The idea of the French Turn originated after the 6 February 1934 riots around the Stavisky Affair in 1934, which led to the downfall of the Daladier government.
The Communist League, the French section of the International Left Opposition, remained at this time a small and predominantly middle-class organization.
While he saw no possibility of re-entering the Communist Party because of its lack of internal democracy, he believed that the Trotskyists could build a base in the SFIO, which had moved to the left under the leadership of Léon Blum.
While Naville supported a split, Molinier hoped to develop connections with Marceau Pivert, one of the primary leaders of the SFIO's left wing.
Pablo developed a special type of the turn which involved working underground in the Communist Parties: this was strongly opposed by the ICFI.