 He was involved with politics from his student years and was a supporter of the Popular Front coalition government of Leon Blum.Later, he started his career as a lieutenant in the French Army and after serving the army for a while, he joined the French Resistance.It was during this period he was captured by the Nazis and was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp where spent two years, suffering from tuberculosis, before escaping from there with help from the communists.