Surrealism was indelibly linked to the idea of revolution. This is evident in the name of the two reviews closely linked to the movement – La Révolution surréaliste and Le Surréalisme au service de la revolution – and its long history of engagement with revolutionary political movements, from the French Communist Party in the 1920s to the student movement in the 1960s. This chapter explores the dynamic of Surrealism and politics to argue that a tension between politics and culture not only animates the history of the movement, but is in fact constitutive of Surrealism. In this context the demands of politics repeatedly interrupt Surrealism’s efforts on a cultural level; yet, as Surrealism is incorporated into the annals of art and literary history, the priority given to its cultural achievements can eclipse the demands of politics.