The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact - ELTE BTK Történelem Szakos Portál

At the same moment, we can note an unrest in the camp of Gurs. The
Gurs’camp is a refugees camp build by Daladiers government between 15 of
March and the 15 of April in 1939, next to Oloron Sainte Marie to take in the
former veterans of Spanish civil war after General Franco’s seizure of power.
The camp icludes at the RM pact signature’s date Brigadistes (Volonteer
soldiers and mercenaries coming of Central Europe to support republicans in
Spain in the international squads.), Basques, Aviateurs and Spanish. In the
camp, international squads’ section fidget against the government, anticommunists
increase their propaganda, pamphlets pass hand to hand. In the
camp, we talk about the second treason of communist Party, the first one
consisting on leading to the defeat of Spanish army.
As the pact was revealed, tracts against government are carried by the
communists which shows quite a weariness because of the government
inactivity. They proclaim that it must stop or question „what are you waiting
for Mister Daladier to take plane to Moscow?” 12 The Prefect collaborator of
Oloron put the territory under hight surveillance and call for help military
authorities of Pau’s 18 em regiment.
There are a lot of Spanish communists on the whole territory and that’s the reason
why we find many Spanish names in the investigations of august and september. 13
Spanish communists are often more virulents than French ones desappointed by their
defeat against Franco which condamn them to emigrate in France. They feel
persecuted once again and violent actions are going to be the expression of this feeling
as an attack against administration’s premises of Boucau in the course of september. 14
As a conclusion, it appears that the politics reactions are various in the
department of basses Pyrénées. The authorities of the department intensify
repression in the course of days and concentrate more and more their energy to
control communist party and repress actions lead against government.
The priority is given to preserv civil peace, and to contain any unrest on a
territory which already knows backwashes for few mounths whith the Spanish‘s
arrival. So, as long as the anesthesia of communist units of the department permit
to reach this purpose, the authorities will adopt an organisation to muzzle them
with a real effectiveness after the Nazi-Soviet pacts signature.
malicious actions against government and tracts possession. Some of them were released. Source:
main city department act and newspapers’ answers: collection M; 1M80.
12 Communists’tracts found in Gurs’camp the 30 and 31 of august in 1939, handed to Basses
pyrénées’prefect by the special police superintendent in charge of the camp. Source: main city
department act, departemental archives of Pau: collection M; 1M81.
13 List of all the communists of the territory wanted by the Ministry in september
distinguishing french ones and foreigners in 2 separeted columns. Source: main city department
act, departemental archives of Pau: collection M; 1M78.
14 Attack of the 16 th of September in 1939 from spanish communists to protest against anticommunists
actions facilitated by Daladier’s government. Premices were empty so there was
nobody died, only some injured persons who were walking near the explosion. Correspondance
between police station of Boucau and the prefect of basses pyrenées. Source: main city
department act, departemental archives of Pau: collection M; 1M80.
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