De Gaulle and the Communists in France
NICOLAEVSKY, BORIS
De Gaulle and the Communists in France By Boris Nicolaevsky f"j^Hg uitiii of TW V«t Ukbr kmew of the rtswru from Pradjht there ia saver the amnsawaaty ef a Party has earia/oa that their...
...la these dark asentka ef war the activities ef the I ommaaiott ksrrped estly the Oeraaaaa...
...They created the "National Front" which, they alleged, united representatives of all classes and creeds and they carried on their work under this disguise...
...This secret machinery plays a tremendous part in the daily activities of the party: its representatives sit in the editorial offices of the party organs and control every line...
...Even then Communist political inftrenre remained to the advantage of the Germans...
...Their participation in the underground movement had greatly influenced their political stand...
...However, these argoti stinea iseaHsd ia a sort of ¦gsBistioa of the Coauas-aists as a Ftemck party openly sponsor!d by s ass-Preach governance...
...They introduced a mil far a mparate peace with Geraseay...
...eamrentesm est sseesamrs OS* fljsnnr'ptartfV...
...In this point their policy differs of course from thst pursued in 1939-41, but in this point only...
...They sre orgsn-iztd without regard for democratic principles and their conduct is determined not by their legally existing organizations but by a secret machinery functioning b-hind the scenes...
...Sept- I, itta...
...The first appeal claimed that the Communists had participated in the constituent conference of the "Front" where they "presented proofs" of their struggle against the Germans from the beginning of the occupation...
...It i umored that behind the scenes new leaders had taken over, and now the party was guided by these 'National Commu-nista" free from Moscow influence...
...8tH mmre iesasrtaat waa the hetp the Caanmaaisu receive...
...PfesAaaattssK that' their fight agam-t Rmmia waa a muaa ^jjsnmTtssfir smy^m^l^smt fag bp aahc^sfl ad^t^ •f this fart and deasaaded that all flwilssm aga inst ths taw greatest sufferings asms them Miss skill the Ceaamsmtsta sessght ta obtaia r ecegai-neat aa participants is the mil taunt of resistance...
...The Communists in Prance, as elsewhere, bave substantially one program: a desire for a regime identical with that in Soviet Russia Consequently all their propaganda is built on one foundation: they, use every means to publicise events in Russia, calling on the people to learn by the "Russian example" snd blindly follow the instructions of Stalin, who is always right...
...They especially tried to cast a shadow, oa those leaders of labor snd Socialist movements who, as a result of their steadfastness, are held in great esteem by...
...Ths help of Soviet diplomacy, ia addition u> tkt favorable cireunastaaces asentiowsd shove, aided the Cimmaaista in gradually overcoming the antagonism of the leaders of the underground movement The conviction slowly spread among the latter that the former activities of the Communists ha3 beat be forgotten and that they now be acknowledged for the value of their support...
...Their role becomes especislly important in times of crises—like that of August-September 1939...
...The second part of the answer is the organizational structure of the Communiat parties...
...As the Germans were then the conquerors, while the English were en-gsged in a desperate struggle against them, appealing to the French people to join their common cause, such propaganda virtually meant a defense of the Germans snd an attsck on the English...
...The first answer is in its ideology...
...they attend meetings of all party organizations...
...The main purpose of this "Front" was the rehabilitation of the Communists...
...They sought to represent their propaganda against Vichy ss propaganda against the Germans on the ground that the Vichy government was but a puppet government Yet they have never been able to produce any evidence of a direct attack against the Germans during that period...
...In the manifesto published in July 1940 signed by Thorts snd Kudos, the basic political document of the ehjsj treat, •*** w bs r-st-W -aseaama" of V-rfcy, test aamssmt the obi nsnhlinii .am trial thee* "reaamsmsUe far the war" (aamimg Dale eeared at the ssusm tame that* Hitler matte has first dernmad aa Laval a» try tsmee "rwaamnsshse far the war...
...Their harshness towards the German people (not only Hitlerites) in the Communist press is no less vigorous than that of the extreme nationalist groups of the French underground (French Socialists drsw a distinction between Hitlerites and German democrats...
...As an example to others, their leader, stearic* Thorez, deserted from the front and turned ep ia Misrsm...
...With its help he maneuvered a complete about-face: the Communists»agsin became anient French "patriots" 'advocating national unity, renouncing any partisan or class struggle, etc...
...He abundantly J.J en...
...h, ta...
...At the same time the Communists substantially renewed their warfare against the democratic groups of France, clandestine, January 1944), and those who pp-tbe old parties and advocated their replacement by a union of the new organizations which appeared in the und«rground...
...A new brand of Communists, "National Communists," was born, and they became good "French nationalists...
...the entire official propaganda of thi* party uia* to the advantage of the Germane...
...After arrests began, the Comaaasiata altered same what their propaganda and declared that the responsibility for the war should be borne by ail the capitalists of the world...
...a aituation impeeaible in prewar tiasea bat which, during this war, baa been universally arrested with relation to the Comma nuts...
...The courts of the th«n demorrstic Prance sentenced Thores as well at all the Communiat deputies to prison ss traitors...
...First of all, the talk about new leadership turned out to be pure nonsen.«e...
...What these proofs were, the appeal, of course, did not reveal, but it can be easily inferred from Communist literature...
...in all other aspects they returned to their former stand...
...Anile from the fact that a number of the most retpontible Communiti leader*, with the member* of the Political Bureau, Gitton and Clamamu* at their head, went over to the pro-Nazi party created by Doriot (formerly alto a member of the Political Bureau of the French Com-munitt Party...
...Such was the attitude of the Communists in Frsnee in the Spring of 1944, in the days when England snd America were preparing for invasion...
...Bat ss* snatr had StaJia ahgmtd has -fiiiaeshia part' with ¦sthrr them the Cimeaeaisti asskee a iwslili n**U-fmte...
...They refrained from openly appearing under the party banner, for their recent betrayal was too vivid in the memory of the Frenchmen.' As a matter of fact the pioneers of the movement of resistence refused to bave sny dealings with them...
...la saolyisag the nmdtrx ef the Fremrh < immeants me sssmt he sssmafsa el the fart that ia UN II tarn party lanamsttsd atgh luassav la IMS they mere I>tera8y emfhang the Preawb gnu mamas...
...they sought to convince the workers not to take sides in the imperialist oar between the Germans and the English...
...Until the ead of IMfi the Germans had not allowed mass arrests ef Communists...
...frees Soviet diploma ry...
...In foreign policy they resumed their anti-English and especially anti-American campaign...
...Another article by Boris Xicolatvtky will review the current tituation...
...a hash heat tans «•****** Be amiss the swrnrtisa as smith Pressra silstira Franc* art narhiag the east of the "espsiswsal"* aa ?' Imkaraiwa...
...Since the end of 1943 the party has been headed by the same men who played the leading roles during the betrayal of 1939...
...But here the Communists revealed their true nature: the more they were accepted, the more they reverted to'their former positions...
...Learn 1—s, maw am ism the tret weeks appsaiad u> the not not mm el the Ceas-snsjiu, bed ta is cad base resrvwariag amnaeif that he was deal tag with pis pie whe sssamil a saf assist ai titade...
...It is true they no longer hold these countries responsible for the war but their readers were constantly fed the idea that English snd American capitalists tried to make France one of their colonies...
...In the course of 1943 the Communists were gradually acknowledged a* participants in the resistance movement and were admitted into its leading organs, including the Algiers Committee of National Liberation...
...This change of attitude was facilitated by a legend that the Communists had undergone a change...
...sate mar •t> •« Ccrmewy...
...t.^.i.,1 — -"Tarn,!, fer ¦ilirgTisml activities ami alee with money...
...the working masses...
...The Communists then resorted to their usual methods of camouflage...
...De Gaulle and the Communists in France By Boris Nicolaevsky f"j^Hg uitiii of TW V«t Ukbr kmew of the rtswru from Pradjht there ia saver the amnsawaaty ef a Party has earia/oa that their seurtg...
...silisa, as he ceatiawtd to eschne similar ones during the feline nag year and a half...
...The Communists now openly assert that they consider their attitude of 1939-41 as the only proper one, entirely in accordance with the "duties of French Patriots" (Series of articles in Leg Cahiert dm Commnnitme, France, clandestine, January 1944) and those who opposed them (Radicals and Socialists) are stomped ss "fifth columnists" who were "working...
...for high finanrisl interests, for the trusts," and who had prepared ths defeat of France...
...Later, anting famslieriasw himself with the I dliistiiti ef the Cemaswatet Party, be psamlj d* liswod ta his earn greet regret that their «seta at ht ss» •ay dsffered frees that sprcasl by the Geraaaa airkerae prissgaaes...
...action* of the Communiat Party did not change in character after the capitulation ef.Petain...
...iBilloux in Libtrti, Algiers, February 3.1944...
...The French Communists also eradicated from their articles and declarations all elements of internationalism...
...They advocated strikes...
...Aa early as Aagust 1*11, em am his aigotisHsns with de Guile, Haisky, thai Soviet smhesaasW ta Lmnwa...
...Hi n.EK'S sttack on Russia caused great confusion in the ranks of lsbor under Communist influence, but the underground machinery of the Party was still entirely under Stalin's control...
...They sprcasl propaganda against England...
...Ia than the* were actively aided by Stalin...
...traasmitted Hsaeesri Hint that Haarire Thores, Jacajnea Omrles and Asers Marty, tarn emigres in Meaeow, ha adnsiinl iate ths ranks of the 'Figbtiag Preach.'* Measti made it very dear that the arcewtsace of this resume* would f srilitau the iiarlasim of the general sgirnmssit which de Gasllc waa aaxieas to sbtam, De Gaafle aefliai J this prtp...
...The C—mssiosi based their demesnes est a charge that the " ffagiiah eapfmliots' were ssamoy msiiiihli for - the mar and had "heats*" the Preach psi itiral lines is ILeea Mam was called The Valet ef Leaden City " See for example Mmmsaatr...
...How was such a betrayal by a great political party ttssible...
Vol. 27 • November 1944 • No. 46
