One Hundred Years of History of the French Communist Party

Abstract

Since the 200th anniversary of Marx’s birth in 2018, there has been a resurgence in the study of Marxism in French intellectual, academic and even economic circles. In this case, the study of the history of the FCP appears particularly significant, as it is instructive to the study of Marxism in the twenty-first century worldwide. The book under review presents, mainly on a timeline, the century-long history of the FCP, ranging from its origins, growth and honour to shrinkage. Apart from the introduction and conclusion, the book consists of 12 chapters which can be summarized in two main parts—Chapters 1–5 on the rise of the FCP and Chapters 6–12 on the decline of the FCP. Precisely, Chapters 1–3 focus on the primary stages of its formation, including its origins and the initial developments, along with the adaptation of its struggle strategies and the formation of the Popular Front. Chapters 4 and 5 deal with its rise during which the FCP united a large number of people in resistance to the Nazis in the World War II, thus promoting its widespread support and popular base. This also led to its peak development in the 1946 general election as the first major party in France. Chapters 6–9 address the tortuous course of its quest for Socialism in an increasingly tense and complex international situation. Chapters 10–12 record its decline, despite its persistence of Marxism in theory and its renewal of the inner-party system in practice. Through this book, it can be perceived how and why the leadership of the FCP went from decentralization to centralization and back to decentralization, as well as how a local fringe party gradually rose to the international stage, gaining public recognition and mastering military power.