Louis de Cazenave
Encyclopedia
Louis de Cazenave was, at the time of his death, the oldest surviving French
veteran of World War I
.
De Cazenave became the oldest poilu
following the death of 111-year-old Maurice Floquet
on November 10, 2006. He was also the oldest living Frenchman, as of August 23, 2007, and became the fourth-oldest man in Europe
and the eleventh-oldest man in the world
on December 11, 2007 until his own death just 40 days later.
Following the death of de Cazenave, Italian native Lazare Ponticelli
became the last officially recognized French veteran of the First World War
, until his own death on March 12, 2008. Two further French veterans, Fernand Goux
and Pierre Picault
, died later in 2008, but neither was officially recognised as the last French veteran of the war by the government of France because they served fewer than three months.
in the Auvergne
region of south central France. When he turned nineteen years old, at the end of 1916, he was mobilized into the military. He found himself in various units before being assigned to the colonial infantry front in the 5th Senegalese Tirailleur
Battalion and fought in the Battle of Chemin des Dames
.
At the end of the war, de Cazenave returned to Haute-Loire
and married in 1920 to Marie, a postmistress with whom he had three sons. He became a railwayman, joining the predecessor to the SNCF
. His experiences led him to become a convinced pacifist
; later on, he participated in the strikes and demonstrations of the Popular Front
in 1936 before going into retirement in 1941. During the Nazi occupation of France
, he subscribed to the banned left-wing libertarian
journal La Patrie Humaine and was imprisoned by the pro-Nazi regime.
Although at first refusing any decorations, de Cazenave accepted the Légion d’honneur in 1995, along with several other veterans. He died at his family home in Brioude
at age 110.
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...
veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
De Cazenave became the oldest poilu
Poilu
Poilu is a warmly informal term for a French World War I infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. The term came into popular usage in France during the era of Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive citizen armies, though the term grognard was also common. It is still widely used as a term of...
following the death of 111-year-old Maurice Floquet
Maurice Floquet
Maurice Noël Floquet was, at age 111, France's oldest man on record and was one of the last surviving French veterans of World War I. He was, at the age of 111 years and 320 days, France's longest-lived soldier ever. Moreover, Maurice was France's oldest living man for more than four years...
on November 10, 2006. He was also the oldest living Frenchman, as of August 23, 2007, and became the fourth-oldest man in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the eleventh-oldest man in the world
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
on December 11, 2007 until his own death just 40 days later.
Following the death of de Cazenave, Italian native Lazare Ponticelli
Lazare Ponticelli
Lazare Ponticelli , Knight of Vittorio Veneto, was at 110, the last surviving officially recognized veteran of the First World War from France and the last poilu of its trenches to die. Born in Italy, he travelled on his own to France at the age of eight...
became the last officially recognized French veteran of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, until his own death on March 12, 2008. Two further French veterans, Fernand Goux
Fernand Goux
Fernand Goux was, at age 108, the penultimate French World War I veteran, with Pierre Picault being the last. Born in Sceaux-du-Gâtinais, Loiret, Goux was called up for service on April 19, 1918. Goux was deployed behind the front lines with the 85th Infantry Regiment, supplying the troops and...
and Pierre Picault
Pierre Picault
Pierre Picault was, at age 109, France's last surviving French veteran of World War I and eldest man. He became the last French World War I veteran following the death of 108-year-old Fernand Goux on 9 November 2008....
, died later in 2008, but neither was officially recognised as the last French veteran of the war by the government of France because they served fewer than three months.
Biography
Louis de Cazenave was born and raised in Saint-Georges-d'AuracSaint-Georges-d'Aurac
Saint-Georges-d'Aurac is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France.It was home to Louis de Cazenave who was the oldest France poilu still alive at his death on 20 January 2008.-References:*...
in the Auvergne
Auvergne (région)
Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not...
region of south central France. When he turned nineteen years old, at the end of 1916, he was mobilized into the military. He found himself in various units before being assigned to the colonial infantry front in the 5th Senegalese Tirailleur
Senegalese Tirailleurs
The Senegalese Tirailleurs were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army recruited from Senegal,French West Africa and throughout west, central and east Africa, the main province of the French colonial empire...
Battalion and fought in the Battle of Chemin des Dames
Second Battle of the Aisne
The Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
.
At the end of the war, de Cazenave returned to Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire
Haute-Loire is a department in south-central France named after the Loire River.-History:Haute-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
and married in 1920 to Marie, a postmistress with whom he had three sons. He became a railwayman, joining the predecessor to the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
. His experiences led him to become a convinced pacifist
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
; later on, he participated in the strikes and demonstrations of the Popular Front
Popular Front (France)
The Popular Front was an alliance of left-wing movements, including the French Communist Party , the French Section of the Workers' International and the Radical and Socialist Party, during the interwar period...
in 1936 before going into retirement in 1941. During the Nazi occupation of France
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...
, he subscribed to the banned left-wing libertarian
Libertarian socialism
Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production...
journal La Patrie Humaine and was imprisoned by the pro-Nazi regime.
Although at first refusing any decorations, de Cazenave accepted the Légion d’honneur in 1995, along with several other veterans. He died at his family home in Brioude
Brioude
Brioude is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the River Allier, a tributary of the Loire.-History:...
at age 110.
See also
- List of last surviving World War I veterans by country
- List of veterans of World War I who died in 2008
- Second Battle of the AisneSecond Battle of the AisneThe Second Battle of the Aisne , was the massive main assault of the French military's Nivelle Offensive or Chemin des Dames Offensive in 1917 during World War I....
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....