The full story of French imperialism in the twentieth century is slowly coming to light. What is particularly shocking is that so many organizations and individuals of the Left were deeply complicit in it.

François Mitterrand will be best remembered as the Socialist president of France from 1981 to 1995, but he played a leading role in French politics many years earlier, culminating in his role in the Mollet government during the Algerian War. After the end of World War II France was determined to hold on to its empire, especially in Indochina and Algeria.

This led to a bitter war in Southeast Asia, and savage repression in Madagascar in 1947 when many thousands died. Mitterrand expressed complete support for this repression.