Edmond Potonié (1829–1902), commonly known as Edmond Potonié-Pierre, was a French pacifist.[1]
During the 1850s, Potonié-Pierre was inspired by Richard Cobden's Anti-Corn Law League and aimed to do similar in France.[1] He learnt German and Italian while travelling around Europe, and developed the liberal economics of his father to make it more socialistic and cooperative.[1]
During the 1860s, he associated with notable thinkers like John Stuart Mill, Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch, Frédéric Passy, and Rudolf Virchow.[1] After receiving financial support from Henry Richard, Potonié-Pierre founded the French: Ligue du Bien Public (Public Good League).[1] The French: Ligue attacked monopolies and high levels of taxation while advocating individual freedom and organised world peace.[1]
Despite earlier support, Potonié-Pierre disagreed with Passy over his French: Ligue Internationale et Permanente de la Paix (International and Permanent League of Peace) due to Passy's legalistic approach towards peace and Potonié-Pierre's approach of social justice.[1]
In 1868, the papers detailing his international contacts were seized by the French police, and their status remains unknown.[1]
Potonié-Pierre's father was an entrepreneur, a friend of the author Victor Hugo.[1]
Potonié-Pierre was the partner of Eugénie Potonié-Pierre (Pierre), the French feminist.[2] They refused to marry, but lived together and took each other's names.[1] They worked together to free exiled communards, bring women the vote, campaign against poverty, and cut military expenses.[1]