FRANCE 1. STATUS AND STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000900030090-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 23, 1998
• Sequence Number: 90
• Content Type: REPORT

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gr011ET
and Stre th of the Communist
Ly el ation* of 2 ianuary19 the
lied 5,492.326 votes or 25.6% of the
n149 seats in the Assembly. Its estimated MOM .?
s 250,000; its claimed membership is 430.000. In succes-
elections the 'French CP has shown itself to be the
political party, with the main centers of its voting
ed not only in Paris and the industrialized north but
areas of central /trance and those near the :Niediterra-
. The Communists control the largest trade union feder-
ederation ?enervate du Travail (CGT). although its
now only approximsstely one million compared with
roughly six million In 1947. Although events in Poland s,nd Hungary
availed /asses in Party -membership and activity, and increased
dissension in the COT during 1956, the Party can still play an irrspor
taut role in strikes for economic objectives as was shown by the gen-
eral work stoppages which occurred in France in October 1957.
idquartere unit responsible for the directton of
ure has not been identified in rrance. A
report of 1952 provided some detail about a secret apparat organised
by PCF headquarters which had ultimate paramilitary and sabotage
purposes. This apparat was divided into 14 inter-regions with a
nth CP or a CGT man, in charge of each
inter-rjio. Under him were departmental and local espona.bles
Who were to form teams of specially selected men to engage n revo-
lutionary action and sabotage when necessary.
Comm= Contrellild CGT, the following components
sible for the direction of specific acts of aggression
e, terrorism. etc.: (a) the Confederal Sureau;
u of Miners; (c) local strike committees; (d) the
onal dlInformation et (Motion pour is Solution Pacifigue
d'Afrique du Nord.
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The e3cec*jtlon of sabotage has been the responsibilIty of Communist-
roups of miners and other workersi and of groups of men of the
rtisans Francais (TTPT), the resistance group
tiring the German occupation and which is now known
Nationale des Anciens Combnitants de Is Resistance
Association of Tormer Fighters of the Trench
reach CP underground section (apparently the
evartil secrIt) and the Termer Fighters of the French Resistance
aril? have itiportant paramilitary and sabotage dutiee in the event
lities between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Railway sabotage
manitted by groups of tratn-wrecking crews consieting of
engaged in this action in the underground during 'World
Terror,.
Training centers which had been in existence d War U
ftn4 which were still active in the immediate postwar period were
g0141311 In the Landes Dep nt in the southwest. in the Leagued?
In the south, in Anjou in the west, and in the Somme in the north. An
fawn e in netivity at these schools was noticeable in 1947 daring the
trikes. Members of these schools were reported to have
in 1947 to handle a shipment of arms going to theViet Minh.
cars connected with theSoviet Repatriation Mission were
ed to visit the schools. Yugoslav and Spanish citizens attended
a.
Three spec PCT group courses were given in 1949 which
Included Instruction in sabotage. Participating in the COUt11011 were
rrPr, Trench Cl' and UnkT Union of Republican Youth of France
(Union de la Sounnesse Reputblicatne tie Trance) personnel. The first
of eight days duration, was conducted at the Party headquar-
an unidentified town in central Trance. The ten students were
to take notes on the course, which pertained to strategy
fighting and which was conducted by "General Joinville"
title and pseudonym of Par deputy Alfred Maileret-
e). They received instructions in the occupation of buildings,
hi construction of barricades, and attacks upon armored care and
upon police.
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The a..cond war se lasted five tays the instrui
General tolnvUl. and e. second instructor who wes not identifled.
Street fihttng techniques were taught and in addition the students
received "theoretical training" on piloting and sabotaging an airplane,
the protection of a parachute jump, the reception of a landing, the
r.*eptton of airborne troops with study of the Oeneral Staff map.
Several of the lectures stressed the theme of fanaticism, the accept-
te of voluntary sacrifice and the giving of oneself to the cause of
irking class.
third coarse was giren at a hotel near e Spanish border;
eta spent ten days in Trance and six days in the mountains
Ttvay were instructed in the handling of weapons* group
he use of all types of anti-tank weapons and in communica-
cises".
sport pertaining to lrencb CP training activities of mid-
Otrtliber 1949 states that Party radio technicians were not only inte
sated in the question of maintaining liaison between the 'wartime
esthdona of the Party, but were also studying means of neutralising
the =MI, radio units of the police forces if this should be opportune.
Soveril COT functionaries, including -members of the COT Mining
Union, and officers of the rrpr were "tidying the possibility of
constructing * transmitting station to be used to jam the frequencies
used by the Police force.
on
this subject is available.
er
COT-cafled dockworkers strikes cauced delay in unloading
ips bringing turopean Recovery Program materiels. in
August 194 about 30% of the materials arriving at French
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eld up by the :artless. IniMar
the Covvirunist campaign to halt
ich led to clashes between police
nstrators. Conmunist disruptive p
vrhich were carried out to prevent the enactment
e laws resulted in fighting and rioting at the
Assembly.
t Party mitigated denionstrat one and riot.
Z to protest visits of Generals Ztsenhower and.
As a result of these acts more than 3,000 arrests
ading in May 195Z the arrest of Jacques Duclos,
French. CP in the absence of Maurice Thores.)
ants and workers in military establishments
were dismissed from governmeid service for participation in
one, although roembershi in the !trench CP
be a cause for dismissal at se, under existing Trench
? Tar ts
ed exanples illustratingtypical
vie indicated. Not all these
signed to PCF planning, direction.
There were numerous instances of this o ;telt=
during strikes of the fall of 194? and 1948 and in August 1953.
In December 194? an express train running from Lyon to
*ours was wrecked by the removal of spikes which loosened
the rails. In August 1953 there were ZO cases of railway
sabotage. The August 1953 strikes were not Communist-
led, although the COT Joined the strike after it had begun.
(it) ,Public
Damagst of or seizure of electric power stations
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itE444.
ed Izequantly during strikes of 1947 end 1943.
strikes of August 1953 there were twelve cases of
e of electric power stations or high tension wires,
*trial
The French gcrvernnwnt estimated on about I I
her 1947 that 60% ofproduction was tie
strikes. Daring the sertous strikes of the fall
which involved some 300,000 French =liners followed by
railway workers, dockers, seamen and steel work.
!lathing equipment was destroyed either by using explosives
or by letting machinery or equipment fell to the bottom of
pits. Parts of the excavating machines were damaged;
numerous thefts a gasoline, explosives and tools occurred.
Several mine pita became flooded and rendered unusable for
several months when the CCU Federal Aureola of Mines
Issued orders that mining maintenance and security teams
should remain inactive.
(4)
very frequsut during the serious strike, of
94$. During the latter for example,
s showed that 367 serious attacks
had occurred. There were also
is attacks on non-strikers during the spring
esulted in many injuries and at least one
6 there were attacks on former ?Me rob e r ?
jadiats in various localities..
oh over control of some towns by
47--for example,
center near Lyon
d disruptive action at the
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25X1 X6
atria
dicate
is
so a member of
124.111US...
ant
one
vkere or ltghtere of
COT' funds were used to
es could be made and which
ch government claimknowledge a
vs from Audrey A. Zlidanov key Sov1e delegate
unding Conference of the Comtnform3 to the French
t no matter what the outcome of the in
en going on in Moscow, "the struggle age*
P mast be pursued without relaxation."
d for aggressive strike action was brought into
19413 by agents of Communist Ilaot countries.
recb government arrested sod expelled several of these.
s State
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that funds
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upplied to
er from Conucani,st
in ce, the considerable decrease
both the Party and the COT should be consid.
s are willing to support actions which are
c nature but are not willing to give broad
strikes and demon.etrations and other aggre s.
nature.
it global caU fur increased aggression, the
41y try to respond by stepping up labor
acts of sabotage and violence. Also, in
Qotilities # clandestine French CP and
e groups exist (at least in nucleus)
rnuuist penetration into most areas
y constitutes a or?ntinuing french
sabotage action.
ib road, the French CP si CC?
ck aggression and it
ces of worker groups
groups which the Party
period. Hence. any aggressive
rkers as proof of the French CP'.
e committed iti the future, but
in from sets which will cause
the Patty or cause official
r ri
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