The Decline of the French Communist Party: the Party Education System As a Brake to Change 1945-90 Thesis Submitted to Universit
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The Decline of the French Communist Party: the Party Education System as a brake to change 1945-90 Thesis submitted to University of Portsmouth for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Maija Sinikka Kivisaari July 2000 THE DECLINE OF THE FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY: THE PARTY EDUCATION SYSTEM AS A BRAKE TO CHANGE 1945-90 Marja Kivisaari The decline of the French Communist Party (PCF) was a key feature in French politics in the 1980s, one which was analysed in a number of scholarly studies. These focused on the four established contributory causes, i.e. the transformation of socio-economic structures in France since the late 1960s; institutional factors (presidentialism and bipolarisation); the rise of the French Socialist Party since 1974; and the sharp deterioration of the Soviet image in French public opinion. Although these studies were also in unanimous agreement that, to a large extent, the party leadership with its orthodox regime and intransigent practices must bear responsibility for the Party’s failure to adapt, they failed to offer any explanation and analysis of the reasons or mechanisms behind the leadership’s motives and behaviour and therefore gave an incomplete picture of tire decline. The novelty of the approach adopted in this study is that, whilst not denying the importance of the other contributory factors, it focuses primarily on elements which enabled the party leadership to sustain its immobilism in the face of changes which were taking place in the Party’s social, institutional, political and international environment. Thus, by focusing on the internal dynamics of the PCF, this investigation shows how, by the skilful utilisation of the Party s organisational principle of democratic centralism, and by the methodical use of its political training system, the leadership ensured the availability of ideologically sound cadres who would perpetuate the conservative outlook of their superiors. It is asserted that the communist political training system therefore formed one of the most important institutions for the perpetuation of the private and all embracing world of French Communism. We also argue that the Party’s political education system that had begun to mould leaders in the Stalinist era, became, in the hands of orthodox and intransigent leaders, a significant brake to change and a further manifestation of the PCF’s conservatism and inflexibility. Consequently, the question of how the PCF trained its cadres is fundamental to the understanding of the Party’s evolution and its eventual decline. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1 Aims o f the S tudy.................................................................................................................... 1 Origins of the Study.................................................................................................................1 Sources and M ethod................................................................................................................ 4 Contextualisation.....................................................................................................................7 The Working Hypothesis........................................................................................................9 Notes and references............................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER I THE DECLINE OF THE FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY ......... 16 The transformation of socioeconomic structures in France............................................ 17 Institutional obstacles............................................................................................................ 19 The Socialist elem ent............................................................................................................23 The Soviet factor....................................................................................................................28 The Communist leadership.................................................................................................. 31 "Un syndicat des défavorisés”? ....................................................................................32 "La sérieuse menace du nouveau mécanisme institutionnel"..................................36 "Une démarche de zigzags ”.......................................................................................... 38 "Bilan globalement positif"............................................................................................39 "L’effet Marchais ”..........................................;............................................................. 40 Democratic Centralism as a tool of the leadership......................................................... 42 Conclusion................................................................................................................................ Notes and references............................................................................................................. 47 CHAPTER 2 POLITICAL EDUCATION: THE MOULDING PROCESS............52 Political socialisation............................................................................................................ 53 "The Quest for the Homo Sovieticus"........................................................................... 55 "Etudier pour agir, agir en étudiant ........................................................................... 57 The function of Scientific Marxism in political education............................................. 65 "On ne naît pas communiste, on le devient : the ideal Communist ........................68 What is a cadre?................................................................ 70 The perfect cadre: an example of the ‘ ideal Communist ............................................. 75 Conclusion................................................................................................................................ Notes and references............................ 79 CHAPTER 3 THE ORIGINS: FROM CHAOS TO ORDER (1920-39).................. 87 The origins and early development of the PCF’s political education system ........... 87 “Bolshevisation” and party schools....................................................................................90 Changing strategies of the PCF and their effects on the political education system. 94 The International Lenin School............................................................. 98 The Popular Front: more education for more members.................................................100 Towards the “total school experience” ............................................................................ 104 Conclusion............................................................................................................................I l l Notes and references........................................................................................................... 112 CHAPTER 4 FROM GOVERNMENT TO GHETTO (1944-64)..........................119 Le Parti des Fusillés........................................................................................................... 119 Resurrecting the education network..................................................................................121 The organisation and functioning of the party schools................................................124 "Le grand schisme ”.............................................................................................128 “Apprendre pour mieux lutter".......................................................................... 128 La Bataille du livre..............................................................................................131 The school experience.........................................................................................................132 La politique communiste.....................................................................................133 Training in action................................................................................................ 135 Learning in Moscow............................................................................................137 "L’année 1956 va s'ouvrir, pleine de promesses ”.........................................140 "Changements à petits pas”...............................................................................144 C onclusion............................................................................................................................145 Notes and references........................................................................................................... 147 CHAPTER 5 LOVE THY BROTHER (1965-80)..................................................... 152 Early aggiomamento at the central school..................................................................... 153 Towards the Left U nion.................................................................................................... 1 ^ "L ’union est un combat ....................... " ........................................................................ “Socialisme aux couleurs de la France ....................................................................... i Eurocommunism in political education, a subtle s î ....................... ......................... "Fermez la télé, lisez L ’Humanité! ........... r ' ï ^ 7 o r > ...........................