Pan-Latinism is an ideology that promotes the unification of theRomance-speaking peoples.[2] Pan-Latinism first rose to prominence in France particularly from the influence ofMichel Chevalier (1806–1879) who contrastedthe "Latin" peoples of the Americas with the "Anglo-Saxon" peoples there.[3] Nineteenth-Century French writerStendhal spoke of "Latinism" as an imperial idea that the Latins should rule over their non-Latin neighbours.[4] It was later adopted byNapoleon III, who declared support for the cultural unity of Latin peoples and presentedFrance as the modern leader of the Latin peoples to justify French intervention in Mexican politics that led to the creation of the pro-FrenchSecond Mexican Empire.[3] SociologistRené Maunier [fr] writes that the medievalItalian poetDante toyed with the idea ofEuropean domination by Latins in his treatiseDe Monarchia, which celebratedthe "world empire" of the Romans.[4]
In the aftermath of France's defeat in theFranco-Prussian War and the creation of a state of Germany, the French political theoristGabriel Hanotaux rejected claims that the era of imperial dominance of the Latin peoples, particularly the French, was over and that the new era was one of imperial dominance of theAnglo-Saxon,Germanic andSlavic peoples. Hanotaux claimed that the Latin peoples had an imperial role to play in colonization of Africa, and that they should have imperial holdings including Africa and South America. The Anglo-Saxon peoples' imperial holdings should be North America, the Germanic peoples should have Central Europe, and the Slavic peoples should have Siberia.[5]
A democratic and confederal form of pan-Latinism arose through the influence of Occitan French figureFrédéric Mistral, who advocated regional autonomy forOccitania in France. He also advocated pan-Latinism after he had contactedCatalans who supported autonomy of Catalonia alongside Latin unity. Mistral influencedJean Charles-Brun, whoseLe régionalisme, in turn, impressed Mistral. Charles-Brun advocated an international Latinism and the creation of a democraticconfédération latine ("Latin Confederation") but rejected proposals of a "Latin Empire".[1]
In 1927,TheNew York Times published an article on pan-Latinism which states, "activities of theUnited States Government inCentral America, as exemplified bythe landing of marines in Nicaragua and by the proposedPanama andNicaragua protectorate treaties, have given strong impetus, momentarily, to the incipient Pan-Latin movement" and defined "Latinity" as consisting of "the peoples of France, Italy,Spain,Portugal,Rumania, SouthernSwitzerland,Southeastern Belgium,French Canada andLatin America".[6]
