France

Thankfully France has avoided Revolution like Britain. For a while things were going great; probably because France's currency was undervalued. That would soon change, when news reached France that a number of countries had left the gold standard. The foolish French Government was to proud to de-value the currency or leave the Gold Standard. People began complaining on the streets. Agriculture slumped and deflation kicked in. Even still, the unemployment seemed low, and I was thankful to see less miserable faces wandering the streets aimlessly here than in Britain. The Government was having an equally hard time with five non-successful coalition governments. Fascist groups began appearing on the streets. Not just one or two, but a vast quantity of different groups; all extremists. A protest was held February 6^th 1934,by the extremists. Seventeen were killed, just a few blocks from where I was staying. I could see the police lashing out against the barbaric protestors. Soon the left extremists would all come together to form the Popular Front Party. I learned soon that it was for one simple reason, to protect from the Fascist threat. Hitler's influence and power was spreading. Stalin knew iit, and feared that if France went the way Germany was going, and it appeared so, Russia would be up against a formidable alliance. A simple message was sent out to French communists: stop the fascists. This Popular Front Party won the elections, and had a new leader in Leon Blum. Like previous governments, Blum refused to de-value the currency. I heard a man on the street remarked, "He is too proud to help the people who need it." However economic problems would be too much for Blum and the government collapsed. I left France re-assured that despite the dark Fascist movements, France was safe from revolution.