Strength and Impotence in the Idea and Policy of the People's Front

Authors

  • Peter Vodopivec Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino, Kongresni trg 1, SI-1000 Ljubljana

Keywords:

People's front, Comintern, communists, socialists, anti-fascism, Slovenia

Abstract

Slogans about the people's front emerged after the seventh congress of the Communist International in 1935 as a result of its new political course. The alliances in the people's front arising from the Comintern's new orientation were initially very fragile. Due to the negative experiences in the period between 1928 and 1935, Socialists continued to distrust Communists and refused to cooperate with them in most West European countries, even after the shift in the Comintern policy. Although the Communists swore by the newly formed 'anti-Fascist' alliances, in their policy they pursued only Soviet and their own interests. Wherever formed, 'people's front coalitions' were very heterogeneous and as such unable to solve the burning social, economic and political issues. The author points out the failed attempts by the 'people's fronts' in Spain and France to ensure a more lasting social and political balance. He also establishes that the 'people's front' coalitions were no more successful in Slovenia, being short-lived and only engaging a part of the patriotic and antifascist population.

Published

2001-01-01

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