Congress for Cultural Freedom - Revision history

Verda.Majo: made link to postmodernism

2026-07-14T02:41:38Z

made link to postmodernism

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	Among the two most important CIA front organizations that funded the CCP was [[The Farfield Foundation]] and [[The Kaplan Fund]].<ref name=":CCC" />		Among the two most important CIA front organizations that funded the CCP was [[The Farfield Foundation]] and [[The Kaplan Fund]].<ref name=":CCC" />

	While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].<ref name=":CCC" />		While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French [[postmodernism]], relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].<ref name=":CCC" />

	The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":CCC" />		The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":CCC" />
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	* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]		* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]
	* [[Left-wing anticommunism\|Non-Communist Left]]		* [[Left-wing anticommunism\|Non-Communist Left]]
			* [[Postmodernism]]

	== References ==		== References ==

Verda.Majo: /* See also */

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Charhapiti at 19:04, 2 June 2026

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	The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":CCC" />		The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":CCC" />

	After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].		After being exposed in 1967<ref>{{Web citation\|author=Eric Pullin\|newspaper=AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE HISTORIOGRAPHY: Intelligence Studies in Britain and the US: Historiography since 1945\|title=The Culture of Funding Culture: The CIA and the Congress for Cultural Freedom\|date=2013-08-05\|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/intelligence-studies-in-britain-and-the-us/culture-of-funding-culture-the-cia-and-the-congress-for-cultural-freedom/6C52FBAFE2C92D03B970C3CFDE68C766}}</ref>, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].

			The full archives can be read at the University of Chicago Library.<ref>{{Web citation\|newspaper=University of Chicago\|title=Guide to the International Association for Cultural Freedom Records 1941-1978\|url=https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/scrc/findingaids/view.php?eadid=ICU.SPCL.IACF}}</ref>

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Charhapiti at 18:55, 2 June 2026

2026-06-02T18:55:28Z

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	The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. Founding figures included anti-communist Sidney Hook, former communist Arthur Koestler, Melvin J. Lasky, and undercover CIA officer Michael Josselson. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>		The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. Founding figures included anti-communist Sidney Hook, former communist Arthur Koestler, Melvin J. Lasky, and undercover CIA officer Michael Josselson. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>

	Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref~~>Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War~~: ~~The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, ''The New Press'', 1999.</ref><ref~~>{{Citation\|last=Saunders\|first=Frances Stonor\|author=Frances Stonor Saunders\|year=1999\|title=The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters\|title-url=en.prolewiki.org/wiki/File:CulturalColdWar.pdf\|pdf=https://shared.prolewiki.org/uploads/4/4a/CulturalColdWar.pdf\|publisher=The New Press}}</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>		Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref name=":CCC" >{{Citation\|last=Saunders\|first=Frances Stonor\|author=Frances Stonor Saunders\|year=1999\|title=The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters\|title-url=en.prolewiki.org/wiki/File:CulturalColdWar.pdf\|pdf=https://shared.prolewiki.org/uploads/4/4a/CulturalColdWar.pdf\|publisher=The New Press}}</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>

	The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 at the Titania Palast theater in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. The founding conference was titled "The Future of Freedom" and brought together over 100 prominent intellectuals, artists, and politicians from Europe and the Americas. The explicit goal was to counter the Soviet-sponsored "World Peace Council" and its narrative that Western culture was decadent and imperialist. The CCF declared itself an independent, non-communist left organization. In reality, it was a CIA front from day one. The CIA's Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) had been planning a "cultural offensive" since 1948~~, and West Berlin—a flashpoint of the Cold War—was the perfect symbolic stage~~.		The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 at the Titania Palast theater in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. The founding conference was titled "The Future of Freedom" and brought together over 100 prominent intellectuals, artists, and politicians from Europe and the Americas. The explicit goal was to counter the Soviet-sponsored "World Peace Council" and its narrative that Western culture was decadent and imperialist. The CCF declared itself an independent, non-communist left organization. In reality, it was a CIA front from day one. The CIA's Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) had been planning a "cultural offensive" since 1948.<ref name=":CCC" />

	Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."		Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."
	– [[Sidney Hook]], 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner.html</ref></blockquote>		– [[Sidney Hook]], 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner.html</ref></blockquote>

	Among the two most important CIA front organizations that funded the CCP was [[The Farfield Foundation]] and [[The Kaplan Fund]].		Among the two most important CIA front organizations that funded the CCP was [[The Farfield Foundation]] and [[The Kaplan Fund]].<ref name=":CCC" />

	While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].		While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].<ref name=":CCC" />

	The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":4" />		The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":CCC" />

	After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].		After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].

Charhapiti: sourcing

2026-06-02T18:51:37Z

sourcing

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:51, 2 June 2026
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	The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. Founding figures included anti-communist Sidney Hook, former communist Arthur Koestler, Melvin J. Lasky, and undercover CIA officer Michael Josselson. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>		The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. Founding figures included anti-communist Sidney Hook, former communist Arthur Koestler, Melvin J. Lasky, and undercover CIA officer Michael Josselson. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>

	Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, ''The New Press'', 1999.</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>		Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, ''The New Press'', 1999.</ref><ref>{{Citation\|last=Saunders\|first=Frances Stonor\|author=Frances Stonor Saunders\|year=1999\|title=The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters\|title-url=en.prolewiki.org/wiki/File:CulturalColdWar.pdf\|pdf=https://shared.prolewiki.org/uploads/4/4a/CulturalColdWar.pdf\|publisher=The New Press}}</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>

	The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 at the Titania Palast theater in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. The founding conference was titled "The Future of Freedom" and brought together over 100 prominent intellectuals, artists, and politicians from Europe and the Americas. The explicit goal was to counter the Soviet-sponsored "World Peace Council" and its narrative that Western culture was decadent and imperialist. The CCF declared itself an independent, non-communist left organization. In reality, it was a CIA front from day one. The CIA's Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) had been planning a "cultural offensive" since 1948, and West Berlin—a flashpoint of the Cold War—was the perfect symbolic stage.		The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 at the Titania Palast theater in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. The founding conference was titled "The Future of Freedom" and brought together over 100 prominent intellectuals, artists, and politicians from Europe and the Americas. The explicit goal was to counter the Soviet-sponsored "World Peace Council" and its narrative that Western culture was decadent and imperialist. The CCF declared itself an independent, non-communist left organization. In reality, it was a CIA front from day one. The CIA's Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) had been planning a "cultural offensive" since 1948, and West Berlin—a flashpoint of the Cold War—was the perfect symbolic stage.

Charhapiti at 18:45, 2 June 2026

2026-06-02T18:45:55Z

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	While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].		While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].

	The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America).		The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America). There was also [[Aportes]] (Latin America), [[Black Orpheus]] (Nigeria), [[Cadernos Brasileiros]] (Brazil), Censorship (UK), China Report (India), The China Quarterly (United Kingdom), Cuadernos del Congreso por la Libertad de la Cultura (Paris, intended for distribution in Latin America), Encounter (UK), Examen (Mexico), Forvm (Austria), Hiwar (Lebanon), Informes de China (Argentina), Jiyu/Freedom (Japan), Kulturkontakt (Sweden), Minerva (UK), Mundo Nuevo (Latin America), Perspektiv (Denmark), Preuves (France), Quadrant (Australia), Quest (India), Sasanggye (South Korea), Science and Freedom, Social Science Review (Thailand), Solidarity (Philippines), Soviet Survey/Survey, Tempo Presente (Italy), and Transition Magazine (Uganda). <ref name=":4" />

	After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].		After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].

Charhapiti at 18:08, 2 June 2026

2026-06-02T18:08:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:08, 2 June 2026
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	The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America).		The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America).

			After being exposed in 1967, it rebranded to the [[International Foundation for Cultural Freedom]].

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Charhapiti at 17:53, 2 June 2026

2026-06-02T17:53:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:53, 2 June 2026
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	The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>		The '''Congress for Cultural Freedom''' ('''CCF''') was an [[Anti-communism\|anti-communist]] advocacy group founded in 1950. At its height, the CCF was active in thirty-five countries. Founding figures included anti-communist Sidney Hook, former communist Arthur Koestler, Melvin J. Lasky, and undercover CIA officer Michael Josselson. In 1966 it was revealed that the [[Central Intelligence Agency\|CIA]] was instrumental in the establishment and funding of the group.<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, "Modern Art was CIA 'weapon'", ''The Independent'', October 22, 1995.</ref><ref>Scionti, Andrea (2020-02-01). ""I Am Afraid Americans Cannot Understand": The Congress for Cultural Freedom in France and Italy, 1950–1957". ''Journal of Cold War Studies''. '''22''' (1): 89–124. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00927. ISSN 1520-3972. S2CID 211147094.</ref><ref>{{News citation\|journalist=Michael Warner\|title=Origins of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, 1949-50\|url=https://www.cia.gov/static/4b453cae3b528c19248e6a4cf4a65616/origins-congress-cultural-freedom.pdf\|newspaper=cia.gov}}</ref>

	Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, ''The New Press'', 1999.</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>		Historian Frances Stonor Saunders writes (1999): "Whether they liked it or not, whether they knew it or not, there were few writers, poets, artists, historians, scientists, or critics in postwar Europe whose names were not in some way linked to this covert enterprise."<ref>Frances Stonor Saunders, The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters, ''The New Press'', 1999.</ref> A different slant on the origins and work of the Congress is offered by Peter Coleman in his ''Liberal Conspiracy'' (1989) where he talks about a struggle for the mind "of Postwar Europe" and the world at large.<ref>Peter Coleman, ''The Liberal Conspiracy: The Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Struggle for Mind of Postwar Europe'', The Free Press: New York, 1989.</ref>

	The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."		The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 at the Titania Palast theater in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. The founding conference was titled "The Future of Freedom" and brought together over 100 prominent intellectuals, artists, and politicians from Europe and the Americas. The explicit goal was to counter the Soviet-sponsored "World Peace Council" and its narrative that Western culture was decadent and imperialist. The CCF declared itself an independent, non-communist left organization. In reality, it was a CIA front from day one. The CIA's Office of Policy Coordination (OPC) had been planning a "cultural offensive" since 1948, and West Berlin—a flashpoint of the Cold War—was the perfect symbolic stage.

			Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."
	– [[Sidney Hook]], 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner.html</ref></blockquote>		– [[Sidney Hook]], 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner.html</ref></blockquote>

			Among the two most important CIA front organizations that funded the CCP was [[The Farfield Foundation]] and [[The Kaplan Fund]].

	While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].		While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].

			The CCF used journals to spread its agenda. These included [[Encounter]] (UK), [[Preuves]] (France), [[Der Monat]] (West Germany), and [[Cuadernos]] (Latin America).

	== See also ==		== See also ==

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	The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."		The CCF was founded on 26 June 1950 in West Berlin, which had just endured months of Soviet blockade. Its stated purpose was to find ways to counter the view that liberal democracy was less compatible with culture than [[communism]]. In practical terms it aimed to challenge the post-war sympathies with the USSR of many Western intellectuals and fellow travellers, particularly among liberals and the [[non-Communist Left]].<blockquote>"Give me a hundred million dollars and a thousand dedicated people, and I will guarantee to generate such a wave of democratic unrest among the masses — yes, even among the soldiers — of Stalin's own empire, that all his problems for a long period of time to come will be internal. I can find the people."
			– [[Sidney Hook]], 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner.html</ref></blockquote>

	– [[~~Sidney Hook~~]]~~, 1949<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20201117015808/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/95unclass/Warner~~.~~html</ref></blockquote>~~		While originally aimed at the Soviet Union, its cultural weaponry (specifically, French postmodernism, relativism, and the rejection of "grand narratives") was later repurposed to capture [[CIA Interventions in Indigenous Movements\|Global South and Indigenous autonomy movements]].

	== See also ==		== See also ==

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	* [[New Left]]		* [[New Left]]
	* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]		* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]

	~~== External links ==~~
	~~{{External links\|Wikipedia=Congress for Cultural Freedom}}~~

	== References ==		== References ==

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	* [[New Left]]		* [[New Left]]
	* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]		* [[CIA and the Cultural Cold War]]
			* [[Left-wing anticommunism\|Non-Communist Left]]

	== References ==		== References ==