Action Française (The Portuguese Century)

The Action française (English:French Action Party) was a far-right political movement in France founded in 1899, founded and led by Charles Maurras. Originally meant to promote a decentralized form of absolute monarchy, it later evolved into fascist party based on totalitarianism, fear of communism, revanchism, and antisemitism, mainly due to the defeat of France at the hands of the Central Powers during the First World War. After seizing power in 1935 with Henri VI as its figurehead and puppet and Charles Maurras as Prime Minister and de facto dictator of France, the Action française quickly consolidated power and became the sole party of the nation. Under the regime, Jews were stripped from citizenship and forcefully isolated from society via internment camps in North Africa, where they were left under poor living conditions, although most of the Action française, including Maurras himself, had no intention or desire to systematically exterminate them. The sole purpose for its antisemitic deportations was to relocate France's Jewish population and form isolated settlements reserved for the Jews, which ultimately failed during the final years of the Second World War due to Jewish resistance to the regime. It was banned from politics in 1947 and then disbanded soon after.