Jacques Renouvin
Encyclopedia
Jacques Renouvin was a royalist
militant
in France
during the Second World War and hero of the French resistance
.
Born in Paris
, Renouvin studied law and initially became a lawyer. He initially supported Action française
, but left after 6 February 1934. In November 1938 after the Munich agreement
, he garnered attention by publicly slapping Pierre-Étienne Flandin, who had thought it was a good idea to send a congratulatory telegram to Adolf Hitler
. Renouvin was mobilised in 1939, and he was a volunteer for the corps francs. He fought a brilliant campaign, being wounded and taken prisoner. He escaped from the hospital to which he had been brought.
After demobilisation, he moved to the free zone in late 1940, and joined the underground movement Liberté created by a small group of Christian democrat teachers. Specifically responsible for propaganda
, he organised youth commandos in pursuit of this. After the merger between Liberté et Les Petites Ailes which gave rise to Combat
, Henri Frenay
put Renouvin in charge of organising Groupes francs throughout the free zone. This position made him one of the most wanted resistance members by all the police.
Renouvin was arrested on the 29 January 1943 by the Gestapo
at Brive-la-Gaillarde
railway station, along with Mireille Tronchon whom he had married while in hiding. He was transferred to Fresnes prison and tortured for several months before being deported to Germany
on the 29 August 1943. Interned in Mauthausen concentration camp, he died of exhaustion on 24 January 1944.
He had a son, Bertrand Renouvin
, from his marriage to Mireille Tronchon; Bertrand was born on 15 June 1943 while his mother was still being held in La Santé prison.
A postage stamp of value 20 centime
s was issued in 1961 in Renouvin's memory.
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
in France
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...
during the Second World War and hero of the French resistance
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...
.
Born 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...
, Renouvin studied law and initially became a lawyer. He initially supported Action française
Action Française
The Action Française , founded in 1898, is a French Monarchist counter-revolutionary movement and periodical founded by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois and whose principal ideologist was Charles Maurras...
, but left after 6 February 1934. In November 1938 after the Munich agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
, he garnered attention by publicly slapping Pierre-Étienne Flandin, who had thought it was a good idea to send a congratulatory telegram to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Renouvin was mobilised in 1939, and he was a volunteer for the corps francs. He fought a brilliant campaign, being wounded and taken prisoner. He escaped from the hospital to which he had been brought.
After demobilisation, he moved to the free zone in late 1940, and joined the underground movement Liberté created by a small group of Christian democrat teachers. Specifically responsible for propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
, he organised youth commandos in pursuit of this. After the merger between Liberté et Les Petites Ailes which gave rise to Combat
Combat (French Resistance)
Combat was a large movement in the French Resistance created in the non-occupied zone of France during the Second World War .Combat was one of the eight great resistance movements which constituted the Conseil national de la Résistance....
, Henri Frenay
Henri Frenay
Henri Frenay was a French military officer and French resistance member.Henri Frenay was born in Lyon, France on 11 November 1905, into a Catholic family with a military tradition. He studied the Germanic languages at the University of Strasbourg...
put Renouvin in charge of organising Groupes francs throughout the free zone. This position made him one of the most wanted resistance members by all the police.
Renouvin was arrested on the 29 January 1943 by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
at Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Corrèze department. The population of the urban area was 89,260 as of 1999. Although it is by far the biggest commune in Corrèze, the capital is Tulle.-History:...
railway station, along with Mireille Tronchon whom he had married while in hiding. He was transferred to Fresnes prison and tortured for several months before being deported to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on the 29 August 1943. Interned in Mauthausen concentration camp, he died of exhaustion on 24 January 1944.
He had a son, Bertrand Renouvin
Bertrand Renouvin
Bertrand Renouvin, born in Paris, is the founder and president of French political movement Nouvelle Action Royaliste, a monarchist group which aims at restoring constitutional monarchy in France. One may say his orientation is now close to the original Gaullism which originated from the...
, from his marriage to Mireille Tronchon; Bertrand was born on 15 June 1943 while his mother was still being held in La Santé prison.
A postage stamp of value 20 centime
Centime
Centime is French for "cent", and is used in English as the name of the fraction currency in several Francophone countries ....
s was issued in 1961 in Renouvin's memory.