Special Organization - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

First period July 1940 - June 1941

In July 1940, the P.C.F is a clandestine party since its dissolution by the government Daladier in September 1939. As of October 1940, the direction of the P.C.F sets up “special groups” which one also calls “groups O.S.”, made up at the beginning of elements aguerris to carry out a certain number of tasks concerned with the service of order and the knacks: recovery of funds, intimidation of the traitors, protection of the militants who speak on the markets, distribute leaflets, stick posters, butterflies, take part in patriotic demonstrations… May 15th, 1941, the P.C.F takes the initiative to call with a vast gathering of all the French “except the capitulards and the traitors”. Thus is born the “National front from fight for the independence of France”.

Alain Guerin gives a report on actions anti-allemandes such as sabotages of phone lines or railways which would have been carried out dice 1940. This thesis was not taken again by historians of the Communist party since 1980, including by the historians close to the Communist party like Roger Bourderon or Serge Wolikow. Jean-Yves Boursier notes the absence of any trace of a “organization armed with resistance”, “of a combat unit” as well in the German official statements as in the documents of time of the propaganda of PCF.

Second period: July 41 - at the beginning of 44

After the rupture of the Pact germano-Soviet and the invasion of the U.S.S.R. by the troops hitlériennes, a certain number of persons in charge recruit militants to carry out a work anti-German. Many of these new recruits are young militants who will perpetrate the first communist attacks against the German troops, like that of Pierre Georges (Fabien) and Gilbert Brustlein with the Barbès subway.

On the national plan, the Special Organization is comparable, as well as other resistance movements Intérieure Frenchwoman, with a combat unit whose activity is attested of October 1940 in May 1941 ( Official Bulletin of the Ministry for the War: methodical edition Combat units of Resistance ; Paris, Editions Charles-Lavauzelle, 1958). On the local plan, its groups (or detachments) are approved under the Formations of the military regions on a case-by-case basis, reflecting the establishment of the Communist party and its activity (for example, the group of the Special Organization of Seine-Maritime is attached to Staff FTPF for the period from 5/1/1941 to 9/30/41).

Until at the beginning of 1942, the French police force will record some of the Communist militants challenged like belonging to the O.S.

FTPF and groups Valmy

Starting from the beginning of the year 1942, the Communists engaged in the armed struggle against the occupant are gathered in the Francs-tireurs and in favor (ftp or FTPF) for which the responsibility is entrusted to Charles Tillon.

The groups of shock to which one entrusts the missions formerly allotted to the O.S. often call the “Valmy groups”.

Administrative statute after the Release (history)

Initially the official bulletin of the ministry for the war recognizes the O.S. like combat unit from October 1940, and this recognition was often used by the historians of the P.C.F. (for example, Alain Guerin, Resistance , LCD, 1973) like the proof of the resistant engagement of the P.C.F before June 1941, whereas one forever found the trace of an act anti-German carried out by groups of the O.S. before August 41. March 16th, 1959, the bulletin of the ministry for the armies indicated the radiation of the O.S. of the register of the combat units.

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