Maurice Tréand , born in 1900 in a family of inhabitant of Franche-Comté peasants with La Chaux-de-Fonds, in Swiss, of French nationality and deceased in 1949 with Antony. Coffee boy then manager of restaurant, it is responsible for the commission of the executives of the PCF, negotiator of the legal republication of Humanity in June 1940. He is isolated of any responsibility in November 1940.

A framework of Communist youths

Born on September 21st, 1900 with the Chaux-de-Fonds from a customs father from French nationality, and from a mother which holds a small hotel with restaurant, Maurice Tréand works initially with his mother before being boy of coffee and outputting drink in Besancon. In 1919, it adheres to the socialist Jeunesses. After the scission of the congress of Turns, it becomes a militant credit of SFIC of Besancon. It takes to management, in 1924, of the local body of PCF, the Sower.

In 1929, it settles in Paris and directs the 9th Agreement of the Communist youths of the city. It seems that it is into 1934 that Tréand was in charge of its first tasks for the CCCP, the Audit Board of the executives of the party. Its first voyage in Soviet Union would go back to 1937. After a second voyage in the USSR in 1938, he becomes the “big boss” of the services of the executives of PCF. Jean Jerome describes thus his mission with CCCP: “Its activity in this field was the search for militants necessary to the Party to hold of the positions of responsibility with various levels of the comrades considered under these conditions likely to be affected at positions of responsibility in the apparatus of the Party had to fill out a biographical card in answer to precise questions - cards which then the commission of the executives examined. Legros, according to what I could see myself, studied them attentively and endeavoured to direct each one towards the responsibilities which were appropriate for its aptitudes”. Thus the great period of Maurice Tréand, true right-hand man of the party starts. With the War of Spain, while assuming its other responsibilities, it coordinates the assistance with the republicans and takes part in all the operations in favor of the Spanish republican army. It takes part for this reason in the foundation of France-Navigation which has as a load the transport of the weapons in Spain. “It was with him, Legros, that fell to organize practical work” testifies Jean Jerome. “To form and direct a commission of recruitment for the international Brigades was one of its tasks priority” adds T it.

The Almighty and rival of the secretary of the organization, Marcel Gitton, Tréand are elected at the Central committee in Arles, in 1937. It is then in full apotheosis. Become it character-key of the operation of the Communist party, it remains it during the funny one of war. Let us give the description of Tréand by one of his/her collaborators, Jean Jerome: “I was in front of a large and large man: he measured more than one meter ninety and was to weigh at least hundred kilos. Its direct glance and its smile full with mischievousness struck me from the start”. As for Roger Bourderon, he adds in his biography of Tréand: “It was called affectionately “the large one”, it became “Legros”. Dumb man during the meetings, hardly writing because of its bad orthography, demanding but cordial with his/her collaborators, whom it could make capable effective, of large more or less pretended and controlled angers, a tantinet hablor, his political analyzes were summary, founded on a fidelity with any test with International and the party. But it was a man of action, a remarkable organizer, of a sharp practical intelligence, taking care with meticulousness on all for which it was responsible”.

In the storm of the war

Mobilized in the first days of the conflict to 79e IH in Monbéliard, Tréand is cook. During this period and following the prohibition of PCF, on September 26th, 1939, the commission of the executives is entrusted to Arthur Dallidet that Tréand formed at the commission of the executives. At the end of October, the decision was made so that Tréand joins the turntable of the connections with the Komintern, in Brussels, where was Clément - the permanent emissary of the Comintern - and Jacques Duclos. Reformed army, Tréand settles at the beginning of November 1939 in Bruges.

Until May 1940, Tréand ensures the safety of the militants who pass to Belgium. It probably on several occasions returns to France since one sees it in the Paris region, in Center-Is and in Switzerland. It directs especially the radio contact between the PCF and the IC, which ensures in particular Angèle Salleyrette one of her collaborators since the end of 1938. Of return to Paris at the time of the rout - on June 15th - in company of Jacques Duclos and Eugene Fried (alias Clement), probably “in a Soviet diplomatic car and under Soviet papers”, it finds some time isolated from the Parisian direction. The latter having left precipitately the capital with arrived of the occupant.

Tréand also ensures the safety of J. Duclos. During a few weeks, he is the only leader to know his cushy jobs and to ensure the connection with him.

The business of the réapparution of Humanity with the occupant

June 16th, it successful to renew contact with Jean Catelas, the former communist deputy of Amiens which had been able to escape the “raids anticommunists” from October 1939. He asks him to call a meeting for an urgent discussion. The meeting takes place on June 18th with 12 avenue de l'Opéra. Jean Catelas, Andre Bréchet, Denise Ginollin, Simone Lamp-Claudet, Georges Rondot learn by Tréand that before its departure of Belgium, the center of Brussels received from the IC, the instruction to try a step near the Germans for the legal republication of Humanity. The discussion east seems T it very tended. Jean Catelas is very reticent with this initiative. It is necessary that Tréand weighs of all its authority so that the agreement is obtained. Tréand demene. As of on June 17th, it contacts lawyer of the Soviet embassy, Me Foissin. This last indicates to him that the Germans are not hostile with a legal republication of Humanity. The day of the call of the de Gaulle general, Tréand sends militant to the seat Propaganda Staffel, boulevard of the Madeleine, to claim an authorization. The agreement is given on June 19th, with however, the condition sine qua non that the newspaper is subjected before publication to the German censure. The following day whereas the legal numbers of Humanity are ready to be distributed, the French police force stop Tréand, Denise Ginollin with the Saint Martin's day door. They are finally released on injunction of the occupant, on June 25th. This incident does not break dynamics. As of the shortly after its release, Tréand in company of Jean Catelas and the lawyer Robert Foissin meet Otto Abetz, the emissary of Hitler in Paris in its office, street of Lille. The negotiations for the republication of Humanity and the legalization of the party will continue, “with tops and bottoms, until August”.

Let us return to apprehend this delicate question which caused many debates between historians, about some elements of the chronology. “On August 5th, 1940, the Comintern forwards in Duclos an imperative telegram,” ordering to him to stop the negotiations between PCF and the Germans. It is only about on August 14th, that these directives arrive in Duclos. Lastly, “the Dimitrov on August 27th receives a telegram the 21, signed Duclos, Tréand and Frachon, which announces that the directives were received and that any contact with the Germans is broken”. What imports in this business it is the interaction of personal dispute. They will make it possible Fried (alias Clément) to partly regulate the “skid” of Duclos and Tréand. Initially, there is an old dispute between Fried and Tréand. This last having shown Fried “to be a suspect element” in a report/ratio that Mounette Dutilleul with transmitted to the Comintern in February 1940. This direct attack against the Kominternien emissary could not remain without effect for Fried. This last finds in Duclos an ally of circumstance. Duclos which is largely implied in the bur that is the attempt of legalization of Humanity and its consequences, all will try to be made forgive at Fried and thus Comintern by overpowering Tréand. With Duclos, Arthur Dallidet which is highly criticized by Tréand to have given up Paris at the time of the rout, is not remains about it against “Legros”. True goat-emissary, Tréand, gradually, are marginalized of the clandestine apparatus. Its safety device is not used any more after the meeting of August 10th, 1940 when Jacques Duclos, Benoît Frachon, and Arthur Dallidet meet. In the weeks which follow, it is semi-officially dislocated its functions of person in charge of the apparatus clandestine and replaced by Arthur Dallidet, which will also take, in the months which follow, its functions of person in charge to the executives.

Isolated Tréand cannot return even any more in contact with Duclos, it addresses this laconic message to him: “I had never believed after our collaboration if close friend, for a long time, especially for a year, to send a similar letter to you. Your attitude of these last days was towards me impossible, towards a comrade as me of which you must know what it represents and what it wants”. Since the discovery in 1990, in the files of the Comintern, of signed messages " Yves and Grégoire" , i.e., Duclos and Tréand, about the contacts made with the Germans, it appears clearly that these steps had received the downstream of Duclos and its correspondents in Moscow.

With the autumn 1940, Tréand which continues to transmit reports/ratios to the Comintern is not any more in the circle of decision. Its former assistant Arthur Dallidet definitively replaced it. Tréand meets Benoît Frachon and Duclos, on November 20th. The latter reproach him the steps which it started from July to August for the legalization of the communist activities. Ideal scapegoat, Tréand undoubtedly pays the price of some enmities within the direction of the party. " Even if it preserved a long time the confidence of Jacques Duclos and, always, that of Maurice Thorez because of his remarkable effectiveness and its very great practical intelligence. The Large one was pre-war period dreaded for its methods of direction tranchates and expeditious and, little liked number of leaders among whom Benoit Frachon appears in good place… " .

The career of Tréand within the commission of the executives is, consequently, in its twilight. The direction of PCF clandestine entrusts to him, all the same, some missions in Marseilles. Drawn aside from its Parisian branch of industry, Tréand passes initially clandestinely to Chateauroux then to goes to Vierzon. According to the testimony left by Jean Jerome in his memories: “he lived with the shelter at an old couple of peasants in the small town of Montbron, not far from Angouleme and close to this same line of demarcation, which, if one added to it that a cousin of his Angèle partner, was the station master of the locality, the connection with Paris facilitated. But, actually, all the political activity which had been its life since a score of years found suspended abruptly”.

Follows itself from there for him and his/her partner, Angèle, a difficult existence. From mask out of mask, half-compartment of his/her former “comrades”, it escapes an in November 1942, police raid. It remains, thereafter, in Antony until the Release. A few months pass, and Tréand is convened before the old commission of the executives which it directed pre-war period. Held under the crook of Henri Gourdeaux and Jean Chaumeil, the commission examines its case without any kindness of the services which it rendered to the party. Tréand disappears from the flow chart of PCF. Upset, cut down, betrayed, Tréand which devoted its life to PCF, finishes corroded in perpetual depressive state. “I found an unrecognizable man. Of its large rebounded figure remained only the flask and yellow skin, and it breathed with difficulty” testifies Jean Jerome. He dies carried by a lung cancer, on January 26th, 1949.

In spite of its disgrace, principal leaders of the Party, whose Maurice Thorez, is present at its funerals in 1949.

Sources

The main part of the contained informations in this article are drawn from the article Maurice Tréand of the biographical Dictionnaire of the labor movement French signed Roger Bourderon. For more historical details and some lightings, one can also consult:

• Roger Bourderon, “the ousting of Maurice Tréand”, Books of history of the IRM, n°52-53, 1993, pp. 239-270; The negotiation. Summer 1940: crisis with PCF, Paris, Syllepse, 2001.

• Middle-class Guillaume, Communist and anticommunists during the funny one of war , Thesis of 3rd cycle, Paris-X-Nanterre, 1983.
• Philippe Buton, “the Party, the war and the revolution, 1939-1940”, Communism, n°32-33, 1993, p. 50.
• Courteous Stephan, PCF in the war , Paris, Ramsay, 1980.
• Annie Kriegel, Stephan Courteous, Eugen Fried. The great secrecy of PCF , Paris, Threshold, 1996.
• Leon-Raymond Dallidet, 1934-1984: travel from a Communist, Paris, the universal thought, 1984.
• max Lagarrigue, in Dictionary of resistant of Ile-de-France, AERI, 2002.
• Robrieux Philippe, interior Histoire of the Communist party , T1 and T4, Fayard.
• Charles Tillon, One sang red , Paris, Robert Laffont, 1977
• arch. CRCEDHC, Moscow, 495/270/8372.

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