AHC: Mitterand defeats De Gaulle 1965

[David Tenner]

Not sure how to bring this about, but what if Mitterrand not only exceeds
expectations (as he did) in 1965 but actually wins? He got about 45% in OTL.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_French_presidential_election

Suppose he somehow got that extra 5%? He would largely owe his victory to
the Communists. Not only did the PCF support Mitterand in 1965 but its
support was more essential for him than it would be in 1981. In 1981
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_French_legislative_election he could get a
parliamentary majority based on Socialists alone and without the PCF--he did
give them a couple of minor ministries, but didn't have to, and indeed they
were removed later. In 1962 and 1967, the PCF got 21 percent of the vote.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_French_legislative_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_French_legislative_election In other
words, if Mitterrand were to somehow win in 1965, the Communists would be
more than 40% of his supporters. (PCF support was down to about 16 percent in
1981.) It would indeed be easily the largest party supporting Mitterrand.

This does not of course mean that he would be dominated by the PCF, which
realized that it had no choice but to support him to break out of the
political isolation it had suffered since 1947. "Much of the organisational
backbone for Mitterrand's 1965 campaign was Communist, but because the
Communist Party was willing to pay a high price for the prospect of a left-
wing alliance, the eventual platform was very European and Atlanticist".
https://books.google.com/books?id=8kZ_PVorg_YC&pg=PT98 But after all,
Mitterrand was pretty Atlanticist after 1981 as well. But in 1965 nobody
really cared much about the platform because nobody expected Mitterrand to
win. (Ironically, he also got support from the far right, embittered with De
Gaulle over Algeria).

The US would no doubt worry about Mitterrand's PCF support but they would
soon see that he would be more pro-NATO and pro-US than De Gaulle.


--
David Tenner
dte...@ameritech.net

[The Horny Goat]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:43:55 -0000 (UTC), David Tenner
<dte...@ameritech.net> wrote:

>This does not of course mean that he would be dominated by the PCF, which
>realized that it had no choice but to support him to break out of the
>political isolation it had suffered since 1947. "Much of the organisational
>backbone for Mitterrand's 1965 campaign was Communist, but because the
>Communist Party was willing to pay a high price for the prospect of a left-
>wing alliance, the eventual platform was very European and Atlanticist".
>https://books.google.com/books?id=8kZ_PVorg_YC&pg=PT98 But after all,
>Mitterrand was pretty Atlanticist after 1981 as well. But in 1965 nobody
>really cared much about the platform because nobody expected Mitterrand to
>win. (Ironically, he also got support from the far right, embittered with De
>Gaulle over Algeria).
>
>The US would no doubt worry about Mitterrand's PCF support but they would
>soon see that he would be more pro-NATO and pro-US than De Gaulle.

Another knock on effect of a Mitterand victory would have been a much
weaker Quebec separatist movement in Canada as in this scenario De
Gaulle doesn't go to Montreal in July 1967 and say "Vive le Quebec
libre" (or if he does the impact is much less - De Gaulle was
certainly no Churchill and the impact would certainly not have been
nearly as important as Churchill's Iron Curtain speech given when he
was out of power in Fulton, MS)

No question De Gaulle's speech poured gasoline on the fire that was
Quebec separatism.

[Rich Rostrom]

On 4/25/22 5:43 AM, David Tenner wrote:
> The US would no doubt worry about Mitterrand's PCF support but they would
> soon see that he would be more pro-NATO and pro-US than De Gaulle.

Would he? ISTM that a condition of PCF support would
be continuing De Gaulle's quasi-neutralist foreign
policy. Mitterand was no Attlee.

Another knock-on could be "no 1968 riots". The great
radical outbreak of that year was in opposition to
De Gaulle.

--
Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
--- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.

[Rich Rostrom]

On 4/25/22 5:43 AM, David Tenner wrote:

> In 1962 and 1967, the PCF got 21 percent of the vote.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1962_French_legislative_election
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_French_legislative_election In other
> words, if Mitterrand were to somehow win in 1965, the Communists would be
> more than 40% of his supporters. (PCF support was down to about 16 percent in
> 1981.) It would indeed be easily the largest party supporting Mitterrand.

Does the PoD also imply a Left victory in the 1962 legislative
election? Because otherwise Mitterand would e governing with
a hostile legislature. But that change would have effects
before 1965.

> This does not of course mean that he would be dominated by the PCF, which
> realized that it had no choice but to support him to break out of the
> political isolation it had suffered since 1947. "Much of the organisational
> backbone for Mitterrand's 1965 campaign was Communist, but because the
> Communist Party was willing to pay a high price for the prospect of a left-
> wing alliance, the eventual platform was very European and Atlanticist".

Platforms are words. Once in office, the PCF would be much more
demanding, IMO.