Pierre Kropotkine urges Jean Grave to fight against the Germans.

Pierre Kropotkine

Autographed letter signed to Jean Grave.

Seven and a half pages in-12°.

Brighton. September 2, 1914.

" We'll have to defend ourselves like ferocious beasts ! "

A famous and moving letter bringing together the two future co-authors of the "Manifesto of the Sixteen" calling for a sacred union against the German aggression of 1914.

With relentless rhetoric, virulent expression and forceful indignation, the champion of anarchy writes a letter that already resembles a manifesto.

We know how much the question of war divided the libertarian camp.

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My dearest Jean, I have just received your letter. My heart sank with sorrow as I read it. In what world of illusions do you live to speak of peace? The terms of peace will be imposed by the victor. And, with Belgium conquered , the German armies 100 kilometers from Paris, bringing new 425 mm cannons (17 inches in diameter at the muzzle), and your forts built to withstand only 275 mm cannons at most 30 cm, with an army of Huns at your gates fighting like devils and trampling all the rules of humanity, you speak to me of peace!!

But first, think about defeating this army, reconquering Belgium, ravaged by fire and bloodshed, and defending Paris . Quickly, quickly, design and cast 50cm cannons and drag them—old men, women, and children—into position on the heights south of Paris to attack the Huns from behind. Quickly, quickly, learn to dismantle their airplanes and tanks, and to massacre the invaders—everywhere. With Belgium invaded, international law no longer exists . But no one tells you anything about what's happening in Belgium—and you continue to dream.

I bet you're counting on the Russians, and that none of you have measured the distance from… to Berlin (600 km) on a map and realized that even a simple stroll would take 40 days of marching. But the Germans will know how to defend Berlin; they'll know how to turn those 40 days into 80, even if it were a… succession of victories for three months! And now a month has passed, and the Russians still haven't left East Prussia, which prevents the armies marching on… from leaving Poland!

Arm yourselves! Make a superhuman effort – only in this way will France regain the right and the strength to inspire the peoples of Europe its civilization, its

Wake up, please! Do not let these atrocious conquerors once again crush Latin civilization and the French people, who have already had their 1848 and 1871, while they have not yet had, nor even tried to have, their 1789-1793. Do not let them impose a century of militarism on Europe.

I know there are socialists in Germany—but only a handful, who, if they tried to rise up, would be crushed like the Russian Revolution was crushed in 1905. The military clique is in charge. What would happen if they were victorious? Please pass this letter on to the comrades . We are better informed here and better placed than you to see where we stand with this war. Sophie and I send you our warmest regards. Yours, Pierre.

If you only knew how my heart—our hearts, the four of us, Sacha, Boris, and I—bleed to see France besieged and threatened, and Belgium crushed and mutilated.  Like you, I hope , I still believe in victory. But the calm resignation of Paris, which a new arrival—an American comrade—tells me about, chills me to the bone. The fervor and extraordinary of the Belgian and French armies are admirable . But against the sheer numbers of the German hordes, one must contend with sheer numbers.

Here, with our English friends, we're doing everything we can to expedite the arrival of reinforcements. But it's taking time. In any case, here we are on September 2nd, and the Germans have failed to keep their promise to be in Paris already. But we'll have to defend ourselves like ferocious beasts to prevent them from entering.

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A year and a half later, in February 1916, Pierre Kropotkin and Jean Grave sent the text they had written together, calling for national unity against Germany, known as the Manifesto of the Sixteen – the "sixteen" referring to the number of signatories. Several anarchist figures, such as Errico Malatesta and Sébastien Faure, refused to join this appeal due to their antimilitarist stance.