II. The Communists France
Mcolaevsky, Boris
II. The Communists France The Conflict With de Gaulle By Boris Mcolaevsky r-rn^Ht flier ml unit.ng with the Coenmunista and of I fo,tettiiq^elrl.ett-ayulotl»8aeJeMlyap^ X p., „.. «u. at th....
...time when France vu liberated, aft*., mw realiae that tha advantage gained tram (>«,.u.i...
...It must not be forgotten that they are a party of a special kind: their...
...The fundamental task they set for themselves is the rrastion of sn armed force which ahould be aub-ordinate not to tbe government but to them, the Communists...
...The Communists were not directly mentioned, but everybody knew whom de Gaulle meant...
...History teaches us the meaning of such emphasis on the part of the Communists...
...Their expectation did net materialise...
...However, the atmosphere in Paria at the ties* ef Ducioa' speech at the end of August was such (hat nobody arose in protest...
...During its first six weeks in France, the tiovernment of de Gaulle did not take any measure against the Communists...
...Then the Communists centred then attention on the so called "Milne Patriotique" which was created through then initiative...
...Of course this opportunity is now lost a*t the action, of the Ceenmunists in the past will in avftabiy he questioned again, for their present attitude 'maVslrt that a struggle with them fa) ahead____ J The Ceasmsniste have been preparing for this strut fit sehce the very irat days of the liberation of France when they declared themselves to be the "first party ef resistance" meaning not only first in strength but first in action...
...there were also instances of executions without trials...
...This decision is the first one of the new Government which openly shews its attitude toward the conduct of the Communists in 1989-41 and hints that if necessary this question may be reopened...
...II is from its midst that the militiaman came who wounded (eeorges Cassou, then Commissioner of the tiovernment in Toulouse...
...It is difficult to imsginc s greater asertery ef people who still remember the not-se-f arena...
...There were many reasons far thia, the most important being the general wish to preserve unity of the movement of resistence...
...the Communists nominated him as their representative in the Consultative Assembly and de-msnded for him en this ground the right to return to France...
...De Gaulle's trip to the most agitated sections and his attempt to settle the frictions through personal intervention did not bring the desired results...
...This militia is an exact replica of the Workers' "Red Guard" created by the Bolsheviks in Russia in April 1917...
...This talk increased after the tiovernment published the decision on ths Maurice Thores case...
...There were even more important instances of refusal to recognize the authority of the tiovernment, as when during the Conference held by the militia and organisations of resistance in Haute Savoie it was decided on motion by the Communists not to recognize any authority appointed from Paris and to accept only such authority as was nominated by the Conference...
...The Government then, on the basis of the report made by Tixier on October 28, decided to disarm and dissolve the militia...
...Thus Maurice Thorss, ia his pamphlet written in Moscow, accused Leon Blum of having "acted together with capitulators and traitors," and the Social ** Carol, Minister of Justice in 1940, of helping to Pass n law establishing death aa a punishment for de-*»atitm...
...By thia decision the Government stressed that it entirely supported ths essence of the sentence imposed upon him in 1939 by the Court Martial...
...During the first weeks after the liberation he manifested great sympathy towards the Communists...
...Thus HumnmiU attacks Le Trocquer for ¦aving been in 1989-40 the legal advisor of trade unions ia their action against the Communists who, when **anved Dy the government, refused to surrender union funa* to their successors, et...
...The Communists France The Conflict With de Gaulle By Boris Mcolaevsky r-rn^Ht flier ml unit.ng with the Coenmunista and of I fo,tettiiq^elrl.ett-ayulotl»8aeJeMlyap^ X p...
...posters with appropriate appeals ("Give bark -ante France her best son, give back unto the first party of resistance its beloved leader") became obligatory ornaments at all Communist meetings...
...ef their conduct dewing the fatal months of Gar aw aggression...
...From this there developed political inferences : the Commnnist deputies, sentenced to prison in 1919 for their separate pence demands, have been declared aa great martyrs in the movement of resistance and the deserter from the front, Usuries Thoret, Ha groat hero...
...Even more characteristic is their method of organisational work, which by many features reminds one of the srtivity of Russian Bolsheviks in the Summer of 1917...
...it doesn't even give a direct indication of whether or not the Communists will quit the government...
...actually at that tint* fhsy demanded enpttntatien »•/»>• Hitltr and a sepa-njM pease svtift Asm...
...Nevertheless tbe Council refused to rover the Communists snd during the negotiations which followed they definitely kept aloof from them...
...Thus ths Cemmunista date their resistance to the Germane at far beck as September-October, 1939...
...Not long ago he accepted an invitation of the Communists to speak at their meeting together with Msrcel Cachin...
...And indeed, the Communist press began gradually, but •teadily, to feed its readers this idea, aiming especially at the Socialists...
...The agitation m favor of allowing the latter to return from Moscow became one of the main points of Communist propaganda...
...from the provinces csme news of the continued srming of the militia...
...Judging from all reports the meetings of the Council (there were two) were very stormy...
...Their press rsrrisd on a systematic campaign of discrediting, in a discreet but clearly irritated manner, members of de Gaulte Cabinet...
...an active part in this conference was taken by the head of the Ministers' Cabinet, Andre Blumei (former head of Leon Blum's Cabinet...
...As a rstult of this Conference, de Gaulle broadcast a speech in which he for the first time warned against the danger of seizure of power by single groups...
...1 Franee—for they destroy the eeaaocratk forces from within Many now rsgret that at tbe time the Camopiinistl wars granted political amaeaty they ware net made to confeas publicly the fall...
...It was so, for example, in the summer of 1M when almost every article in this same Hamentf e ended with the words "Stalin ia right...
...Not only does it not contain an appeal to tbe militia lo rerist...
...Many newspapers which were formerly friendly towards the Communists, st times even ingratiating, now began, more or less, to turn against them...
...They apparently expected that now also the- Council would tske their pert and the conflict between the Government and Communists would develop into one between the Government and the Council of Resistance...
...Not having the support of the Council of Resistance the Communists had to act independently...
...The realisation that in order to preserve this unity it is actually necessary to fight the Communists has come only gradually...
...conduct depends above all on the directives of Stalin...
...This non-committal attitude gives some observers ground to speak about the confusion which reigns in the rsnks of the Communists...
...By insisting thst taatr party, as distinguished from any other, was always right, tha Communists suggest to their listeners PI necessity of following without hesitation the wise *¦»*•» of their party at present...
...These events undoubtedly were a serious blow to the Communists, but it would be an error to think that tha Communists will reconcile themselves with this and will not make any attempt at revenge...
...The Communists apparently did not heed this speech...
...If the deputies sentenced in were martyrs in the movement of resistance it is avident that those who brought them to trial were criminals from the point of view of this movement and ¦est sooner or later themselves be brought to justice...
...The militiamen raided the prison and shot them...
...Tha question of dissolving the Militia became interwoven with the question of the rights of the Council itself and many members thought the Government wrong for making such an important decree without first consulting the Council of Resistance...
...The most that can bo expected for the near future ia some change in the tactics of the French Communists...
...Its formal purpose is the protection of factories against sabotage by fascist elements...
...Now we know what thess articles aimed at...
...The "Malice-Patriotique" would not obey orders of the authorities, they would make unauthorised requisitions, arrests, confiscations...
...The turning point was the Conference of Government Commissioners from the Southern Departments which took place October 11 in Paris, presided over by the Minister of Interior, Adrien Tixier...
...Their entire attitude showed they had no intention of abandoning their activities...
...Very characteristic is the change in the intellectual circles, which can be witnesssd in ths writings of Francois Moriac, tha moat outstanding writer of present-day France...
...In effect, why hold him in exile while all the other Communists who were just as guilty as he freely walk through the streets of Paris ? The fact that he, in addition, was also a military deserter, was of importance mainly to the army men...
...At first they did not take any stand but referred the question to the Cential Council of Resistance which is composed of the representatives of all political parties and groups of resistance...
...Koenig disarmed the "Partisans" who seised the town hall in Belleville (a suburb of Paris inhabited by workers...
...they will not attempt any such immediate "usurpation of authority" as de Gaulle accused them of in his speech of October 18, but will embark upon maneuvers with a longer perspective...
...Such a force they tried to urate from the Communist detachments of the French Forces of the Interior (former Franc-Tireurs and Partisans...
...events...
...Ail this points in s definite direction) The Communists, in discussing their past, try to tie il »P with their present conduct...
...The Communists obviously did not expect such sudacity on the part of the Government...
...They have already had acute conflicts with the local representatives of the central government...
...The Commnnist press interpreted the words of Duclos as a directive and invariably speaks of its party as the "first party of resistance...
...at their meeting voices were raised demanding the arrest of de Gaulle...
...not .ountei balance the evil which their activity j„— in the rmtaraUoa...
...The Communists exercised,great influence in this Council...
...It is undefendable that this action provoked tbe Communists to greater indignation than that of dissrming the militia, Humanit* entirely ignored this decision...
...The reports gave a picture of the deplorable situstion in the provinces...
...In Toulouse he very nearly had an acute impact with the militia...
...The organs of authority have been powerless to do anything because the militia is armed and they have entire arsenals at their disposal...
...Tbe unofficial Communist organ Ct Stir limited itself to a short confused notice which said that Thorez deserved the right to another kind of homecoming...
...anrticipetion jn the anti-German struggle Am...
...Their demand for Mind confidence in the .leaders became the most important feature of their propaganda...
...This attitude of the Council was an indication that public opinion in democratic circles turned against the Communists...
...In reality in many places this militia has from the very beginning recognized only the authority of the Communist party organisations and considered as one of then tasks the control of the activity of local (and even higliei i authorities...
...This plan was defeated when Gen...
...The tiovernment then very rightly decided to accord Thores the necessary permission to return but also rightly put it in the form ef a politically insulting pardon...
...The Government did not think it advisable to argue this point with the Comcmuniste...
...a ATTENTIVE study of the events of the past few months lesves no doubt that the French Communists actually were preparing to fight the de Gaulle government...
...On November ¦? their Politbureau published a manifesto which produced a double impression: On one hand it contains very harsh criticism of the Government and on the other it is very reserved in its conclusions...
...As ia always the way with Communists, they Were not satisfied with self-Justification, but began immedi-stely to prepare an attack...
...It is true that further disarmament was suspended but sentiment in the circles of resistance was such that the Communists preferred to assent to the inclusion of all this detachments of the FFI into the ranks of the regular army...
...It is just such militiamen who shot two industrialists in Maubeuge, who had been condemned by the local revolutionary tribunal but later pardoned by de Caulle...
...The Communists toy •trees on the necessity of confidence in their leaden whenever these leaders are preparing some important action or a complete turn-about...
...They were represented in this government but didn't hide their discontent...
...Now he haa published a strong article directed against tbe Communists showing the dsnger to liberty contained in the slogan "Out Party, On* Press, and an Armed Militia...
...it is composed of labor youths and is officially under the direction of factory committees...
...And Moscow backs them up entirely: they already published an article of Ehrenburg who affirma that in France the Fifth Columnists sre raising their heads...
...Their leader, Jacques Duclos, while ad dreasiag, for" the first time sines the liberstion of Psris, a meeting of the workers and contributors of H umsntre, catted this paper "the first organ of resistance" which entered tha fight almost five years before...
Vol. 27 • December 1944 • No. 49
