Jacques Duclos facts for kids

Jacques Duclos, 1950s.

Meeting of the secret French Communist Party (PCF) central committee at Longjumeau, 1943. Duclos is second from right.

Jacques Duclos (born October 2, 1896 – died April 25, 1975) was an important French politician. He was a member of the French Communist Party. Duclos played a big role in French politics for many years. He was first elected to the French National Assembly in 1926. He even ran for president in 1969, getting a lot of votes.

A Life in French Politics

Early Life and Joining the Communist Party

Jacques Duclos was born in a town called Louey in France. During World War I, he fought in the famous Battle of Verdun. He was hurt in this battle. Later, he was captured at Chemin des Dames and became a prisoner of war. He stayed a prisoner until the war ended.

In 1920, Duclos joined the new French Communist Party. He quickly became an important member. By 1926, he was part of the party's main leadership, called the Central Committee. That same year, he won an election to become a deputy in the French National Assembly. In 1936, he became the head of the party's section that shared its ideas with the public. He was also elected as Vice-President of the French National Assembly.

Influencing the Communist Movement

Duclos was a strong supporter of Stalinism, which was a way of leading the Communist Party. For over 35 years, he was a key thinker behind the decisions made by other important leaders like Maurice Thorez. He was also involved in the worldwide Communist movement. This included working with groups like the Comintern and the Cominform.

In the 1930s, Duclos was given the job of making sure Communist groups in other countries followed the party's rules. He worked with groups in Spain and Belgium. For example, on orders from Joseph Stalin, he advised the Communist Party of Spain to join a group called the Popular Front. This happened when the Spanish Civil War began.

World War II and Resistance

When France was defeated in 1940, during World War II, Duclos was the most senior Communist Party official still in France. The Communist Party had been banned. Duclos tried to talk with the Nazi authorities to make the party legal again. He also asked for permission to print the party's daily newspaper, L'Humanité, again. These talks did not work out. This attempt later caused some problems for the party's reputation after the war.

During the Nazi German Occupation of France (1940–1944), Duclos secretly led the Communist Party. He helped create the Front National resistance movement. This group was the political side of the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP), who were guerrilla fighters resisting the occupation.

Later Career and Presidential Bid

After 1950, Maurice Thorez, another leader, became ill. Duclos remained one of the most powerful members of the party. He served as the acting Secretary General from 1950 to 1953 while Thorez was away.

Later, another leader named Waldeck Rochet also became ill. This led Duclos to run as the Communist Party's candidate for president in the 1969 election. He received 21.27% of the votes. This was the highest percentage ever for a Communist presidential candidate in France. Jacques Duclos passed away in Montreuil on April 25, 1975, at the age of 78.

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Duclos para niños