*** biographies boys clothes : Jacques Duclos








Biographies: Jacques Duclos (France, 1896-1975)


Figure 1.--This portrait shows future French politican polician Jacques Duclos and his older brother Jean about 1900. The boys are wearing belted smocks. Smocks were a basic Frebch school garmnt at the time. We are not entirely sure if they are school smocks or what the boys normlly wore. Jacques would not have entered school at the time. Jean woyld have been about 6 years old and may have entered school. After World War Duclos became a Communist and a staunch Stalinist. It is unclear when he became aware of the Gulag and Stalin's mass killing. But as he was a Comintern enforrcer for Stalin's NKVD, killing does not seem to have bothered him.

Jacques Duclos was born in the small village of Louey, located in the High Pyrénées, between Tarbes and Lourdes (1896). His father was the village carpenter. His parents operated an inn. His mother was a seamstress. He had an elder brother, Jean, two years older his senior. They lived a with their elderly grandmother. A younger brother, Louis, was born (1904). He was apreticed as a pastry baker's assistant when he was 12-years old (1908). He was drafted in World War I and fought in the apocalyptic Battle of Verdun. He was captured (1917) amd spent the rest of the War in a German POW camp. The tragedy of the War turned Duclos into a Communist and he joined the Party after the War. He was an early recruit to the Bolshevik School in Moscow and associated with Stalin and Stalin's French representative (Thorez). He proved adept at sectarian actions. When he returned to France he rose rapidly in the Party hierarchy as did many with backing from Moscow. He is described as the 'brain' behind political choices made by Maurice Thorez and Benoît Frachon. Duclos was a Comintern agent in Spain and ran the closely supervised Information Section. Moscow assigned him the task of exerting 'discipline' on Communist Movements in Spain (1930, 1935) and Belgium (1934935), essentialy a Comintern/NKVD enforcer. He was part of the the United Front which was formed in France to confront Hitler's rise in Germany (1935). When Hitler and Stalin signed the Non-Agression Pact (1939), Duclos as a loyal Stalinist justified it, but the Party was split. The Government banned the Communist Party. After the German invasion, Duclos met with Gestapo, hoping hat as a NAZI ally, the Party could be legalized. This did not occur and Duclos would become a resistance leader after the NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union (1941). After the War, Duclos would play a role in the Cold War. France like Italy had a large Communist Party, and Stalin hoped that Communist governments could be voted in. Duclos had become a Comminist for idealistic/pcifist mptivations after World War I. We are unsure just when he became aware of the enormoust crimes of Stalin and the NKVD. It is often said that Communists in Western Europe were different than the willing lackeys Stalin placed in power in Eastern Europe. Duclos is one of many Western European Commuists more than willing to do Stalin's bidding and pursue his policies. Liberal Canadian politican Jean-Yves Duclos (1965- ) appears to be a grandson.

Childhood

Jacques Duclos was born in the small village of Louey, located in the High Pyrénénes, between Tarbes and Lourdes (1896). His father was the village carpenter. His parents operated an inn. His mother was a seamstress. He had an elder brother, Jean, two years older his senior. They lived a with their elderly grandmother. A younger brother, Louis, was born (1904). He was apreticed as a pastry baker's assistant when he was 12-years old (1908).

World War I

He was drafted in World War I (1915) and fought in the apocalyptic Battle of Verdun. He was captured (1917) amd spent the rest of the War in a German POW camp. The tragedy of the War turned Duclos into a Communist.

Inter-War Years

Duclos joined the Communist Party after the War (1920). He was an early recruit to the Bolshevik School in Moscow and associated with Stalin and Stalin's French representative (Thorez). He proved adept at sectarian actions. When he returned to France he rose rapidly in the Party hierarchy as did many with backing from Moscow. He is described as the 'brain' behind political choices made by Maurice Thorez and Benoît Frachon. Duclos was a Comintern agent in Spain and ran the closely supervised Information Section. Moscow assigned him the task of exerting 'discipline' on Communist Movements in Spain (1930, 1935) and Belgium (1934-35), essentialy a Comintern/NKVD enforcer. He was part of the the United Front which was formed in France to confront Hitler's rise in Germany (1935). When Hitler and Stalin signed the Non-Agression Pact (1939), Duclos as a loyal Stalinist justified it, but the Party was split. The Non-Agresion Pat of course made possible orld war II. The French Government banned the Communist Party. And the Party went underground.

World War II

Unlike many French Communists, he supported Stalin's Non-Agression Pact with Hitler. Tbe French Government outlawed the Party. The French Government after Hitler and Stalin agreed to the Non-Agression Pact banned the Communist Party (1939). French Communist leader Maurice Thorez sought refuge in Moscow. Duclos went into hiding and became the highest ranking member of the now underground Communist Party. After the German invasion and occupation (1940), seeing the Pact as an alliance, he and other associates met with Gestapo agents seeking the leglization of the Party. This did not occur and Duclos became the defacto leader of the Communist resistance, although orders from Moscow limited overt actions against the Germans. Many French Communists were agast at the Non-Agression Party and alliance with the NAZIs. Stalinists like Duclos dutifully followed orders from Moscow and supported it. The NAZI invasion of the Soviet Union removed all ambiguities. The Communists were the leading element in the Resistnce. Duclos and Pierre Villon founded the Communist-based resistance group, Front National (FN). He also helped to direct the Frances-Tireurs Partisans, the military action wing of Party (May 1942). The FN reached an agreement ith non-Communist resistance groups (Combat, Comité d'Action Socialiste, Liberation, Francs-Tireur and the Armée Secrete). The unified resistabce effort was he Conseil National de la Resistance. After the War, Duclos continued to lead the Party. France and Italy had large Communist Paries. The Communists had gained great prominance as the most effective resistnce groups. Duclos hoped to seize powet, but was outmnuered by Gen. De Gualle.

The Cold War

After the War, Duclos would play a role in the Cold War. France like Italy had a large Communist Party, and Stalin hoped that Communist governments could be voted in. Duclos had become a Comminist for idealistic/pcifist mptivations after World War I. We are unsure just when he became aware of the enormoust crimes of Stalin and the NKVD. It is often said that Communists in Western Europe were different than the willing lackeys Stalin placed in power in Eastern Europe. Duclos is one of many Western European Commuists more than willing to do Stalin's bidding and pursue his policies. Duclos was one of several European Communist leaders who opposed Khrushec's de-Staninization efforts.

Canadian Gandson

Liberal Canadian politican Jean-Yves Duclos (1965- ) appears to be a grandson.








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Created: 7:55 PM 8/12/2017
Last updated: 7:55 PM 8/12/2017