- Gwenn ha du (terrorism)
Gwenn ha Du (Breton for "white and black") was a Breton-based terrorist group founded at the end of 1930 in
Paris byCélestin Lainé . It advocatedBreton nationalism through "direct action " and published a secret manual aimed at instructing readers in terrorism. The "Gwenn ha du" is the nickname for the Breton flag, which is in these colours.History
In July 1932, Gwenn ha Du decided to destroy a monument it found particularly offensive: a statue created by
Jean Boucher marking the union ofBrittany andFrance in 1532. Its unveiling some twenty years earlier triggered the first protest by Breton Nationalists.Célestin Lainé made abomb in his bedroom, consisting of acondensed milk carton filled withnitroglycerine . In the early hours ofAugust 7 , he set the bomb behind the head of the King of France's statue in the facade opposite themayor 's office. At 4:00 a.m., the bomb detonated, shattering thebronze statue and allglass within 100 metres. OnAugust 7 , the group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was intended to coincide with the 400th anniversary celebration of the union, taking place inVannes under the guidance of French prime ministerÉdouard Herriot . "L'Humanité ", theFrench Communist Party newspaper, spoke out the day after, protesting that Herriot didn't mention that allCelt ic civilisation was wiped out, the refusal to acknowledge theBreton language and culture. The authorities arrested six militants onAugust 11 ; the six remained imprisoned for fifty days.The Gwenn ha du, which presented itself as the unofficial army branch of the
Parti National Breton , followed up with a few months of action. OnNovember 20 , Gwenn ha du members detonated a bomb on therailway line betweenIngrandes andChamptocé , not long before Édouard Herriot's arrival there. The train stopped in front of the damaged rails. However, Herriot eventually got toNantes in time to celebrate the act of theUnion of Brittany and France . Three more attacks followed:April 13 ,1936 , witharson in fourpréfecture s;December 18 ,1938 , with the blowing up of amonument (theMonument de la Fédération bretonne-angevine inPontivy ); and the attack in the préfecture of Quimper onFebruary 28 1939 .A last attack was suspected on 13th of May 1941 against Carhaix gendarmerie station after a statement was sent to members of the National Council in Vichy, threatening for more attacks if borders of the traditional province of Brittany were not recognised.
Members of Gwenn ha du
*
Célestin Lainé
*Francis Bayer du Kern
*Meavenn
*Henri Le Helloco
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