Georges Albertini papers, 1938-1986

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Summary

Creators:
Albertini, Georges, 1911-1983
Abstract:
Correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, and other writings, relating to political conditions in France, communism in France, international communism, and anti-communist movements.
Extent:
16 manuscript boxes (6.6 Linear Feet)
Language:
French
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Georges Albertini papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

Acquired in 1967, with major increments received in 1980 and 1985, the Georges Albertini papers in the Hoover Institution Library & Archives consist largely of Albertini's extensive files on French political life over three decades following World War II, with a major emphasis on the role of the French Communist Party during this period.

The principal biography of Albertini is entitled L'homme de l'ombre, or "the man of the shadows," and this seems an apt description of Albertini's role as a chronicler and confidant, a man operating in the corridors as an adviser to leading figures in the French establishment while pursuing a consistently anti-Communist agenda as the editor and publisher of his own political newsletter and journal.

Given his past as a collaborator with the German occupiers of France, activity for which he was tried and convicted, Albertini would at first glance seem to be an unlikely candidate for the role of political insider in postwar France. However, he emerged from prison with his connections to the French political elite largely intact, and with a clear conception of his part as purveyor of information on the French Communist Party to conservative and socialist opponents of the communists. Moreover, in choosing Boris Souvarine as his principal associate, Albertini benefited from Souvarine's intimate knowledge of the international communist movement, and the publication they produced, Est-Ouest, became a journal of reference for many in the French political class.

Throughout his life, Albertini kept meticulous records of his many meetings with French politicians, journalists, and businessmen. These can be found in the NOTES, which, in addition to summaries of Albertini's activities, include correspondence and reports. The notes provide extensive information on such subjects in modern French history as the war in Algeria, the May-June revolt of 1968, and rivalries among conservative politicians. The main focus of Albertini's political undertakings was to document the workings of the French Communist Party, and the notes contain detailed information on the finances, publications, and internal politics of the French C.P. Albertini was keen to counter what he perceived to be communist influence in other parts of the world, and there is a considerable amount of material in the papers relating to Latin America and Africa.

Albertini's sources of information included contacts within the French security services, and there are some reports emanating from the French political police, the Renseignements Généraux, in the chronological section of the NOTES, especially for 1968 and immediately after. There are also internal reports and minutes of meetings relating to the functioning of Albertini's research organization, the Centre d'Archives et de Documentation. These can be found in the topical section of the NOTES.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1911
Born, Chalon-sur-Saône, France
1932
Joins the French Socialist Party
1942-1944
Secretary-General, Rassemblement Natonal Populaire
1944
Tried and sentenced for collaboration with German occupation
Cabinet secretary for Marcel Dé, Minister of Labor in Vichy government
1945-1948
Imprisoned
1949
Meets Boris Souvarine, who becomes his associate
1949-1983
Edits and publishes the Bulletin d'études et d'informations politiques internationales, which in 1956 becomes Est-Ouest
1951
Amnestied by French government
1969-1974
Advisor to French president Georges Pompidou
1983
Died
Acquisition information:
Initally acquired in 1980.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Georges Albertini papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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