French Civil War prior to 1939

At some point between WW1 and the historical start of WW2, a civil war breaks out in France.

First, what is the most likely scenario that would result in this? This being the interwar period, should we assume the most likely scenario is a fight between fascists and communists?

Second, how would the other European powers react? Would this just be a bigger version of the Spanish Civil War, with Soviets and Nazis ‘secretly’ supporting their preferred sides? Or could it be the flash point that starts WW2 on its own? Or perhaps Hitler decides to send in, ahem, peacekeepers to Alsace Lorraine?
 
If there was to be a civil war in France in the interwar period, it would have been between Democrats and Communists as Fascism wasn't popular in France at the time, while communism was really strong among the working class. Germany was bound to use this to stop paying reparations and remilitarize Rhineland if it happened in 20s, reclaim A-L if the civil war happens in 30s as well as support the Democrats. Communists simply wouldn't have a chance since all of France's neighbors would support the Democrats.
 
Lets look at it a different way, then. In a scenario in which Hitler helps defeat the communists in a civil war (with or without occupying A-L), how do the western powers regard him? Meanwhile, how does the Soviet Union regard the whole affair?
 
Lets look at it a different way, then. In a scenario in which Hitler helps defeat the communists in a civil war (with or without occupying A-L), how do the western powers regard him? Meanwhile, how does the Soviet Union regard the whole affair?
UK is pissed a bit, but prefers what happened to a communist Europe. Stalin is not someone who would take any drastic steps without total chaos around. France is devastated and can only concentrate on recovery.
 
If there was to be a civil war in France in the interwar period, it would have been between Democrats and Communists as Fascism wasn't popular in France at the time, while communism was really strong among the working class. Germany was bound to use this to stop paying reparations and remilitarize Rhineland if it happened in 20s, reclaim A-L if the civil war happens in 30s as well as support the Democrats. Communists simply wouldn't have a chance since all of France's neighbors would support the Democrats.

There can be Fascists in a Civil War. Just look at the 1934 crisis by the Far-Right Groups.
 
At some point between WW1 and the historical start of WW2, a civil war breaks out in France.

First, what is the most likely scenario that would result in this? This being the interwar period, should we assume the most likely scenario is a fight between fascists and communists?

Second, how would the other European powers react? Would this just be a bigger version of the Spanish Civil War, with Soviets and Nazis ‘secretly’ supporting their preferred sides? Or could it be the flash point that starts WW2 on its own? Or perhaps Hitler decides to send in, ahem, peacekeepers to Alsace Lorraine?


If this happened, say, in 1936(& IOTL it almost did)Hitler would absorb- or attack-
Czechoslovakia & Poland more quickly-
sooner, in other words- than he actually did.
 
Was the PCF that adventurist to launch a civil war? I thought they were doctrinaire Stalinist, which means they would obey the Stalinist orders of the Kremlin-controlled Comintern, which was far too cautious to tell them to risk an action like this.

Hell initially the PCF even refused to struggle against the German invasion/occupation of France for the duration of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact because Stalin ordered them to be anti-war! (Of course they then became one of the leading Resistance groups after Op Barbarossa, so credit where it is due).
 

RousseauX

Donor
If there was to be a civil war in France in the interwar period, it would have been between Democrats and Communists as Fascism wasn't popular in France at the time, while communism was really strong among the working class. Germany was bound to use this to stop paying reparations and remilitarize Rhineland if it happened in 20s, reclaim A-L if the civil war happens in 30s as well as support the Democrats. Communists simply wouldn't have a chance since all of France's neighbors would support the Democrats.
What?

the deep division in French politics in the interbellum was between the left and the right: not between communists and democrats. There were democrats on both the left and the right and people who wanted an authoritarian government on both sides. The Communists in France was actually relatively weak due to the strength of Socialist parties and center-left parties. I don't think the Communists ever got above 10% of the votes.

The right was mainly consist of people who were not fascists, it was similar to Spain actually. Even the people who ran the Vichy government was not fascists but rather authoritarian conservatives.
 
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RousseauX

Donor
At some point between WW1 and the historical start of WW2, a civil war breaks out in France.

First, what is the most likely scenario that would result in this? This being the interwar period, should we assume the most likely scenario is a fight between fascists and communists?

Second, how would the other European powers react? Would this just be a bigger version of the Spanish Civil War, with Soviets and Nazis ‘secretly’ supporting their preferred sides? Or could it be the flash point that starts WW2 on its own? Or perhaps Hitler decides to send in, ahem, peacekeepers to Alsace Lorraine?
A civil war in France would have being something like France intervening on the side of the Republicans in Spain leading to a backlash by the right against Blum's popular Front government: a civil war in France fought on same lines and mirroring the civil war in Spain.
 
If there was to be a civil war in France in the interwar period, it would have been between Democrats and Communists as Fascism wasn't popular in France at the time, while communism was really strong among the working class. Germany was bound to use this to stop paying reparations and remilitarize Rhineland if it happened in 20s, reclaim A-L if the civil war happens in 30s as well as support the Democrats. Communists simply wouldn't have a chance since all of France's neighbors would support the Democrats.

No. The communist party was not that strong in France to have a civil war on this opposition. Before WW2, the french communist party never got more than 15% of the votes on national level.

What happened when in september 1939 the french government banned the communist party for its treasonous calls not to fight nazi Germany (since nazi Germany was then allied to USSR) ?

Nothing. Because the communist party was not strong enough to start an insurrection nor even resist the ban inflicted on it.
 
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