Anarchism in France can trace its roots to thinker
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, who grew up during the
Restoration was the first self-described
anarchist. French anarchists fought in the
Spanish Civil War as volunteers in the
International Brigades. French anarchism reached its height (as did the anarchist movement in general) in the late 19th century. According to journalist
Brian Doherty, "The number of people who subscribed to the anarchist movement's many publications was in the tens of thousands in France alone."