Maurice Thorez

Maurice Thorez (1900-1964) was a major figure in the history of twentieth-century France and European Communism for over three decades. Under his leadership, the French Communist Party (PCF) became France''s largest political party and one of the most important communist parties in the West.
Born in a mining village, Thorez left school at the age of 12 and would go on to helm the PCF in a rapid ris...