Henri Martin Affair

The Henri Martin Affair was a political-military scandal which took place under the French Fourth Republic, during the French Indochina War. At that time the Prime Minister of France was Paul Ramadier and the President was Vincent Auriol.

The Henri Martin Affair began in March 1950 and lasted until September 1953. Henri Martin was a French communist (PCF) militant who had been arrested by the military police for sabotage in March 1950 when he was in the French Navy. He had been a member of the communist party since he was 16 years old and when he turned 17, Henri decided to join the French Navy, serving one year in Indochina. Then he had been transferred back to France and assigned to the Toulon Arsenal.

It was when he was on duty at this navy arsenal that Henri Martin began intensive communist propaganda work right in the middle of the arsenal against the French government and the war in Indochina; he distributed leaflets (pamphlets) supporting the Viet Minh, painted slogans on walls as he tampered with weapons which would be used in Southeast Asia. Although he was sentenced to five years in prison, he was released in September 1953.