This French political poster, published by the French Front National (now called the Rassemblement national) around 1972, depicts a menacing crab superimposed on a map of Africa, symbolizing the perceived threat of communism spreading northward from the continent into Europe. The crab, rendered in bold black ink, dominates the map with its claws stretching upwards, visually embodying a creeping ideological invasion. On its body, the hammer and sickle emblem reinforces its association with communism.
Highlighted in red are three specific regions—Morocco, Angola, and Djibouti—each marked with dripping red stars, evoking imagery of violence or subjugation. These locations were strategically significant during the Cold War, reflecting fears of communist influence spreading through African nations undergoing decolonization.
At the top, the poster includes a purported quote from Vladimir Lenin: "Nous tournerons l'Europe par l'Afrique" ("We will turn Europe through Africa"), implying a geopolitical strategy to infiltrate Europe via Africa. The bottom text, "Halte à l'impérialisme communiste!" ("Stop Communist Imperialism!"), serves as a rallying cry, clearly articulating the poster's anti-communist stance and its alignment with the National Front's ideological opposition to Marxism.
Created during the heightened tensions of the Cold War, this piece reflects the fears of communist expansion into Europe via Africa, which was a prominent narrative in far-right circles during the 1970s. The imagery of the crab, a creature often associated with stealth and tenacity, underscores the poster's portrayal of communism as an insidious and persistent threat.
Angola
In the early 1970s, Angola was embroiled in a brutal anti-colonial war against Portuguese rule, which had begun in 1961. The conflict was led by three main factions: the Soviet- and Cuban-backed MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), and the anti-communist FNLA (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) and UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). These factions vied for control, turning Angola into a Cold War battleground. For anti-communists, the MPLA's Marxist-Leninist ideology and ties to the Soviet Union represented a direct threat to Western influence in Southern Africa. Angola's vast natural resources, particularly oil and diamonds, further heightened its importance, as its fall to communism could bolster Soviet economic and strategic interests in the region.
Djibouti
Djibouti, still a French territory during this period, was of immense geostrategic importance due to its location at the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, controlling access between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Its position made it a vital chokepoint for global shipping and oil transport. Nationalist movements, such as the FLCS (Front for the Liberation of the Somali Coast), called for independence, often leaning toward leftist ideologies with support from the Soviet Union and Somalia. Anti-communists feared that Djibouti, once independent, might align with the Soviet bloc, disrupting Western access to key maritime routes. France maintained a significant military presence in Djibouti to counter Soviet influence, making the territory a focal point in the Cold War rivalry in the Horn of Africa.
Morocco
In Morocco, King Hassan II’s pro-Western monarchy faced internal challenges from leftist and Marxist opposition movements, including the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP). These groups, some with suspected ties to the Soviet Union, sought to destabilize the monarchy. Morocco's strategic position, controlling the Strait of Gibraltar, made it crucial to NATO and Western powers as a gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Further complicating the region was Morocco’s rivalry with neighboring Algeria, which aligned itself with the Soviet bloc and supported leftist liberation movements across Africa. As a Western ally, Morocco became a key bulwark against the spread of communism in North Africa.
Shared Concerns
Angola, Djibouti, and Morocco represented distinct but interconnected arenas of Cold War competition. Angola was a symbol of the violent struggle between Soviet-backed liberation movements and Western-aligned forces in Southern Africa. Djibouti's strategic location made it essential to maintaining control of critical maritime routes, while Morocco served as a crucial ally countering communist-aligned Algeria in North Africa. Together, these regions embodied the broader fears of Soviet expansionism in Africa, reinforcing anti-communist narratives that Lenin’s purported strategy—"We will turn Europe through Africa"—could materialize.
Front National
The National Front (Front National, FN) was founded on October 5, 1972, emerging from the ideological and political currents of post-war French far-right movements. Its roots can be traced to two primary influences: Poujadism, a populist tax protest movement established in 1953 by Pierre Poujade, and the anger of right-wing factions disillusioned with President Charles de Gaulle's abandonment of French Algeria. Many early members, including FN founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, were veterans of the Algerian War and belonged to the Cercle National des Combattants, an inner circle of returned servicemen. The FN aimed to consolidate the fractured French far-right, which had been dominated by small, extreme movements like Ordre Nouveau (ON), Occident, and Groupe Union Défense (GUD).
Inspired by the Italian Social Movement (MSI), the FN sought to unify far-right factions under one umbrella. Early members included anti-Gaullists, monarchists, and veterans, as well as former Poujadists and militants from ON. Jean-Marie Le Pen, a relatively moderate figure within the far-right, became the party’s first president. However, the FN struggled in its early years, securing only 0.5% of the national vote in the 1973 legislative elections and 0.8% in Le Pen's 1974 presidential bid.
The FN’s ideology was influenced by the Action Française, a monarchist and Catholic nationalist movement founded in the late 19th century. This legacy of nationalism, Catholicism, and monarchist traditions merged with newer far-right themes such as anti-immigration, anti-communism, and support for preserving France's cultural identity. Early FN campaigns focused on issues like reducing immigration, abolishing the Évian Accords (which ended the Algerian War), and advocating for a "French and European renaissance."
The FN's early years were characterized by electoral failures. The party received minimal support in legislative and presidential elections, with its platform often overshadowed by the mainstream right. The assassination of François Duprat, a key FN strategist, and the departure of neo-fascist factions weakened the party's cohesion. By the 1981 presidential election, neither Le Pen nor the PFN's Pascal Gauchon could secure the required number of official endorsements to run. This marked a low point for the French far-right, as François Mitterrand’s Socialist Party swept to power, further isolating the FN.
FN gradually shifted toward a more populist strategy under Le Pen’s leadership, appealing to disenfranchised anti-socialist and anti-immigration voters. The radicalization of center-right voters following the Socialist "takeover" in 1981 set the stage for the FN’s eventual rise as a significant political force in France during the 1980s.
Rarity
The poster is very rare.
OCLC locates 1 example: Princeton University.