Georges Loustaunau-Lacau
Encyclopedia
Georges Loustaunau-Lacau (17 April 1894–11 February 1955) was a French
army
officer, anti-communist
conspirator, resistant
, and politician.
Loustaunau-Lacau was born in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and in 1912 began his studies at the French Army's officer school, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr
. He served on the staffs of Weygand
and Lyautey
.
He replaced Charles de Gaulle
on the staff of Marshal Philippe Pétain
. An officer of extreme right-wing and anti-communist views, he was one of the founders of the Union des Comités d'action défensive—also known as the Corvignolles network—the military branch of La Cagoule
. His complicity with this organisation was discovered during the investigations ordered by Minister of the Interior
Marx Dormoy
and he was dismissed from the army in 1938 by order of the Minister of War Édouard Daladier
.
He was recalled to active service on the outbreak of the Second World War, but was arrested on the orders of Daladier on 22 March 1940 and imprisoned at Obernai. Later in 1940, under Pétain's new Vichy regime
, Loustaunau-Lacau was appointed to head the Légion française des combattants, a veteran's organisation created by the regime.
Loustaunau-Lacau used his new post as a cover to recruit agents for a resistance organisation, later known as the Alliance network. He was replaced as head of LFC by Xavier Vallat
and sent to French North Africa where his former chief, Marshal Weygand, had him arrested in May 1941. He escaped and returned to France where he was arrested and later deported to Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
He survived his imprisonment and after the war entered conventional politics. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1951 to represent Basses-Pyrénées, now Pyrénées-Atlantiques
. He was promoted to the rank of General de Brigade
on 3 February 1955 and died in Paris
eight days later.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
army
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, anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
conspirator, resistant
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, and politician.
Loustaunau-Lacau was born in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and in 1912 began his studies at the French Army's officer school, the École Spéciale Militaire de 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"...
. He served on the staffs of Weygand
Maxime Weygand
Maxime Weygand was a French military commander in World War I and World War II.Weygand initially fought against the Germans during the invasion of France in 1940, but then surrendered to and collaborated with the Germans as part of the Vichy France regime.-Early years:Weygand was born in Brussels...
and Lyautey
Hubert Lyautey
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey was a French Army general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.-Early life:...
.
He replaced 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....
on the staff of Marshal Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
. An officer of extreme right-wing and anti-communist views, he was one of the founders of the Union des Comités d'action défensive—also known as the Corvignolles network—the military branch of La Cagoule
La Cagoule
La Cagoule , officially called Comité secret d'action révolutionnaire , was a violent French fascist-leaning and anti-communist group, active in the 1930s, and designed to attempt the overthrow of the French Third Republic...
. His complicity with this organisation was discovered during the investigations ordered by Minister of the Interior
Minister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
Marx Dormoy
Marx Dormoy
Marx Dormoy was a French socialist politician, noted for his opposition to the far right.-Early career:Born in Montluçon, he was elected mayor of his native town in 1926, and representative of the Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière to the French National Assembly in 1931 for the Allier...
and he was dismissed from the army in 1938 by order of the Minister of War Édouard Daladier
Édouard Daladier
Édouard Daladier was a French Radical politician and the Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War.-Career:Daladier was born in Carpentras, Vaucluse. Later, he would become known to many as "the bull of Vaucluse" because of his thick neck and large shoulders and determined...
.
He was recalled to active service on the outbreak of the Second World War, but was arrested on the orders of Daladier on 22 March 1940 and imprisoned at Obernai. Later in 1940, under Pétain's new Vichy regime
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
, Loustaunau-Lacau was appointed to head the Légion française des combattants, a veteran's organisation created by the regime.
Loustaunau-Lacau used his new post as a cover to recruit agents for a resistance organisation, later known as the Alliance network. He was replaced as head of LFC by Xavier Vallat
Xavier Vallat
Xavier Vallat , French politician, was Commissioner-General for Jewish Questions in the wartime Vichy collaborationist government, and was sentenced after World War II to ten years in prison for his part in the persecution of French Jews.- Until World War II :Vallat was born in the department of...
and sent to French North Africa where his former chief, Marshal Weygand, had him arrested in May 1941. He escaped and returned to France where he was arrested and later deported to Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
He survived his imprisonment and after the war entered conventional politics. He was elected to the National Assembly in 1951 to represent Basses-Pyrénées, now Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
. He was promoted to the rank of General de Brigade
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
on 3 February 1955 and died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
eight days later.
External links
- Biography of Georges Loustanau-Lacau on the Web site of Assemblée Nationale. (in French)