In this work, the author examines the emergence and demise of intellectual identification with the French Communist Party between 1945 to 1989. He argues that, after 1978 political conflicts between the party leadership and intellectuals led to an erosion of support, sharpened by wider ideological changes. Based on a critical examination of the available literature in both French and English, this systematic exploration of the role of intellectuals in French politics also explains why this social group has been so prominent in public life throughout the modern era.