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All 522 seats in theNational Assembly 262 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 24,622,862 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 81.85% ( 1.65pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Results by department | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Legislative elections were held in France on 21 October 1945 to elect aConstituent Assembly to draft a constitution for aFourth French Republic. A total of 522 seats were elected throughproportional representation; women were allowed to vote for the first time.
On 21 October 1945 the French voters were called to make two choices: the election of their deputies and areferendum in order to authorize the elected National Assembly to prepare a new constitutional text. De Gaulle and the "Three parties alliance" called for a "Yes" vote, whereas the Radicals and the Conservatives campaigned for a "No".
Symbol of theFrench Resistance to the German occupation and founder of theFree French Forces GeneralCharles de Gaulle led a provisional government composed of the three main political forces of the Resistance: theFrench Communist Party (PCF), theFrench Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) and theChristian democraticPopular Republican Movement (MRP). It advocated an economic policy inspired by the programme of theNational Council of Resistance: the creation of awelfare state, and the nationalization of banks and major industrial companies (such asRenault). The opposition was composed of the parties which had dominated the pre-war governments of theThird Republic: theRadical Party and the classical Right.
Unsurprisingly, the "Three-parties alliance" won a large majority in the National Assembly. The Radical Party, which had been the leading party of the left in the Third Republic, suffered a catastrophic result, and the right was equally destroyed (because of its support of MarshalPhilippe Pétain). They appeared as being the forces of the past, as symbols of capitulation toNazi Germany and the regime which collapsed in 1940. The French Communist Party, which had already doubled its score in the previous 1936 elections, came out on top with around 26% of the vote and 159 seats. While the PCF and SFIO favored a unicameral parliamentary system, the MRP favored abicameral legislature. De Gaulle advocated a presidential government. He resigned in January 1946. The PCF and SFIO proposals were rejected in the5 May 1946 referendum. This assembly was dissolved.
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| Party | Votes | % | Seats | |
| French Communist Party | 5,005,336 | 26.08 | 148 | |
| Popular Republican Movement | 4,780,338 | 24.91 | 141 | |
| French Section of the Workers' International | 4,561,411 | 23.77 | 134 | |
| Conservatives (AD–DM–ER–PP–PRL) | 2,545,845 | 13.27 | 62 | |
| Radicals (RS–RG–IG–PRRS–RGR) | 2,131,763 | 11.11 | 35 | |
| Others | 165,106 | 0.86 | 2 | |
| Total | 19,189,799 | 100.00 | 522 | |
| Valid votes | 19,189,799 | 97.62 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 467,804 | 2.38 | ||
| Total votes | 19,657,603 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 24,622,862 | 79.83 | ||
| Source: Nohlen & Stöver[1] | ||||
