Strollad Pobl Vreizh
Founded	Spring 1979
Dissolved	November 1983
Merged into	Mouvement Indépendantiste Breton
Headquarters	Brest, Brittany
Newspaper	Douar Breizh / République Bretonne
Ideology	Wanting Brittany to be free, Against foreign control, Wanting a republic
Political position	Left politics
Colours	Black, white (Breton flag)

Strollad Pobl Vreizh (SPV), or Breton Republican Party in French, was a political group in Brittany, a region in France. It was active from 1979 to 1983. The SPV wanted Brittany to be a free country, separate from France. It used peaceful actions to share its ideas and supported people who did not want to join the French army. Its newspaper, Douar Breizh / République Bretonne, helped spread its message.^[1][2]

The SPV began in spring 1979 in Paris. Breton activists started it because they wanted Brittany to be free from France.^[1][3] Later, people from Lower Brittany led the party. They wanted a free Breton republic.^[2] They were unhappy with the French Socialist Party. This party won the 1981 election but did not give more power to regions or support the Breton language.^{[PPR 1][4]}

The SPV did not want to work with France, unlike another group called the Union Démocratique Bretonne (UDB). The UDB wanted more rights for Brittany but not full independence.^[4] The SPV looked at other countries like Ireland, Algeria, and Poland. These countries had groups fighting for freedom. The SPV saw Brittany as a place controlled by France. In 1981, it made a plan saying Brittany should be free.^[1][5]

The SPV used peaceful actions to share its ideas about a free Brittany. In February 1982, it started a newspaper called Douar Breizh / République Bretonne. The newspaper was printed in 2,500 to 3,000 copies. It shared news about Brittany and supported freedom movements in Ireland, Basque Country, and Corsica.^{[6][DB 1]}

The SPV did symbolic protests. In November 1981, members went to a military base in Rennes. They tore down a French flag. They did this to protest the arrest of Bretons who did not want to join the army.^{[PPR 2][1]} In August 1982, they put tar and feathers on a sign in Vannes. This sign was about a 1532 agreement that made Brittany part of France.^{[1][PPR 3]} In March 1983, they changed street names in some Breton cities to honor Breton soldiers and activists.^{[7][PPR 4]}

The SPV also fought against nuclear power projects in Brittany. It saw these projects as a way for France to control the region. It joined protests against a nuclear plant in Plogoff and another at Le Carnet in 1982. Police used force against these protests.^{[DB 2]} The SPV supported young Bretons who refused to join the French army. In 1981, it protested in Rennes for activists who were in jail.^[7] In 1982, two members chained themselves to a politician in Guingamp to protest French rules.^{[PPN 1]} The SPV worked with the Mouvement Indépendantiste Breton (MIB) and raised money for jailed activists.^{[DB 3]}

The French government made things hard for the SPV. In 1982, the government jailed SPV leader Jean-Pierre Le Mat. They wrongly said he was involved with weapons.^{[PPN 2]} In 1983, three members of the MIB got long prison sentences for refusing to join the army. The SPV said this was unfair.^{[DB 4]} Some people called the SPV extreme, but the party said it was peaceful and wanted a republic.^{[DB 5]}

The SPV disagreed with the UDB. It thought the UDB was too soft because it worked with France.^{[DB 6]} Still, the SPV liked some of the UDB’s work to support Breton culture.^{[DB 7]}

In November 1983, the SPV ended and joined the Mouvement Indépendantiste Breton (MIB).^[6][1] Some members joined a new group called Emgann.^[8] The SPV only existed for four years, but its actions and newspaper helped inspire other groups that wanted a free Brittany.^[8]

The SPV wanted Brittany to be a free republic. It saw France as a country that controlled Brittany. In 1981, the SPV made a plan with these ideas:^[9]

• Brittany should be completely separate from France.
• Brittany should control its own government, money, and culture.
• Bretons should not join the French army.
• The SPV supported freedom movements in Ireland, Basque Country, and Corsica.^{[DB 8]}
• It did not support fascism or racism, even though some people said it did.^[10]

The SPV believed in Breton nationalism (wanting Brittany to be its own country). It wanted Bretons to choose their own future.^[5]

The SPV used the Gwenn-ha-du, the black-and-white flag of Brittany, with “SPV” written on it.^[6] It also had a logo with a triskelion (a Breton symbol with three spirals) and Excalibur (a sword from old stories). These symbols showed Breton strength. The SPV showed a big flag at meetings to excite its supporters.^[6]

The SPV was led by Jean-Pierre Le Mat, an engineer who refused to join the army. Other important members were Brigitte Lever (secretary), Alan Coraud (spokesperson), Yorann Delacourt (training), and Jakez Denis (money).^[11] The party had groups in Brest, Lorient, and Loire-Atlantique. It had committees for farming, international work, and sharing its ideas.^{[DB 9]} The SPV held meetings, like one at Pen ar Creac’h in Brest. It raised money to support its work.^{[DB 10]}

• Poisson, Henri (2000). Histoire de Bretagne. Coop Breizh. ISBN 9782843460913.
• collectif (1981). Plateforme Républicaine Bretonne (PDF). Strollad Pobl Vreizh.
• Rault, Philippe (1998). Les drapeaux bretons de 1188 à nos jours. Coop Breizh. ISBN 2843460344.
• Nicolas, Michel (2001). Bretagne, un destin européen ou La Bretagne et le fédéralisme en Europe. Presses universitaires de Rennes. ISBN 9782868476388.
• Epp, Theodore H. (1971). Joseph. Back to the Bible. ISBN 9780847412839.
• Mediapart (2015). Qu'ont-ils fait de nos espoirs ? Faits et gestes. Don Quichotte. ISBN 9782359493924.

• Articles from Douar Breizh - République Bretonne

• Regional press

• National and international press