Maurice Thorez (born with Noyelles-Godault, Pas-de-Calais, the April 28th 1900 and deceased in Black Sea, the July 11th 1964) was general secretary of the PCF of 1930 with 1964, Minister for the public office of 1945 with 1947 and vice-president of the council in 1947.

Biography

Childhood and youth

Grandson of Clement Baudry, minor socialist (guesdist) of Noyelles-Godault, deputy workman with the relief fund, which will remain until its death, on April 31st 1931, the organizer of the CGT section of the old pensioners of Noyelles-Godault, Maurice will never know his biological father, the son of the grocer of the country which will slice the throat in 1914. Recognized with two years and half by Louis Thorez, a minor who raises it like his own son, he knows only tardily the secrecy of his birth. Clemence, the girl of Clement Baudry and Louis Thorez will have four other children, two wire and two girls whom they raise in a house of the mining cottage pertaining to the Company of the mines of Dourges. Louis Thorez is touched by a Occupational disease.

Although the family of Maurice is not practicing, Maurice made his communion and is used like child as chorus. He is in addition excellent pupil at the public school and passes his certificate of studies in 1912. According to Robrieux, its teacher would have intervened with the mine so that Maurice Thorez is engaged as assistance-commission agent, beginning of an administrative career, but in his autobiographical card, Maurice Thorez declares: “ I was engaged like stone screening machine to the pit n° 4 ”, assertion which one finds in his autobiographical card communicated to the direction of the International Communist. According to Claude Pennetier, there is not a doubt that in 1919 - 1921, he works during 306 days as underground worker with pit 4.

September 30th 1914, Maurice must flee in front of the German advance with his/her grandfather. After one month of wandering, they are finally evacuated towards the Creuse and are sent to Clugnat. They accepted warm welcome there. Maurice can follow courses of the evening but declines the proposal to prepare the Teacher training school: He prefers being engaged as farmhand in a socialist farmer, the “Ménager father”, but also devotes himself to the reading: Victor Hugo, Jules Verne, Eugene Roy, Jules Vallès and Alexandre Dumas. In March 1917, Maurice and his grandfather leave the Hollow one for Amiens. They work in a sawmill and become boatmen on the Somme.

After the war, Maurice finds his parents and returns in Noyelles-Godault where he works initially with the rebuilding of the railroad, then, April 16th 1919, as underground worker. March 15th, 1920, it begins its military service.

Beginnings with the party (1920 - 1924)

In March 1919, Maurice Thorez had adhered to the CGT and the Socialist party. Two months, filled with enthusiasm later by the Russian revolution, it joined the Committee for adhesion in IIIe Internationale, thus moving away from his grandfather, remained in the camp of Blum. It will be with the military service when motion known as " Cachin-Frossard" (that they actually did not write, she was written mainly by Loriot and Souvarine) will triumph with the Congrès over Turns. The socialist party SFIO then changes name to be called SFIC (French section of the International Communist) then PCF (Communist party). It is only into 1943 that the name of PCF (Communist party French ) will be definitively adopté.
As the revolutionary workmen of the time Maurice Thorez remains private. He is initially storekeeper then secretary of the commander what enables him to devote part of its time to the reading and the political discussions with his/her comrades. At the time of a permission, carrying contradiction with the socialist deputy of the district, it becomes aware of its talents of speakers.

On its return of the service, in spring 1922, the mine refuses to re-employ it. There then exerts a series of small trades while remaining a burning militant with the Communist youths and the unit trade union of the minors. It Marie with Dawn Membœuf, the niece of the secretary of the communist federation of the Pas-de-Calais.

In October 1922, Maurice Thorez attends the Congrès of Paris. He had engaged before for the line of the " Unique" face; , supported by the International Communist and defended by Frossard and Souvarine. During the preparation of the Congress, in a meeting of tendency, Souvarine had noticed the young militant of the Pas-de-Calais, solid, limpid, knowing to analyze a concrete situation simply.

The irresistible rise of a young communist workman (1924 - 1930)

Maurice Thorez then begins a spectacular rise within the young Communist party: Secretary with the propaganda of his department in January 1923, it becomes permanent in spring of the same year. He belongs to these young workmen that the party would like to form and promote at positions of responsibility. Thus on May 30th, 1923, Souvarine writing Moscow at the Political office which would have to be sent a score of pupils in the USSR to follow courses of Marxism takes it in example: “In my opinion, the standard pupil of such a school would be for example Thorez, of the Pas-de-Calais”. Thorez also impresses the militants of the Pas-de-Calais which delegates it to the national congress of Lyon, in January 1924 where he is elected substitute for the management Committee.

In spring 1924, at the management Committee, Souvarine was in opposition with the new majority taken along by Albert Treint and ardently supported by the IC dominated by Zinoviev. With the conference of the federal secretaries, Thorez, always related to Souvarine, votes against the theses of the majority. It also supports the project of Souvarine to publish a translation of the booklet of Trotski " new Course " and with him the executive commission of the Pas-de-Calais involves. It is necessary that the IC send Gouralski in the Pas-de-Calais to make obtain executive commission a favorable vote with the theses of the IC. Thorez, isolated, takes refuge in the abstention. In the months which follow, Souvarine will be excluded and Thorez must be joined the policy of the Troika (Zinoviev, Kamenev, Stalin) whose spokesperson in France are then Albert Treint and Suzanne Girault. In November, Thorez becomes permanent assistant secretary of the Northern area. Delegated to the national congress of Clichy, it is elected there regular member of the Central committee, and the January 28th 1925, it enters to the commission of organization.

It is for this reason that it takes part in Moscow, in March 1925 with the conference of organization of the IC, enclosed by a collective meeting with Stalin. The July 13rd 1925, Suzanne Girault co-opts it at the Political office of the French party.

Thorez is then in charge of the action against the war of Morocco. Within the Political office, Thorez is brought to be opposed to Treint to which it reproaches its sectarianism. There remains in favor, with Pierre Sémard, of a Single policy of Face. Whereas the influence of Zinoviev declines, Thorez and Sémard receive the support of Manouilsky against Treint, Girault and Doriot which will seem more and more the only rival of Thorez.

In February 1926, with the 6th plenum of International, Moscow, Thorez decides against the rehabilitation of Souvarine. It is not yet sufficient so that it has the full confidence of Stalin who pronounces the disgrace of Treint and Girault. With the national congress of Lille, in June 1926, Thorez is confirmed at the political office, among 12 other members of which the secretary in title, Pierre Sémard. Thorez, which remains secretary with the organization is naturally one of the strong men of this team.

The April 22nd 1927, Albert Sarraut Minister of Interior Department had announced in Algiers " Communism here is the enemy ". Thorez had already been condemned to fines because of its action against the Guerre of Morocco. The July 30th, of the police inspectors try to challenge it in front of the head office of the PC, street Lafayette, but it succeeds in fleeing and passes in clandestinity.

It is at this time that the International request with the various national parties to operate a reversal, to give up the " Face unique" for a new policy " classify against classe". Thorez tries to resist until September, but finishes by obtempérer, and it is him which becomes the champion of this new line, against the opinion of Pierre Sémard and other leaders then imprisoned with Health.

In 1928, Maurice Thorez is one of the principal leaders of the Communist party, it wishes to be anchored in a district and its choice is made on Ivry-sur-Seine, a commune of the red suburbs, where it is presented in the form of a deputy, but without being able to make countryside, because it is always clandestine. Its result is honourable, but it is beaten, as the majority of the Communist candidates who thus pay the insulation which results from the line " classify against classe". Actively sought by the police force, it leaves to Brussels, then takes part in the Life congress of the International Communist where it continues to defend a position " gauchisante". Pierre Sémard, the general secretary in title then is very weakened by the little of enthusiasm of which it makes proof with respect to the official line. The position of secretary general is removed. Thorez appears a time like the principal leader of the party, but after the Life national congress held in Saint-Denis in March 1929, the capacity passes between the hands of a ultra-warping team made up of 2 leaders of the J.C. (Communist youths), Bored, Célor and of Gitton (in charge of the political control of the CGTU) being pressed on the persons in charge coming from the J.C.

The confrontations multiplied with the leaders more experienced like Vassart or Ferrat. The conflict was arbitrated in Moscow in June 1930. In left a new direction made up of Thorez (general secretary although this title was not employed publicly), Barbé and Frachon, with for objective rectifying sectarian excesses.

It is at this time that Thorez accomplishes an eleven months stay in prison. It is stopped on June 9th, 1929. In February 1930, Thorez can be released if it pays a fine. This is contrary with the rules of use in the party. He asks an exemption from the political office which refuses unanimously. Passing in addition to, Thorez pours the fine of 500 francs and finds freedom on April 23rd. This act of indiscipline will be paying, because the IC then take party against BP and Barbé must make its self-criticism.

The executive team goes then to Moscow where the IC which did not give up the tactic " officially yet; classify against classe" and with the denunciation of the " social-fascisme" then ask Thorez to prepare a turning in the other direction. It is during this voyage to Moscow that Thorez meets a young worker of the textile in training course, Jeannette Vermeersch which will become his/her partner, then his wife.

The access to the general secretary (1930 - 1935)

On its return of Moscow, at the beginning of July, Thorez is more or less the new general secretary of the party, even if the station were not officially recreated yet. It must during a few months continue to make team with Barbé until April 1931. May 8th, extremely of the support of the IC, represented in Paris by Slovak the Eugen Fried, Thorez announces at the political office that it takes the function of general secretary, assisted Jacques Duclos and Benoit Frachon. In fact, it is far from being assured the total support of the IC since in July, it sends a letter to the IC where it announces its discouragement and presents its resignation.

The answer comes in August in the form from the arrival to Paris of Manouilsky, the person in charge of the IC who follows the French party for a long time. It indicates the group of the young people, Barbé, Célor and Lozeray like persons in charge of the bad results of the party. With the encouragement of Fried, Thorez takes its distances with the sectarian line in which it however fully took part since 1928. The October 13rd, it declares with a meeting in the Bullier room:

" We want that each member of the Party can freely and without fear, to express his opinion, to criticize the directions, the discipline necessary being only the result of the conviction and the tender to the decisions regularly made by the organizations qualified, after discussion "

The sectarian line had indeed operated devastations in the party: Between 1927 and 1931, manpower had fallen from 55.000 to 25.000. To the legislative elections of 1932, the Communist party falls on its low level (6.8%). The majority of the leaders are beaten. Thorez makes exception, carrying it of accuracy in the district of Ivry-sur-Seine. This victory gives him finally a stronghold in working medium. That will be particularly useful for him to triumph over its rival Jacques Doriot, who did not give up taking the first place in the competition to him and which is him also elected in another working bastion, Saint-Denis. In September 1932, at the time of the 12th plenum of the IC, the two men come to the hands in a public garden from Moscow.

The " règne" from Thorez on the party will last more than thirty years. Its rise until the high position within the party results at the same time from quality personal which is essential on all and from a perfect discipline with respect to the International Communist of which it always defended the positions. Its maintenance with the head of the party during several decades will be also that of an executive team in the forefront of which one always finds Jacques Duclos and Benoit Frachon. Until the Second world war, Eugen Fried, which becomes a personal friend of Thorez is also a key component of the team. As from February 34, the common life with Jeannette Vermeersch contributes to often balance the political life and emotional of Maurice Thorez who in addition manages to preserve his mornings for reading, studying and to write, in his office of the House of Commons. It always keeps a certain distance with the other members of the direction.

The years 1932 - 1934 are marked on the international plan, by the come to power of Hitler, and in France by shy persons attempts of the Thorez team to leave the party its insulation. In January 1933, Thorez and Doriot meet members of the SFIO. The IC condemn this bringing together, but after the seizure of power by Hitler, request with all the national parties to give up the attacks against the socialist organizations " during the united action against the offensive of the capital and the fascisme". Thorez sends a telegram to the IC to require of him to contact the International socialist worker. The French party is then violently repudiated by the IC. In December 1933, Thorez and Frachon go to Moscow where André Marty, delegate permanent near the Komintern does not cease denouncing the democratic illusions of the French direction. They must make their self-criticism and accept that Marty comes to control Humanity.

When the events of February 1934 occurred, Thorez was very weakened with the direction of the party. Doriot is made the champion of a policy of " Face unique" , Within the Political office whose members are increasingly receptive with this speech. But Thorez resists. For safety reasons, it will hide in Barbizon and does not appear at the time of the united demonstration of February 12th. Its name reappears in Humanity only on March 8th. " the Communist party , writes it, … will never tolerate a policy of agreement at the top, a policy of retreat and abdication in front of social-Fascism. "

At the time of the central committee of March 14th, Thorez is taken with part by Renaud-Jean and Doriot. This last resigns then of its mandate of mayor of Saint-Denis to be made triumphantly re-elect on May 6th by the three quarters of its voters. In front of this act of manifest indiscipline, neither Thorez, nor the IC cause the rupture, and Manouilsky invites to Moscow Thorez and Doriot so that each one presents its positions. Doriot, already engaged on the way of the rupture, declines the invitation, and Thorez leaves only the April 26th. The May 16th, at a meeting of Presidium of the IC, Manouilsky fixes for objective the reconquest of Saint-Denis and the insulation of Doriot, but the means which it indicates to reach that point, a policy of single Face directed towards the socialist workmen, returns in fact to practice the policy of Doriot.

June 11th, the Socialists Blum and Zyromski meet the Frachon Communists, Gitton and Thorez itself. At the time of the national conference of June 1934 in Ivry, Thorez proposes the unit of action and the trade-union unit at all costs. The turning of the antifascism was taken, and the road for the Popular front open. Thorez had slowed down this turning towards a single policy of Face, but as from June 1934, encouraged by Fried, it enhardit and precedes several months the watchwords of the Comintern. December 9th, it defends its policy in front of the presidium of the IC by a remarkable plea which impresses Manouilsky and makes forget its piteous service of May.

The Popular front and the pre-war period (1935 - 1939)

In France, after years of Decline, the communist organizations recruit and find their dynamism. Thorez is the incarnation of the new values of the party: The Antimilitarisme of the the Twenties is forgotten, and to a certain extent the Anticolonialisme, with the profit of more traditional values and the adoption of myths and national symbols like the Tricolor or Jeanne d' Arc. The comrades of the party are invited to cease being professional Révolution naires Sunday to be interested in their partners and their family. This policy is sanctioned in April and May 1936 by excellent electoral results

See also: History of the French Communist party

April 17th, 1936, in a broadcast short speech, Thorez tightens the hand with the catholic and the Cross-of-fire. In June 1936, According to Claude Pennetier, his role was important in strikes of June 1936 and its intervention (“It is necessary to know to finish a strike as soon as satisfaction was obtained”), determining in their completion. Without taking part in the government, it discusses with Leon Blum each week. In August 1936, he proposes to widen towards the line the Popular front while making, on the basis of antifascism, a " Face of Français". This does not prevent the Communist party denouncing non-intervention in Spain and from being invested massively in the support for republican Spain.

It is at that time that Thorez, according to the model of Stalin in the USSR, founds, within the party, a certain worship with respect to its person. To reinforce its personal image, it publishes, in 1937, an autobiography, " Wire of the peuple" , written makes some by Jean Fréville who sub-contracted itself the biography with another negro. The popularity of Thorez then reaches its more high level. June 24th, 1937, one intended demonstrators to stress, place of the Nation, " Thorez with the pouvoir"

After Munich the year 1939 is placed under the sign of the threat of war. To the national conference of Gennevilliers, Thorez in January devotes most of his report/ratio to the country question. It also takes part in Ivry with the celebration of the French revolution at the time of its 150e birthday. In February, at the time of a round in Algeria, it evokes " plain Algerian people around France " by adding " There is an Algerian nation which is constituted, it also, in the mixture of twenty races. "

The Second world war (1939-1944)

Advertisement of the Pact germano-Soviet, on August 23rd, 1939, and the declaration of war, on September 3rd, completely will upset the situation of the Communist party (See detailed article Histoire of the French Communist party). It seems that Thorez, on vacation in the Alps, was not put at the current of the signature of the pact. Fried itself will learn the news only in Brussels, centers regrouping of the IC, in the event of crisis. In Paris, the Humanité is seized as of on August 25th, 1939. September 1st, the communist parliamentary group joined together under the presidency of Thorez decides to vote the appropriations of war to fight the aggression hitlérienne. September 3rd, 1939, Thorez answers the order of mobilization and joined its regiment with Arras. The men were indeed mobilizable up to forty years.

As from mid-September, the IC fact of arriving of the instructions clearly asking to denounce the war whose character imperialist was marked. The Communist party is prohibited on September 26th. The secretary of the IC, Dimitrov sends a telegram enjoignant to the general secretary of the French party to desert. Mounette Dutilleul, in company of Sleeve-board Vermeersch, enclosure, will carry the message in Chauny, where Maurice Thorez is in garrison. " What thinks Benoît and Jacques of it? " (Frachon and Duclos) would have asked Thorez which is subjected to the decision of the IC as it did throughout its career. The Thorez-Vermeersch couple is embarked in the 11 CV of the Pelayo militant, passes to Belgium before joining Moscow via Stockholm, a few weeks later (in fact he is deserter).

Thorez arrives at Moscow on November 8th, 1939. It settles in an outskirts of the city of Moscow, among others " clandestins" , lets themselves push the beard and is made call Ivanov. Officially, Thorez remained in France until 1943, date on which it would have gone to Moscow for the dissolution of the Internationale. This version of the history was maintained by PCF until the end of the Années 1960. It finds the other directing French André Marty, well in sight near Soviet and of the persons in charge of the Komintern, always ready to criticize the French party. Until June 1941, at least, Thorez, remains in contact with the clandestine direction of the party remained in France. Did it have a big role in the various orientations taken by the party, talks for the republication of Humanity in June - July 1940, policy of semi-legalization in August - September, policy of National front in spring 1941? The files of the Comintern in Moscow are not very clear on this point.

In autumn 1941, the German offensive causes the evacuation of Thorez with Oufa, in the the Ural. There does not have practically anything to make, must remain clandestine and saw one of the darkest periods of its existence. It supports with difficulty that De Gaulle authorizes Marty to be gone to Algiers to take the head of the communist delegation whereas him, Thorez, persona non grata due to desertion remains .

January 20th, 1944, it is received by the delegation from free France in Moscow. He tells that there remained " at its station of combat" , in France, until May 1943 and request to join Algiers. De Gaulle answers a few weeks later that the judgment of Thorez for desertion keeps the force of law.

After the installation in Paris on August 31st, 1944, provisional government which includes/understands two communist ministers, PCF conducts a campaign to require the return of Maurice Thorez who sends itself a telegram to De Gaulle, on October 17th. October 28th, the Council of Ministers gives an favorable opinion to the return of Thorez at the same time as it gives the order to dissolve the patriotic militia. November 6th, a few days before the voyage of De Gaulle to Moscow, Thorez profits from an individual grace and returns to France on November 27th.

The return in France and beginnings of the cold war (1944-1950)

Of return in France, Maurice Thorez finds without problem his place in the forefront of the PCF, which is, since the dissolution of the IC, the official name of the French ex-Section of the International Communist. The popularity which it had acquired pre-war period remains intact. It also profits from prestige from Resistant, because according to the logic of propaganda of the party, the general secretary of the " party of the fusillés" can only have been resistant. Thus, Fascinating Marcel, biologist and authenticates member of the direction of FTPF under the occupation, speaks it with the congress of Paris, in June 1945, in these terms:

" … Hello with Maurice Thorez, the first in date of the combatants without uniform, against Fascism hitlérien and traitors! Hello with Maurice Thorez, the first of the franc-tireurs and the French partisans! … "

Later, in the edition of Wire of the people of 1947, one will be able to read:

" the direction of the Party made the decision right to make me pass to the clandestine activity… October 4th (1939), I taken again my place with the head of the Communist militants tracked and persecuted… In 1943, in my membership of the Office of International, I took part in Moscow with the deliberations from which dissolution left… "

At the end of 1944, with the return of Thorez in France, PCF turns the back on temptations of revolutionary insurrection by accepting the dissolution of the patriotic militia. In September 1944, in the name of CGT, Benoit Frachon had launched the " battle for the production". July 21st, 1945, Maurice Thorez overbids while declaring in Waziers, in the coal basin, in front of impatient workmen to see their conditions of improving:

" To produce, it is today the highest form of the duty of class, of the duty of the French. Yesterday, our weapon was sabotage, the armed action against the enemy, today, the weapon, it is the production to make failure in the plans of the reaction. "

In autumn 1944, little time after the return of Thorez in France, De Gaulle had met Stalin in Moscow, and this last, had declared in connection with Thorez: " you do not annoy my indiscretion… I allow yourselves to say to you that I know Thorez, and that in my opinion, it is good French; if I were in your place, I would at least not put it in prison… not immediately… ". De Gaulle had then answered: " the French government treats French according to the services which it awaits from them. "

In autumn 1945, time had thus come for Thorez, to take responsabilities in a government. After the elections for the assembly constituent of October 1945, which give 26,1% of the votes to the Communists, it is as Minister for the public office, in company of 4 other communist ministers whom it makes his entry with the government of de Gaulle. It has the rank of minister of state. In the Government Felix Gouin, in January 1946, it will be " vice-president of the conseil". In November 1946, after electoral results better than they had never been, 28,6%, and which make of PCF " the first party of France" , Thorez asserts the presidency of the council. He then affirms, in an interview for the Times of November 18th that there exists to go towards socialism " of other ways that followed by the Russian Communists ". Finally, only 261 out of 579 voters goes on his name. Always vice-president of the council, Thorez leaves the Ramadier government, only in May 1947, with the 4 other communist ministers.

During its passage to the government, Thorez which had always known to be good pupil with the eyes of Manouilsky and Stalin, can also be good pupil. Those which one côtoyé, of De Gaulle to Jules Moch describe an effective minister, not stripped of the direction of the State. It concludes the reform of the public office and the statute of the public office will survive to him until the 21e century.

The historians will locate the beginning of the cold war in 1947. It was not so clear only that at the time, since Thorez places the congress of Strasbourg, in June 1947 from the point of view of the reconquest by the PCF of its role of " party of gouvernement". The things do not become clear that on September 22nd, 1947, with the conference of Szklarska-Poreba, in Poland, where left French and Italian are put in charge in front of the Kominform which replaces the late Komintern more or less. With the cold war, Thorez directs the party in an increasingly personal way. With Sleeve-board Vermeersch, it forms a couple of monarchs. Its patriotic standpoint of period 1944-47 makes place with positions in conformity with the new line:

" " … if the Soviet army defending the cause of the people, the cause of socialism, were brought to pursue the attackers until on our ground, the workers, could the people of France behave towards the Soviet army differently than the workers, than the people of Poland, of Romania, of Yugoslavia, etc? " (February 23rd, 1949)

At the time of the business Lyssenko, it approves the theory of two sciences, the middle-class woman and the proletarian one, to the great displeasure of Marcel Prenant, which had crowned it resisting a few years earlier.

The disease (1950-1956)

The year 1950 sees culminating the worship of Stalin and Thorez at the time of their 70e and 50e birthday. At this point in time with the apogee of the authority which he exerts on the PCF, he is victim of a disease which will draw aside it during several years of the French political scene, at the same time as it will make possible of the fights to be able it within PCF. Victim of an attack of Hémiplégie on October 10th, 1950, it leaves on November 12th to be made look after in the USSR, delegating to Jacques Duclos, as in 1940, the control of the businesses of PCF. Duclos forever tried to benefit from the situation for évincer his/her comrade. It is Duclos which regulates the oustings of Marty and Tillon, and Thorez returns to France on April 10th 1953 only after the death of Stalin, but it sets out again soon, letting Duclos again regulate the exclusion of Auguste Lecœur, the rising star of PCF since the period of Resistance. It is still difficult to say if the Lecœur business is only one internal business in PCF, Lecœur having been too in a hurry to replace Thorez, where if, as the historian Marc Lazar thinks it, Lecœur had been charged by Souslov with transmitting to PCF criticisms against Stalin, and than already Thorez, at the sides of Molotov, is located in an attitude of resistance to the Déstalinisation.

End of the reign Thorez (1956-64)

In February 1956, Maurice Thorez leads the French delegation to the XXe congress of the Soviet PC. He is only, with Mao, to quote the name of Stalin in his speech of introduction. In the night from February 25th to 26th, it receives a Russian copy of a secret report/ratio written by Khrouchtchev and intended for the sister parties. This report/ratio is translated immediately by Georges Cogniot in the presence of Jacques Duclos and Pierre Doize.

At the end of March, Thorez will return visit to Togliatti, secretary of the Italian party, to seek a support against Khrouchtchev, but, according to the historian Philippe Robrieux, " Togliatti, while deploring the method used by the Russian leader, had clearly expressed its choice of direction contraire." It will be the rupture between the leaders of the two most powerful parties of Western Europe.

The French public will learn the existence from this report/ratio by the press " bourgeoise". Thorez had initially chosen to dissimulate the existence of this report/ratio. Robrieux wrote that this dissimulation is the fruit of a discussion within the Thorez-Vermeersch couple, which thought that the report/ratio was going to remain hidden in the files of the PCUS in Moscow and that it was likely to destabilize the French militants. With the family table, the young person Jean Thorez, 20 years, had exclaimed: " We all are of the assassins! ".

Within PCF, tuggings are felt, of many leaders feeling closer to the position of Togliatti than of that of Thorez. At the end of 1956, the Hungarian business makes it possible Thorez to take again the situation in hand: violent demonstrations anticommunists which take place in front of the buildings of the party awake the " patriotism of parti": Thorez supports Khrouchtchev and the repression of the Hungarian insurrection, and within PCF, the rows are tightened around Thorez which continues in addition, allied with Mao, to slow down the destalinization within the communist movement.

In 1959, Thorez must face the analyzes krouchtchéviennes of Laurent Casanova and Marcel Servin, close to the Italian positions: they are put on the key. But as from 1961, Thorez supports Khrouchtchev against Mao and Albanian. In May 1964, weakened by the disease, it makes name Waldeck Rochet, rather krouchtchévien, with the general secretary of PCF at the time of the XVIIe congress, whereas itself takes the title of president. Around 1960 Thorez supports his wife, Jeannette Vermeersch, when it is expressed as a vice-president of the Union of the French women, against the " control naissances": " the “Birth control”, voluntary maternity, is a lure for the popular masses, but it is a weapon between the hands of the middle-class against the social laws ". This position goes against those of many militants, in particular in the medical environments. Thorez takes party for Jeannette by condemning the theses néo-Malthusians.

July 12th, 1964, he dies brutally at sea Noire, on a boat which took it along to spend its holidays, like each summer, in the USSR. PCF organizes imposing funeral to him on July 16th in Paris.

Synthesis

As wrote it Claude Pennetier, Maurice Thorez remains with Palmiro Togliatti one of the great figures of Communism in Western Europe, that of a workman become leading of one of the greatest parties of France. The discussed influence of this man on the French political life did not finish feeding the reflection.

To explain the destiny of Thorez, Claude Pennetier proposes " Of undeniable basic qualities: clearness in the expression, direction of the synthesis, popular behavior (taste of the song at the end of the banquet) but also an art to adapt to the various mediums which was to make the admiration of the political community. Thorez had especially a great intelligence of the political situations which enabled him to benefit the best from the situations, even if it means to support positions which it had initially fought. "

Jean Bruhat, historian communist wrote ( Le Monde , July 13rd, 1974) that " of any conversation with Thorez, an academic left deafened by the richness its culture and its pang of hunger of knowledge ". Philippe Robrieux, biographer of reference of Thorez speaks about the professor of university which it could have been and evokes his passion for geology and Latin. He also insists on his determination to leave a beach of time for the reading and the study.

In its " message of condoléances" , De Gaulle pays homage to her manner to him: " At one decisive time for France, President Maurice Thorez has, with my call, and like member of my government, contributed to maintain the national unit. "

That it occurred between its will to study without a priori the " russe" question; what it expresses in its letter with Souvarine of April 11th, 1924 and its attitude when it refuses to admit the contents of the “secret” report/ratio of Khrouchtchev at the time of the Central committee of May 9th, 1956? Probably the kindness of which it made proof with respect to the worship of the personality around its person and her loathing with respect to collective work.

Philippe Robrieux concludes that this sincere militant, completely integrated into the international communist Mouvement, had become after his disease, the type more completed of the Stalinist General secretary, corrupted by the exercise of one of the absolute capacities of all times.

The PCF undoubtedly owes him its hours of glory, but also certainly the delay in the destalinization taken in the last years of the reign of Thorez.

Married on September 8th, 1923 with Membœuf Dawn, separated in 1930, divorced on January 29th, 1947, remarié on September 17th, 1947 with his/her partner Vermeersch Sleeve-board. Father of four children: Maurice born in 1926 of its first marriage, then of its union with Sleeve-board Vermeersch, Jean in 1936, Paul in 1940, Pierre in 1946.

Chronology

• 1912 Embauché with the mines of Dourges
• 1919 Militant with the French Section of the International worker (SFIO)
• 1920 It adopts the communist movement at the time of the Congrès of Turns and occupies there quickly of the important stations; beginning of its military service.
• 1923 Secretary of the communist federation of the Pas-de-Calais. Marriage with Dawn Memboeuf
• 1924 secretary of the Northern, permanent area of the Communist party, temporary member of the management Committee.
• 1925 member of the political office of PCF, after a fast flirt with the Left opposition.
• 1926 responsible with the organization within the office
• 1925 - 1926 Militates actively against the Guerre of Morocco
• Be 1927 - June 1929 principal leader for the party.
• 1929 - 1930 Imprisoned for provocation of soldiers to disobedience
• April 1930 - May 1931 Directs the party with Henri Barbé.
• as from May 1931 principal Leader of the party (but becomes general secretary titrates only in January 1936 of it.
• 1932 Appointed Ivry with the House of Commons, delegated to the provisional Consultative Assembly, appointed of the Seine to the two constituent National Assemblies (1945-1946), appointed at the National Assembly, of November 10th, 1946 with her death.
• 1934 Sign, in the name of PCF a pact of national union with the radical SFIO and the creating the Popular front.
• 1939 Deserted (October 4th) to join Belgium, then Moscow (November 8th), on the order of the International Communist. Condemned for desertion, pardoned on November 6th, 1944.
• 1944 Cost in France (November 26th) where it takes again the direction of PCF
• from November 21st, 1945 to January 26th, 1946: Minister of state for the Government Charles de Gaulle (2)
• from January 26th to June 24th, 1946: Vice-president of the Council of the Government Felix Gouin
• from June 24th to December 16th, 1946: Vice-president of the Council of the Government Georges Bidault (1)
• from January 22nd to May 4th, 1947: Minister of state, vice-president of the Council of the Government Paul Ramadier (1)
• 1950 brutally Struck Hémiplégie, it leaves to be made look after in the USSR.
• 1953 Return in France. It takes again its functions with the head of PCF and will preserve them until its death in spite of its health issues.
• 1964 Death

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