozens of people, who fought locally under German uniform and command, with the name of Bretonische Waffenverband der SS.
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the flag of Bezen Perrot was in proportions 4:5, white with a slightly decentred black cross.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

Mouvement Ouvrier Social-National Breton ( Breton Social-National Workers' Movement)

Flag of the MOSNB - Image by Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999

The MOSNB, a "National-Bolshevik movement", seceded from PNB; founded in 1941 by T. Jeusset, it was dissolved the same year.
As shown by P. Rault (Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours [rau98]), the flag of the MOSNB was a vertical, parochial-like, red banner with a black ermine spot included in a white disc.

Ivan Sache, 6 January 1999