Charles Lacheroy
Encyclopedia
Charles Lacheroy was a French Army
officer, theorist of Counter-insurgency
warfare, and member of the Organisation de l'armée secrète.
), killed on 2 August 1916 at Fleury
, next to Douaumont
fort. Lacheroy was raised by his grandfather, attended the Prytanée National Militaire
, and graduated from Saint-Cyr
in 1927 among the 20 best students of the promotion (promotion "Maroc-Syrie").
Lacheroy chose the Colonial infantry
and obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the 3rd Méhariste
company in Levant at Latakia
, where he remained until 1935. Promoted to captain, Lacheroy served as instructor for the air group in Rabat
from 1936. There, he met Antoine Argoud
. Lacheroy married in 1937. From 1941, Lacheroy served in the staff of General de Lattre de Tassigny
in Tunisia.
In 1951, he was sent to French Indochina
, where he was tasked to protect a railroad to Saigon and secure the sector of Bien Hoa
. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Lacheroy was transferred to Paris and made director of the Centre d'études asiatiques et africaines (CEAA). There, he developed a theory of Counter-insurgency
warfare, by then known as "psychological action". In 1954, he served as adviser to Defence minister Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
, and Defence minister André Morice in 1956.
In 1958, Lacheroy was dismissed by Jacques Chaban-Delmas
and sent to the Constantine Province
. On 13 May, he was made director of information and psychological action servics in Algiers. In December, he gave conferences at the École supérieure de guerre, and later made director of the École supérieure des officiers de réserve spécialistes d'état-major.
In the early 1960s, Lacheroy resigned his commission to organise a coup d'état
against President Charles de Gaulle
. For seven years, he lived underground, along with Antoine Argoud, Pierre Lagaillarde
and Jo Ortiz, and directed the OAS
. He was sentenced to death on abstancia in April 1961. Lacheroy was amnistied in 1968. He returned to Paris, where he retired. Charles Lacheroy died on 25 January 2005 in Aix-en-Provence
.
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
officer, theorist of Counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
warfare, and member of the Organisation de l'armée secrète.
Biography
Lacheroy was born to a military family. His father was a decorated infantry second lieutenant (Legion of Honour and Croix de guerreCroix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
), killed on 2 August 1916 at Fleury
Fleury-devant-Douaumont
Fleury-devant-Douaumont is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.Since the end of the Battle of Verdun in 1916, when it had been captured and recaptured by the Germans and French 16 times, it has been unoccupied along with Bezonvaux, Beaumont-en-Verdunois,...
, next to Douaumont
Douaumont
Douaumont is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.The village was destroyed during World War I. Today the Douaumont ossuary, which contains the remains of more than 100,000 unknown soldiers of both French and German nationalities found on the battlefield, stands...
fort. Lacheroy was raised by his grandfather, attended the Prytanée National Militaire
Prytanée National Militaire
The Prytanée National Militaire, originally Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand, is a French school managed by the military, offering regular secondary education as well as special preparatory school classes, equivalent in level to the first years of university, for students who wish to enter French...
, and graduated from Saint-Cyr
École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
The École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy. Its official name is . It is often referred to as Saint-Cyr . Its motto is "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre": literally "They study to vanquish" or "Training for victory"...
in 1927 among the 20 best students of the promotion (promotion "Maroc-Syrie").
Lacheroy chose the Colonial infantry
French Colonial Forces
The French Colonial Forces , commonly called La Coloniale, was a general designation for the military forces that garrisoned in the French colonial empire from the late 17th century until 1960. They were recruited from mainland France or from the French settler and indigenous populations of the...
and obtained a commission as second lieutenant in the 3rd Méhariste
Mehariste
Méhariste is a French word that roughly translates to camel cavalry. The word is most commonly used as a designation of military units.-Origins of French Camel Corps:...
company in Levant at Latakia
Latakia
Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...
, where he remained until 1935. Promoted to captain, Lacheroy served as instructor for the air group in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
from 1936. There, he met Antoine Argoud
Antoine Argoud
Antoine Argoud was a French Army officer specializing in counter-insurgency during the Algerian War of Independence...
. Lacheroy married in 1937. From 1941, Lacheroy served in the staff of General de Lattre de Tassigny
Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny, GCB, MC was a French military hero of World War II and commander in the First Indochina War.-Early life:...
in Tunisia.
In 1951, he was sent to French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, where he was tasked to protect a railroad to Saigon and secure the sector of Bien Hoa
Bien Hoa
Biên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Lacheroy was transferred to Paris and made director of the Centre d'études asiatiques et africaines (CEAA). There, he developed a theory of Counter-insurgency
Counter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
warfare, by then known as "psychological action". In 1954, he served as adviser to Defence minister Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
Maurice Jean Marie Bourgès-Maunoury was a French Radical politician who served as Prime Minister in the Fourth Republic during 1957.He is famous, especially, for fulfilling prominent ministerial role in the government during the Suez Crisis....
, and Defence minister André Morice in 1956.
In 1958, Lacheroy was dismissed by Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....
and sent to the Constantine Province
Constantine Province
Constantine is one of the 48 provinces of Algeria, whose capital is the city of the same name.- Adminsitrative divisions :The province is divided into 6 districts, which are subdivided into 12 communes or municipalities.-Districts:...
. On 13 May, he was made director of information and psychological action servics in Algiers. In December, he gave conferences at the École supérieure de guerre, and later made director of the École supérieure des officiers de réserve spécialistes d'état-major.
In the early 1960s, Lacheroy resigned his commission to organise a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against President Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. For seven years, he lived underground, along with Antoine Argoud, Pierre Lagaillarde
Pierre Lagaillarde
Pierre Lagaillarde was French politician, and a founder of the Organisation armée secrète .Lagaillarde was a lawyer at Blida in Algeria, a reserve officer of the paratroopers, and an elected deputy of Algiers...
and Jo Ortiz, and directed the OAS
Organisation armée secrète
The Organisation de l'armée secrète was a short-lived, French far-right nationalist militant and underground organization during the Algerian War . The OAS used armed struggle in an attempt to prevent Algeria's independence...
. He was sentenced to death on abstancia in April 1961. Lacheroy was amnistied in 1968. He returned to Paris, where he retired. Charles Lacheroy died on 25 January 2005 in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
.