One Hundred Years of History of the French Communist Party: The Red Party

Description

The Communist Party appeared a hundred years ago on the French political and social scene. According to opinions and moments, it has been the party of Moscow, of those shot, of the working class, of the union of the left, the party of the foreigner or that of the nation. It has been underground, in government, in town halls, in factories or in the streets. Some considered it too revolutionary, others not enough. More than others, it aroused passions, positive or negative. It attracted many and repelled just as many. After the fall of the USSR, it decided to remain a communist party, while many others gave it up. But it no longer has the place it once had, in reality as in the imagination. This book does not intend to judge, but to provide keys to understanding. It is based on a considerable number of archives that are now available and is an ordered and distanced look at an object that is not lacking in complexity and no doubt even in mystery.  Titles Published Titles Forthcoming Introduction Contents Acronyms 1 Origin and Formation of a New Party The Shock of War The Impact of the Russian Revolutions The Appeal of the International Debate Among Socialists The Tours Congress 2 The Emergence of a New Party 1921–1933 First Rifts Facing the Storm Hesitations and the “Class Versus Class” Turnaround On the Way to Revolution? The PC at Its Lowest Point 3 The Time of the Popular Front The PCF at the Origins of the Popular Front New Motto, New Project The PC Becomes Part of the Political Landscape The “Ministry of the Masses” A Popular Party A Time of Difficulties and Isolation 4 The PCF in the War The German-Soviet Pact and the “Phoney War” The Defeat and the Beginning of the Occupation Entering the Armed Struggle At the Heart of Resistance Action Preparing for Liberation Polemics 5 The First Party of France Insurgency and Position of Power A Governing Party The PCF and the Left: A New Power-Based Relationship The Communist Galaxy 6 Joining the Cold War The Dismissal of the Communist Ministers PCF, Kominform, and International Relations The PCF and People’s Democracies The Strikes of 1947–1953: The Shadow of the PCF? Colonial Wars and the Struggle for Peace Anti-Americanism The Return of Anti-Communism A Monolithic Party? The Marty-Tillon Case 7 An Uncertain Party (1953–1958) The Death of Stalin The Time of the EDC (1950–1954) Hardening or Opening? The PCF and the 20th CPSU Congress Mao Zedong’s Appeal to Fight the “Opportunists”. The PCF and the Beginning of the Algerian War 8 The PCF and Gaullism 1958–1968 Faced with the Gaullist Coup De Force The Servin-Casanova Case The Beginnings of a Modernisation Waldeck Rochet at Work Continued Dialogue with Christians Strengthening the Union of the Left and the Party 9 1968–1972: Between Two Springs Satisfaction and Concerns The “Leftists” on the Move? The Labour Movement Enters the Scene The Alternative at the Corner of Street? The Political Imbroglio The Time of Rising Prague Spring The Shock After the Storm Time for Renewal? The Programme, at Last! 10 From the Common Agenda to the Departure of the Government (1972–1984) A Puzzling Direction Everything Was on the Move The Party of Georges Marchais Eurocommunism The Split of the Union of the Left Disaccords and Tensing The Shock of 1981 In the Government 11 1984–2002: An Irresistible Setback 1984–1985: Beginning of the Crisis The “Party of Struggles” and Perestroika A Cultural Crisis Respite and “Mutation” 12 2002–2019: Conjuring Decline A Retracted Continent The Social Substratum of Decline Left and Labour Movement: End of the Game? The “Antiliberal” Experiment The Hopes of the Left Front The Front Breaks up The Shock of 2017 No More “International Communist Movement” Conclusion Annexes Staffing Levels Election Result Legislative Elections Presidential Elections Regional Elections Cantonal and Departmental Elections The European Elections Communist Elected Representatives The Sociology of the Vote The Workers’ Vote Since 1958 The Communist Vote by Category of Voters Since 1978 (% Penetration) The Sociology of Activists The Members Communist Leadership The Central Committee 1920–2018 Municipal Communism The Organisation Democratic Centralism Statutory Functioning Counter-Company Humanity Day Women The “ex” of the PCF The Archives of Communism General Secretaries and Congresses Bibliography Index