the last years of the Situationist International

In April 1968, the members of the Situationist International (SI) began to prepare for an internal ("private") debate on their organization, that is to say, on the way in which the SI was organized. But, as Guy Debord said later, the occupations movement of May 1968, "which was obviously more pleasant and instructive than this debate, forced us to postpone it." The debate resumed in the Fall of 1968, but became truly serious in the wake of the September 1969 meeting of the SI, which was widely perceived in the organization to be less than satisfactory. The "organization debate" was accompanied by a slew of exclusions -- Alain Chevalier (French section, October 1969), Robert Chasse (American, January 1970), Bruce Elwell (American, January 1970), Claudio Pavan (Italian, Spring 1970), Eduardo Rothe (Italian, Spring 1970), Paolo Salvadori (Italian, Summer 1970) and Rene Riesel (French, September 1971) -- and resignations -- Francois de Beaulieu (French section, 1970), Patrick Cheval (French, 1970), Raoul Vaneigem (French, November 1970), Jon Horelick (American, December 1970), Christian Sebastiani (French, December 1970), Tony Verlaan (American, December 1970), and Rene Vienet (French, February 1971). The debate/carnage continued until April 1972, when the remaining members of the SI -- Guy Debord, Gianfranco Sanguinetti and J.V. Martin -- announced their decision to disband and tried to explain what had happened to the SI to their readers.

None of the situationists who were involved in this very pointed/pointless debate ever expressed the desire to assemble and publish a collection of the various statements and letters related to it. Indeed, when such a collection was finally put together by a post-situationist named Daniel Denevert and submitted to Editions Champ Libre, Guy Debord declined to help and Champ Libre turned the book down. Finally, in 1974, the Centre de recherche sur la question sociale (CRQS) started circulating a green-covered volume of mimeographed reproductions of mostly type-written pages called Debat de l'Orientation de l'Ex-Internationale Situationniste, 1969-1971. It wasn't until August 2004 that the entire the "book" was finally translated into English, mostly by NOT BORED!, which was also the first to post it on-line.

Document 1: Guy Debord, April 1968. The Question of Organization for the SI and August 1969, Note added in August 1969. Published in L'International Situationniste #12, September 1969. Translated into English by Point Blank!

Document 2: Rene Riesel, 26 August 1969. Propositions for the organization of our future meetings. Translated into English by Reuben Keehan.

Document 3: the French section of the SI, 15 October 1969. On the Functioning of the French Section After October 1969. Translated into English by Reuben Keehan.

Document 4: Raoul Vaneigem, March 1970. Notes on the orientation of the SI. Translated into English by Reuben Keehan.

Document 5: Guy Debord, 17 March 1970. Notes for the Joint Meeting of the French and Italian Sections. Translated into English by Reuben Keehan.

Document 6: Rene Riesel, March-April 1970. To the French Section of the SI, for discussion. Translated into English by Reuben Keehan.

Document 7: Tony Verlaan, no date. Several observations concerning the strategic debate. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 8: Francois de Beaulieu, April 1970. On the subject of the debate on the SI's orientation. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 9: Christian Sebastiani, 13 April 1970. Notes for the Meeting of 13 April 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 10: Rene Riesel, 18 April 1970. Concerning the first texts of the discussion, the debates of 17 March, 7 April, and 14 April, and other questions of importance. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 11: Raoul Vaneigem, 23 April 1970. Several precise points. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 12: Guy Debord, 27 April 1970. For an Orientation Debate in Spring 1970. Notes on the first of a series of texts. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 13: Christian Sebastiani, April 1970. Notes for the Meeting of 28 April 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 14: Rene-Donatien [Rene Vienet], April 1970. Notes for the Meeting of 28 April 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 15: Rene-Donatien [Rene Vienet], May 1970. Notes for the Meeting of 5 May 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 16: Paolo Salvadori, May 1970. Provisional Theses for the Discussion of New Theoretico-Practical Orientation in the SI (excerpts). Translated into English by Implications.

Document 17: Rene Riesel, May 1970. Notes for the meeting of 12 May 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED!

Document 18: Christian Sebastiani, May 1970. Notes for the Meeting of 19 May 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED!

Document 19: Raoul Vaneigem, May 1970. Note of synthesis for the meeting of 19 May 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 20: Francois de Beaulieu, May 1970. Notes for the meeting 19 May 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 21: Gianfranco Sanguinetti, June 1970. Notes on the Strategic Debate. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 22: Guy Debord, 7 July 1970. Note on an urgent and concrete question. Translated into English by NOT BORED!

Document 23: Guy Debord, 27 July 1970. Remarks on the SI Today. Excerpts translated into English by Ken Knabb.

Document 24: Jonathan Horelick and Tony Verlaan, 21 September 1970. To Guy Debord. Original (now missing) appears to have been in English. French translation.

Document 25: Guy Debord, 28 October 1970. To Jonathan Horelick and Tony Verlaan. Translated into English.

Document 26: Guy Debord, Rene Riesel and Rene Vienet, 11 November 1970. Declaration. Translated into English by Ken Knabb.

Document 27: Raoul Vaneigem, 14 novembre 1970. Letter of Resignation from the SI. Translated into English by Chronos Publications.

Document 29: Tony Verlaan and Jonathan Horelick, 17 November 1970, To Guy Debord. Written in English.

Document 30: Tony Verlaan and Jonathan Horelick, 18 November 1970. To Guy Debord, Rene Vienet and Rene Riesel. Written in English.

Document 31: Christian Sebastiani, 19 November 1970. To the Tendancy constituted 11 November 1970. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 32: Guy Debord, Rene Riesel, and Rene Vienet, 24 November 1970. To Christian Sebastiani. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 33: Christian Sebastiani, 28 November 1970. To the tendancy of 11 November. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 34: Guy Debord, Rene Riesel, Gianfranco Sanguinetti, and Rene Vienet, 29 November 1970. To Jonathan Horelick and Tony Verlaan. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 35: Gianfranco Sanguinetti, 8 December 1970. Untitled letter. Translated into English by NOT BORED.

Document 36: Guy Debord, January 1971. To the Meeting of 28 January 1971. Excerpts translated into English by Ken Knabb.

Document 37: Jon Horelick and Tony Verlaan, 3 February 1971. Statement from the American SI with respect to the tendency formed on 11 November 1970 by Rene Riesel, Rene Vienet and Guy Debord. Written in English.