Armand was born in Paris on 26 March 1872. He was a son of a participant of the Paris Commune. At first, he embraced Christianity through the Salvation Army then became an atheist. Around 1895–1896, Armand discovered anarchism through coming into contact with the magazine "Les Temps nouveaux" which was edited by Jean Grave. Later, he wrote articles under the pseudonyms of Junius and in the magazine "Le Libertaire" of Sébastien Faure. Important influences in his writing were Leo Tolstoy, Benjamin Tucker, Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson.