The Algerian newspaper Alger républicain recently published a heartfelt tribute to Henri Alleg, a renowned figure in the country's struggle for independence and social justice. As the 20th century drew to a close, Alleg faced one of the most significant upheavals of his time: the rise of counter-revolution, which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism in Eastern Europe. Despite this, Alleg remained resolute in his convictions, refusing to accept the notion that socialism had failed.
For Alleg, the ideals of socialism that had driven generations of workers, resistance fighters, and communist militants to combat exploitation could not be discredited by a historical defeat. He firmly believed that the social needs that gave birth to the labor movement persisted, and that the necessity for revolutionary transformation remained as relevant as ever. In his analysis, Alleg distinguished between the principles of scientific socialism and the errors, shortcomings, and opportunistic deviations that had weakened socialist construction.
Henri Alleg's travels to Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union reinforced his conviction that the restoration of capitalist relations of production had led to devastating consequences, including mass privatization, the collapse of public services, and a sharp decline in social rights. These observations informed his book, Le Grand Bond en arrière, in which he analyzed the counter-revolution as a complex phenomenon resulting from economic, political, and ideological processes.
Throughout his life, Henri Alleg remained committed to defending historical memory, believing that the achievements of socialism, the struggles of the international labor movement, and the conquests won by the people must not be erased by anti-communist propaganda. He saw the falsification of history as a crucial tool used by dominant classes to ideologically disarm workers and obscure the fact that people had already demonstrated their capacity to build a society founded on different social relations.
Henri Alleg's internationalism was inextricably linked to his analysis of contemporary imperialism. In the aftermath of the Soviet Union's collapse, he saw a new global equilibrium that facilitated increased aggression by major imperialist powers. He denounced wars of aggression, military interventions, and policies of interference presented under the guise of democracy, human rights, or the fight against terrorism, but which primarily aimed to defend the economic, strategic, and geopolitical interests of large monopolistic groups.
Until the end of his life, Henri Alleg remained faithful to internationalist solidarity, supporting peoples victimized by occupation, imperialist domination, and repression. He was convinced that the struggle of workers and peoples against exploitation constituted a common combat that transcended national borders. As a former director of Alger républicain, a survivor of colonial torture, and a communist militant, Alleg left behind a legacy of unwavering dedication to the cause of socialism.
Henri Alleg's trajectory testifies to his fidelity to Marxism, proletarian internationalism, and the conviction that the struggle for the abolition of human exploitation remains a historical necessity. For him, setbacks suffered by the communist movement did not mark the end of the struggle; instead, they underscored the need to deepen its teachings to prepare the conditions for future victories of the people and the working class.
Key points
- Henri Alleg refused to accept the notion that socialism had failed despite the rise of counter-revolution and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- Alleg's analysis distinguished between the principles of scientific socialism and the errors, shortcomings, and opportunistic deviations that had weakened socialist construction.
- Henri Alleg remained committed to internationalist solidarity, supporting peoples victimized by occupation, imperialist domination, and repression until the end of his life.
