FRANCE DURING WW II
In 1940 large parts of France were occupied by German and Italian troops and after
the signing of a cease-fire at Compiègne the country was formally divided into :
- a zone remaining under the authority of the French government, without foreign
occupation, covering not only most of Southern France, but - formally at least -
also the French dependencies oversea.
- a German zone of occupation covering all of Northern France and part of Southern
France and which was soon divided into three separate territories (1) :
- Alsace-Lorraine, which was detached from France and placed under two separate
German civil administrations : Elsass and Lothringen.
- the German Military Government of France, which covered most of France.
- the departments of the Nord and of the Pas-de-Calais, which were detached
from France and united with occupied Belgium to form the Military Government
of Belgium and Northern France.
- an Italian zone of occupation, covering some territories in the South East of
France. (2)
(1) See also the situation in Britanny (to be added)
(2) Unlike the German advance, the Italian one was not really a success and as
a consequence the territory assigned to Italy by the cease-fire of Compègne
was restricted to some frontier regions actually occupied during the campaign
(the City of Menton being the major occupied place).
As a kind of compensation for this poor result Italy was allowed to consider
all French departments East of the Rhône-river (Corsica, Drôme, Hautes-Alpes,
Savoie, etc) as within its zone of influence.
Taking advantage of the Allied occupation of French Northern Africa in 1942,
the Italians tried to effectively occupy this zone, but the Germans arrived
first in its western parts and consequently Italian occupation was confined
to some eastern parts (Alpes-Maritimes, Basses-Alpes, Corsica, Hautes-Alpes,
Savoie, etc)
In 1943 the Germans ended Italian presence in Southern France and the area
they had occupied became part of the German Army Territory Southern France
(s.b.)
German Administrators in France before the creation of the Military Government
(all subordinated to the German High Command of the Armed Forces - OKW)
Commanders of the invading Forces
Commander of Army Group A
(Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A)
Orerating in the central sector (also part of Belgium and Luxembourg)
1940 GenCol. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Runstedt 1875 - 1953
Commander of Army Group B
(Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B)
Operating in the northern sector (also part of Belgium and the Netherlands)
1940 GenCol. Fedor von Bock 1880 - 1945
Commander of Army Group C
(Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe C)
Operating in the southern sector
1940 GenCol. Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb 1876 - 1956
As the advance progressed a separate Military Administration was created for the
"pacified" territories in occupied Northern France
Military Governor of Northern France
Militärbefehlshaber Nordfrankreich
1940 GenCol. Johannes Blaskowitz 1883 - 1948
After the signing of the cease-fire the Military Administration was extended to
include all occupied France, Alsace-Lorraine and the Nord and Pas-de-Calais being
however detached soon afterwards.
Head of the Military Administration of France
1940 Gen. Alfred Streccius 1874 - 1944
Commmanders of the Italian Forces in France 1940 - 1943
Commander in Chief of the Italian Forces operating in France in 1940
1940 Gen. Umberto Nicola Tommaso
Giovanni Maria di Savoia, Principe
di Piemonte 1904 - 1983
Commanders of the 4th Italian Army
Commandanti della 4. Armata
(at first there had been two Italian armies - the 1st and the 4th - operating in
South Eastern France. But later only the 4th remained in occupation of the region.
It was also in charge of occupied Monaco)
1940 Gen. Alfredo Guzzoni 1877 - 1965
1940 Gen. Mario Vercellino 1879 -
1940 - 1941 Gen. Mario Caracciolo di Feroleto 1880 - 1954
1941 - 1943 Gen. Mario Vercellino (2x)
GERMAN MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE
GERMAN ADMINISTRATORS
The German branch of the administration of the Military Government of France was
divided between :
- the Military Government of France itself, subordinated to the High Command of the
Armed Forces - OKW
- several independent Agencies, directly dependent of their head offices in Berlin.
MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE
German Military Commanders in France
Deutscher Militärbefehlshaber in Frankreich
1940 - 1942 InfGen. Otto von Stülpnagel 1878 - 1948
1942 - 1944 InfGen. Karl Heinrich von Stülpnagel,
nephew, deposed and executed 1886 - 1944
1944 InfGen. Günther Blumentritt* 1892 - 1967
1944 AirGen. Karl Kitzinger 1886 - 1962
Central Administrators
Heads of the General Staff
Chefs des Generalstabes
(in charge of military affairs)
1940 - 1942 Col. Hans Speidel 1897 - 1984
1942 - 1944 Col. Karl Richard Kossmann
1944 Col. Hans von Linstow, executed 1899 - 1944
1944 MajGen. Ernst von Krause 1884 -
Heads of the Administrative Staff / Military Administration
Chefs des Verwaltungstabes / Militärverwaltung
(in charge of civilian affairs)
1940 - 1942 LtGen. Jonathan Schmidt 1888 - 1945
1942 - 1944 Karl Albrecht Medicus
Heads of the Administrative Sections
(Chefs der Abteilungen Verwaltung)
(in charge of finances, police and justice, culture, etc)
1940 - 1942 Werner Best 1903 - 1989
1942 - 1944 ... Ermert
Head of the Economic Sections
(Chef der Abteilungen Wirtschaft)
(in charge of statistics, mining, agriculture, etc)
1940 - 1944 MajGen. Elmar Michel 1897 -
Head of the Sipo-SD Office - Paris
(Leiter der Sipo-SD Dienststelle Paris) (2)
1940 - 1942 SS-Standartenf. Helmut Knochen 1910 -
(2) The Sipo-SD (Sicherheitspolizei-Sicherheisdienst) Office was a branch of
the RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt) of the SS.
It was in charge of security, intelligence, Jewish affairs, etc. Formally
subordinated to the military government, it actually acted independently,
being in fact dependent of a Befehlshaber der Sicherheitspolizei und des
Sicherheitsdienstes Belgien und Nordfrankreich (Commander of the Security
Police and of the Security Service in Belgium and France) SS-Brigadef. Max
Thomas (1891 - 1945) until 1941.
Regional Military Commanders
Occupied France was divided into 5 (later 4) military districts : A, B, Bo, C and
Great-Paris.
(For the French territories covered by each of these administrations see here)
Commanders of the Military Administrative District A
Militärbefehlshaber Militärverwaltungs-Bezirks A
The District covered the French regions of Laon, Orléans and Rouen.
It included also the Channel Islands
1940 - 1941 MajGen. Gustav von Bartenwerffer 1872 - 1947
1941 - 1943 LtGen. Fritz von der Lippe
1943 - 1944 InfGen. Erwin Vierow 1890 -
Commander of the Military Administrative District B
Militärbefehlshaber Militärverwaltungs-Bezirks B
The District covered the French regions of Rennes, Angers, Bordeaux (since 1942),
part of Poitiers (until 1942) and all of Poitiers (since 1942)
1940 - 1942 LtGen. Karl-Ulrich Neumann-Neurode 1876 - 1958
1942 - 1944 CavGen. Kurt Feld 1887 - 1970
Commander of the Military Administrative District Bo(rdeaux)
Militärbefehlshaber Militärverwaltungs-Bezirks Bo(rdeaux)
The District covered the French region of Bordeaux and part of Poitiers
It was merged with district B in 1942
1940 - 1942 LtGen. Moritz von Faber du Faur 1886 - 1971
Commander of the Military Administrative District C
Militärbefehlshaber Militärverwaltungs-Bezirks C
The District covered the French regions of Châlons-sur-Marne, Dijon and Nancy.
1940 - 1942 LtGen. Eduard Freiherr von Rotberg
1942 - 1944 LtGen. Wilhelm Hederich 1881 - 1975
Commander of the Military Administrative District Great Paris
Militärbefehlshaber Militärverwaltungs-Bezirks Gross Paris
The District covered the departments of the Seine (= the City of Paris), Seine-et
-Marne and Seine-et-Oise
1940 - 1943 LtGen. Ernst Schaumburg 1880 - 1947
1943 - 1944 LtGen. Hans Freiherr von Boineburg-Lengsfeld 1889 - 1980
1944 InfGen. Dietrich von Choltitz 1894 - 1966
INDEPENDENT OFFICIALS
(possibly incomplete)
Diplomatic Representative
The German Ambassador in Paris - at first styled Plenipotentiary of the Foreign
Office to the Military Commander in Paris (Bevollmächtigter des Auswärtiges Amtes
beim Militärbefehlshaber in Paris) - also was a political adviser to the military
authorities.
1940 - 1944 Otto Abetz (1) 1903 - 1958
(1) An informal mission of Abetz was to infiltrate the Paris financial and
cultural high society. He perhaps was one of the most powerful men in
occupied Paris, which was therefore styled "Le Royaume d'Otto" by the
French author Céline.
Heads of the Railway Administration
The administration of the French railways was at first taken over by the military.
In 1942 it was transferred to the Imperial Railway Administration (Reichsbahn), at
that moment united with the Imperial Traffic Ministry.
(all chief officials also in charge of the Belgian Railways)
Head of the Railway Transport Section West/Armed Forces Traffic Command
Leiter der Eisenbahntransportabteilung West/Wehrmachttransportleitung
1940 - 1942 LtGen. Otto Kohl 1886 -
Head of the Traffic Direction of the Armed Forces Paris
(Leiter der Wehrmachtverkehrsdirektion Paris)
1940 Col. Werner Göritz 1892 - 1958
1940 - 1942 ...
Chairmen of the Maind Traffic Direction at Paris and Plenipotentiaries of the
Imperial Traffic Ministry for the Traffic Infrastructures in France and Belgium
Vorsitzende der Hauptverkehrsdirektion Paris und Bevollmächtigte des Reichsverkehrs
ministeriums für die Verkehrseinrichtungen Frankreich und Belgien
1942 - 1944 Hans Münzer, before Head of the Railway
Section at the Traffic Direction of the
Armed Forces.
1944 Ernst Wintgen
Higher SS and Police Leader France
Höhere SS und Polizeiführer Frankreich (HSSPF)
The office of the HSSPF Frankreich was established in 1942 when the Sipo-SD office
(s.a.) was detached from the military administration.
1942 - 1944 SS-Brigadeführer Karl Albrecht Oberg 1897 - 1965
Commanders-in-Chief West
Oberbefehlshaber West
(After the Allied landings - In charge of the Defence of France, Belgium, ...)
1942 - 1944 GenFieldmarsh. Karl Rudolf Gerd von
Rundstedt (2x) s.a.
1944 GenFieldmarsh. Günther von Kluge 1882 - 1944
1944 GenFieldmarsh. Otto Moritz Walter Model 1891 - 1945
1944 - 1945 GenFieldmarsh. Karl Rudolf Gerd von
Rundstedt (3x), in charge of the German
offensive of Dec 1944 - Jan 1945,
resulting in the brief re-occupation
of parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.
1945 GenFieldmarsh. Albert Kesselring 1885 - 1960
__________________________________________________________________________________
FRENCH ADMINISTRATORS
General Delegates
Délégués généraux
[The Délégation générale was formally intented to supervise the French officials
(prefects, ...) working in the occupied zone and to act as a kind of diplomatic
representation of the Vichy government to the German military government in Paris.
In practice it very quickly evolved into a collaborationist agency coordinating
French and German politics in matters like security, the final solution, etc]
1940 Léon Noël (1 day) 1888 - 1987
1940 Gen. Benoît Léon, Vicomte Fornel
de la Laurencie 1879 - 1958
1940 - 1944 Fernand, Comte de Brinon 1885 - 1947
Secretary General
Secrétaire-général
1940 - 1944 Charles Albert de Boisieu
Head of the Administrative Section (2)
1940 - 1944 Jean-Pierre Ingrand 1905 -
(2) The formal title of Ingrand, in charge of all administrative and police
affairs, was first "special delegate for administrative matters" (délégué
spécial aux questions administratives) and then "prefect delegate of the
ministry of the interior" (préfet délégué du ministère de l'intérieur).
The administrative section was the most important of the sections of the
Delegation, the three others being :
- the economic section, in charge of economic politics
- the judicial section,responsible for verifying if German politics were
in accordance with international law.
- the liaison section, responsible for the contacts with the Germans.
FRENCH STATE
After the German occupation of a large part of the country and the cease fire of
Compiègne a reorganized French State - covering most southern departments and the
oversea dependencies - continued to exist. (1)
Although formally always an independent state - with its sovereignity only limited
by some economic and military restrictions forseen in the cease fire agreement -
Vichy France in practice gradually came under growing German influence and after
the occupation of its territory by German troops in 1942 - as a consequence of the
allied occupation of French North Africa - it became no more than a puppet state.
The French State ended at the Liberation in 1944.
(1) This so called Vichy regime (after its capital) was not a collaborationist
government created by the German occupant, but was the legal successor to
the French Republic.
Starting with the French Possessions on Saint Helèna (1940) the oversea
dependecies either freely of forcebly joined the Free French or were
conquered by the Allies in the course of the following years.
See here for more
See here for the French regions established by the Vichy regime in 1941.
GERMAN REPRESENTATIVES AND MILITARY COMMANDERS
REPRESENTATIVES
Head of the Vichy Office of the German Embassy in Paris
194. - 1944 Roland Krug von Nida
Representative of the OKW
1943 - 1944 LtGen. Alexander Freiherr Neubronn
von Eisenburg 1877 - 1949
MILITARY COMMANDERS
Commanders of the Army Territory Southern France
Befehlshaber Heeresgebiet Südfrankreich (HGSF)
1942 - 1944 LtGen. Heinrich Niehoff 1882 - 1946
1944 ArtGen. Theodor Geib 1885 - 1944
1944 ArtGen. Edgar Theissen 1890 - 1968
Regional Commanders
Occupied Southern France was at first divided into 6 regional commands :
- Hauptverbindungsstab Avignon
- Hauptverbindungsstab Clermond-Ferrand
- Hauptverbindungsstab Limoges
- Hauptverbindungsstab Lyon
- Hauptverbindungsstab Montpellier
- Hauptverbindungsstab Toulouse
In 1943 Limoges was merged with Clermont-Ferrand and the following year Avignon and
Montpellier were merged into one Oberfeldkommandantur.
(For the French territories covered by each of these administrations see here)
Commanders of the Hauptverbindungsstab Avignon
Covered the French region of Marseille (partly until 1943, when the Italian zone
of occupation - including Monaco - was added).
1942 MajGen. Wilhelm Daser 1884 - 1968
1943 - 1944 MajGen. Botho Elster 1894 - 1952
Commander of the Hauptverbindungsstab Clermont-Ferrand
Covered the French region of the same name and since 1943 also that of Limoges.
1942 - 194. Col. Hermann Freiherr von Stetten
194. - 1944 LtGen.Friedrich "Fritz" Wihelm Konrad von
Brodowski 1886 - 1944
Commander of the Hauptverbindungsstab Limoges
Covered the French region of the same name.
1942 - 1943 MajGen. Fritz Rossum 1887 -
Commanders of the Hauptverbindungsstab Lyon
Covered the French region of the same name.
1942 - 1943 MajGen. Heinrich Ritter von Füchbauer 1879 - 1947
1943 MajGen. Otto Deindl* 1890 - 1947
1943 MajGen. Otto von Göldel 1886 - 1967
1943 - 1944 ...
1944 LtGen. Otto Kohl 1886 -
Commander of the Hauptverbindungsstab Montpellier
Covered the French region of the same name.
1942 - 1943 ...
1943 - 1944 Col. ... Distler
Commanders of the Hauptverbindungsstab Toulouse
Covered the French region of the same name.
1942 - 1944 Gen. Hans-Georg Schubert 1892 - 1945
1944 Gen. Otto Schmidt-Hartung 1892 - 1976
Oberfeldkommandanten of Avignon
Covered the French regions of Marseille and Montpellier and Monaco
1944 MajGen. Otto Elster s.a.
1944 MajGen. Rudolf Hühnermann
__________________________________________________________________________________
HEAD OF STATE
Head of the State
Chef de l'État
1940 - 1945 Marshal of France Henri Philippe Benoni
Omer Joseph Pétain, in exile in Germany
since 1944 1856 - 1951
__________________________________________________________________________________
MINISTERS
Prime Ministers
President of the Council of Ministers
Président du Conseil des Ministres
1940 - 1942 The Head of State s.a
Minister Secretary of State, Vice President of the Council
(Ministre Secrétaire d'État, Vice-Président du Conseil)
1940 Pierre Laval 1883 - 1945
Vice President of the Council, in charge of Information and of the Coordination
of the different Ministries
(Vice-Président du Conseil chargé de l'Information et de la Coordination des
différents Ministères)
1940 Pierre Laval s.a.
Minister Secretary of State at the Presidency of the Council
(Ministre Secrétaire d'État à la Présidence du Conseil)
1940 - 1941 Paul Baudouin 1894 - 1964
Vice President of the Council, Minister of Information
(Vice-Président du Conseil, Ministre à l'Information)
1941 - 1942 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan 1881 - 1942
Secretary of State
(Secrétaire d'État)
1941 - 1942 Jacques Benoist-Méchin 1901 - 1983
Head of the Government, Minister Secrétary of State of Information
Chef du Gouvernement, Ministre Secrétaire d'État à l'Information
1942 - 1944 Pierre Laval s.a.
Secretaries of State
(Secrétaires d'État)
1942 - 1943 -Jacques Benoist-Méchin (in
1942) s.a.
-Fernand, Comte de Brinon,
General Delegate to occupied
France s.a.
-VAdm. Charles Jean Guillaume
Platon 1886 - 1944
1943 - 1944 Fernand, Comte de Brinon s.a.
1944 -Fernand, Comte de Brinon s.a.
-Paul Marion 1899 - 1954
Secretaries of State of Information
(Secrétaires d'État à l'Information)
1942 - 1944 Paul Marion, before Secretary
General of Information since
1941 s.a.
1944 Philippe Henriot 1889 - 1944
Ministers of State
Ministres d'État
1941 - 1943 -Henri Moysset, in charge of the
Coordination of the "New Institutions"
(until 1942) 1875 - 1949
-Lucien Romier, in charge of the National
Council 1885 - 1944
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministre aux Affaires étrangères
1940 Paul Baudouin s.a.
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Secrétaire d'État aux Affaires étrangères
1940 Paul Baudouin s.a.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministre aux Affaires étrangères
1940 Pierre Laval s.a.
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Secrétaire d'État aux Affaires étrangères
1940 - 1941 Pierre Étienne Flandin 1889 - 1958
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministre aux Affaires étrangères
1941 - 1942 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
Minister Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs
Ministre Secrétaire d'État aux Affaires étrangères
1942 - 1944 Pierre Laval s.a.
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Defence
Minister of National Defence
Ministre à la Défense nationale
1940 Gen. Maxime Weygand 1867 - 1965
Secretary of State of War
(Secrétaire d'État à la Guerre)
1940 Gen. Louis Antoine Colson 1875 - 1951
Secretary of State of the Navy
(Secrétaire d'État à la Marine)
1940 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
Secretary of State of the Air
(Secrétaire d'État à l'Air)
1940 Gen. Bertrand Bernard Léon
Pujo 1878 - 1964
1940 : The department of National Defence was abolished.
The three Secretariats of State continued to exist as separate offices.
Secretary of State of War
Secrétaire d'État à la Guerre
1940 - 1941 Gen. Charles Léon Clément Huntziger 1880 - 1941
Secretary of State of the Navy
Secrétaire d'État à la Marine
1940 - 1941 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
Secretary of State of the Air
Secrétaire d'État à l'Air
1940 - 1941 Gen. Jean Bergeret 1896 - 1956
1941 : The three Secretariats of State were regrouped into two ministries :
- The Ministry of War, later renamed Ministry of National Defense
- The Ministry of the Navy
Minister of War
Ministre à la Guerre
1941 Gen. Charles Léon Clément Hunziger s.a.
Secretary of State of the Air
Secrétaire d'État à l'Air)
1941 Gen. Jean Bergeret s.a.
Minister of National Defence
Ministre à la Défense nationale
1941 - 1942 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
Secretary of State of the Air
(Secrétaire d'État à l'Air)
1941 - 1942 Gen. Jean Bergeret s.a.
Minister of the Navy
Ministre à la Marine
1941 - 1942 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
1942 : The Ministries were abolished and the three Secretariats once again became
independent offices.
Secretary of State of War and of National Defence (1943)
Secrétaire d'État à la Guerre et à la Défense nationale (1943))
1942 - 1944 DivGen. Eugène Marie Louis Bridoux 1888 - 1955
Secretaries of State of the Navy
Secrétaires d'État à la Marine
1942 - 1943 CAdm. Gabriel Adrien Joseph Paul Auphan 1894 - 1982
1943 Adm. Jean Marie Charles Abrial 1879 - 1962
1943 - 1944 CAdm. Henri Paul Arsène Bléhaut, also
Secretary of State of the Colonies 1889 - 1962
Secretary of State of the Air
Secrétaire d'État à l'Air
1942 - 1944 DivGen. Jean-François Jannekeyn 1892 - 1971
Ministers and Secretaries of State of the Interior
Minister of the Interior
Ministre à l'Intérieur
1940 Adrien Marquet 1885 - 1955
Secretary of State of the Interior
Secrétaire d'État à l'Intérieur
1940 - 1941 Marcel Peyrouton 1887 - 1983
Ministers of the Interior
Ministres à l'Intérieur
1941 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan s.a.
1941 - 1942 Pierre Pucheu 1899 - 1944
Minister Secretary of State of the Interior
Ministre Secrétaire d'État à l'Intérieur
1942 - 1944 Pierre Laval s.a.
Secretary of State of Police and Security
(Secrétaire d'État à la Police et à la Sécurité)
1944 Aimé Joseph Darnand, before
Secretary General of Police (2) 1897 - 1945
(2) Secretaries General of Police before 1943 :
194. - 1941 Henri Chavin
1941 - 1942 André Rivalland
1942 - 1943 René Bousquet 1909 - 1993
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Justice
Minister Secretary of State of Justice
Ministre Sercrétaire d'État à la Justice
1940 Raphaël Alibert 1886 - 1963
Secretary of State of Justice
Sercrétaire d'État à la Justice
1940 - 1941 Raphaël Alibert s.a.
Minister of Justice
Ministre à la Justice
1941 - 1942 Joseph Barthélemy 1874 - 1945
Ministers Secretaries of State of Justice
Ministres Secrétaires d'État à la Justice
1942 - 1943 Joseph Barthélemy s.a.
1943 - 1944 Maurice Gabolde 1891 - 1972
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Finances and Economic Affairs
Minister of Finances
Ministre aux Finances
1940 Yves Bouthillier 1901 - 1977
Secretary of State of Finances
Secrétaire d'État aux Finances
1940 - 1941 Yves Bouthillier s.a.
Minister of Finances and National Economy
Ministre aux Finances et à l'Economie nationale
1941 - 1942 Yves Bouthillier s.a.
Minister Seceretary of State of Finances
Ministre Secrétaire d'État aux Finances
1942 - 1944 Pierre Cathala 1888 - 1947
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Agriculture and Supply
Minister of Agriculture and Supply
Ministre à l'Agriculture et au Ravitaillement
1940 Pierre Caziot 1876 - 1953
Secretary of State of Agriculture and Supply
Secrétaire d'État à l'Agriculture et au Ravitaillement
1940 Pierre Caziot s.a.
1940 : Department divided into :
- the Secretariat of State of Agriculture, which became a Ministry in 1941.
- the Secretariat of State of Supply
Secretary of State of Agriculture
Secrétaire d'État à l'Agriculture
1940 - 1941 Pierre Caziot s.a.
Minister of Agriculture
Ministre à l'Agriculture
1941 - 1942 Pierre Caziot s.a.
Secretaries of State of Supply
Secrétaires d'État au Ravitailement
1940 - 1941 Jean Louis Achard 1908 - 1953
1941 - 1942 Paul Charbin 1877 - 1956
1942 : Both departments reunited
Miniters Secretaries of State of Agriculrure and Supply
Ministres Secrétaires d'État à l'Agriculture et au Ravitaillement
1942 Jacques Leroy-Ladurie 1902 - 1988
1942 - 1944 Max Bonnafous 1900 - 1975
1944 Pierre Cathala* s.a.
Secretaries of State of Supply
(Secrétaires d'État au Ravitaillement)
1942 Max Bonnafous s.a.
1942 - 1944 none
1944 François Chasseigne 1902 - 1977
Ministers and Secretaries of State of Communications, Industrial Production and
Labour
Minister of Communications
Ministre aux Communications
1940 François Piétri 1882 - 1966
Secretaries of State of Communications
Secrétaires d'État aux Communications
1940 - 1942 Jean Louis Joseph Edmond Berthelot 1897 - 1985
1942 Robert Pierre Louis Gibrat 1904 - 1980
1942 - 1943 Jean Bichelonne 1904 - 1944
Minister of Industrial Production and Labour
Ministre à la Production industrielle et au Travail
1940 René Belin 1898 - 1977
Secretary of State of Industrial Production and Labour
Secrétaire d'État à la Production industrielle et au Travail
1940 - 1941 René Belin s.a.
1941 : Secretariat of Industrial Procuction and Labour divided.
Secretaries of State of Industrial Procuction
Secrétaires d'État à la Production industrielle
1941 Pierre Pucheu s.a.
1941 - 1942 François Lehideux 1904 - 1998
1942 - 1943 Jean Bichelonne s.a.
Secretaries of State of Labour
Secrétaires d'État au Travail
1941 - 1942 René Belin s.a.
1942 - 1943 Hubert Lagardelle 1874 - 1958
1943 : Communications, Industrial Production and Labour united under one minister
(Labour only acting)
Minister Secretary of State of Communications, Industrial Production and Labour*
Ministre Secrétaire d'État à la Production Industrielle, aux Communications et au
Travail*
1943 - 1944 Jean Bichelonne s.a.
Minister Secretary of State of Labour and National Solidarity
Ministre Secrétaire d'État au Travail et de la Solidarité nationale
1944 Marcel Déat 1894 - 1945
Ministers of Education, Family, Youth and Cultural Affairs
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
Ministre à l'Instruction publique et aux Beaux-Arts
1940 Émile Miraud 1885 - 1969
Minister of Youth and Family
Ministre à la Jeunesse et à la Famille
1940 Jean Ybarnégaray 1883 - 1956
Secretary of State for Public Instruction and Youth
Secrétaire d'État à l'Instruction publique et à la Jeunesse
1940 Georges Ripert 1880 - 1958
Secretary of State for Public Instruction
Secrétaire d'État à l'Instruction publique
1940 - 1941 Jacques Chevalier 1882 - 1962
Secretary of State of National Education and Youth
Secrétaire d'État à l'Éducation nationale et à la Jeunesse
1941 - 1942 Jerôme Carcopino 1881 - 1971
Minister Secretary of State of National Education and Youth
Ministre Secrétaire d'État à l'Éducation nationale et à la Jeunesse
1942 - 1944 Abel Bonnard 1883 - 1968
Secretaries of State of Family and Health
Secrétaires d'État à la Famille et à la Santé
1941 Jacques Chevalier s.a.
1941 - 1942 Serge Huard
1942 - 1944 Edmond Grasset 1892 - 1968
Minister Secretary of Sate of Family and Health
Ministre Secrétaire d'État à la Famille et à la Santé
1944 Edmond Grasset s.a.
Minister and Secretaries of State of Oversea Dependencies
Minister of the Colonies
Ministre aux Colonies
1940 Henri Lémery 1874 - 1972
Secretaries of State of the Colonies
Secrétaires d'État aux Colonies
1940 - 1942 VAdm. Charles Jean Guillaume Platon s.a.
1942 - 1943 Joseph Jules Brévié 1880 - 1964
1943 - 1944 CAdm. Henri Paul Arsène Bléhaut,
Secretary of State of the Navy s.a.
Secretary General of the Colonies
Secrétaire général aux Colonies)
1941 - 1944 Jean Fatou
Commissioners General
Commissioners General of Jewish Affairs
Commissaires généraux aux Questions juives
1941 - 1942 Xavier Vallat 1891 - 1972
1942 - 1944 Louis Darquier de Pellepoix 1897 - 1980
Commissioners General of Sports
Commissaires généraux aux Sports
1941 - 1942 Jean Borotra 1898 - 1942
1942 - 1944 Col. Joseph Pascot
Commissioner General of the Family
Commissaire général à la Famille
1942 - 1944 Philippe Renaudin, before Secretary
General of the Family at the State
Secretariat of Family and Health .
Commissioner General for the Youth
Commissaire général à la Jeunesse
1943 - 1944 Maurice Gaït
FRENCH RESISTANCE
LEADERS OF THE EXTERNAL RESISTANCE
After the French defeat in 1940, many Frenchmen toke refuge in the UK and founded
the so-called Free France Movement (Mouvement de la France Libre).
Leader of the Free French
Chef des Français libres
1940 - 1941 Gen. Charles André Marie Joseph de Gaulle 1890 - 1970
French National Committee (in exile in London)
Comité National Français
In 1941 the French National Committee was created as an embryonic administration in
exile.
Chairman
Président
1941 - 1943 Gen. Charles André Marie Joseph de Gaulle s.a.
Vice Chairman
Vice-Président
1942 - 1943 René Pleven 1901 - 1993
National Commissioners of Foreign Affairs
Commissaires nationaux aux Affaires étrangères
1941 - 1942 Maurice Dejean 1899 - 1982
1942 - 1943 René Pleven s.a.
1943 René Massigli 1888 - 1988
National Commissioner of War
Commissaire national à la Guerre
1941 - 1943 DivGen. Paul Louis Legentilhomme 1884 - 1975
National Commsioner of the Navy and the Air
Commissaire national à la Marine et à l'Air
1941 VAdm. Émile Henri Désiré Muselier,
also National Commissioner of the
Merchant Marine 1882 - 1965
National Commisioners of the Navy
Commissaires nationaux à la Marine
1941 - 1942 Adm. Émile Henri Désiré Muselier,
also National Commissioner of the
Merchant Marine s.a.
1942 - 1943 CAdm. Philippe Marie Joseph Raymond
Auboyneau 1899 - 1961
National Commisioner of the Air
Commissaire national à l'Air
1941 - 1943 BrigGen. Martial Henri Valin 1898 - 1980
National Commissioner of the Interior, Labour and Information
Commissaire national à l'Intérieur, au Travail et à l'Information
1941 - 1942 André Diethelm 1896 - 1954
National Commissioner of the Interior and of Labour
Commissaire national à l'Intérieur et au Travail
1942 - 1943 André Philip 1902 - 1970
National Commissioner of Information
Commissaire national à l'Information
1942 - 1943 Jacques Soustelle 1912 - 1990
National Commissioner of Justice and Public Instruction
Commissaire national à la Justice et à l'Instruction publique
1941 - 1943 René Cassin 1878 - 1976
National Commissioner of Economy, Finances and Colonies
Commissaire national à l'Economie, aux Finances et aux Colonies
1941 - 1942 René Pleven s.a.
National Commissioner of Finances and Pensions
Commissaire national aux Finances et aux Pensions
1942 - 1943 Georges Boris
National Commissioners of Economy, of the Merchant Marine and of Colonies
Commissaires nationaux à l'Economie, à la Marine marchande et aux Colonies
1942 René Pleven s.a.
1942 - 1943 André Diethelm 1896 - 1954
National Commissioner of Economy
Commissaire national à l'Economie
1943 André Diethelm s.a.
National Commissioner of Colonies
Commissaire national aux Colonies
1943 René Pleven s.a.
French Committee of National Liberation (in exile in Algiers)
Comité Français de Libération nationale
After the Allied occupation of French Northern Africa in 1942 former officials of
the Vichy regime rallied to the Allies and established a second (and rival) "free"
administration. (1)
After some negociations both free administrations merged in 1943 to form the French
Committee of National Liberation (CFLN).
(1) High Commissioners (of French Africa)
Haut Commissaires (de l'Afrique française)
1942 FleetAdm. Jean Louis Xavier
François Darlan, assassinated s.a.
1942 - 1943 Gen. Henri Giraud 1879 - 1949
In 1943 Giraud was recognized by the French authorities of Algeria, Morocco,
Tunesia, French Guiana, most of French West Africa and by the leaders of the
ORA internal resistance mouvement (s.b.)
Chairmen
Présidents
1943 -Gen. Henri Giraud, Co-Chairman jun - aug ;
Co-Chairman for military affairs aug - nov s.a.
-Gen. Charles André Marie Joseph de Gaulle,
Co-Chairman jun - aug , Co-Chairman for
civilian and political affairs aug - nov. s.a.
1943 - 1944 Gen. Charles André Marie Joseph de Gaulle,
alone since nov 1943 s.a.
(unless ontherwise mentioned all Commissioners were in charge jun 1943 - jun 1944)
Commissioner of Foreign Affairs
Commissaire aux Affaires étrangères
1943 - 1944 René Massigli s.a.
Commissioners of National Defence
Commissaires à la Défense nationale
1943 none. Gen. Giraud (s.a.) in charge
of military affairs
1943 DivGen. Paul Louis Legentilhomme
(oct - nov 1943) s.a.
Commissioners of War and Air
Commissaires à la Guerre et à l'Air
1943 none. Gen. Giraud (s.a.) in charge
of military affairs
1943 - 1944 André Le Troquer (nov 1943 - apr 1944) 1884 - 1963
Commissioner of War
Commissaire à la Guerre
1944 André Diethelm (apr - jun 1944) s.a.
Commissioner of Air
Commissaire à l'Air
1944 Fernand Grenier (apr - jun 1944) 1901 - 1992
Commissioner of the Navy
Commissaire à la Marine
1943 none. Gen. Giraud (s.a.) in charge
of military affairs
1943 - 1944 Louis Jacquinot (nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1898 - 1993
Commissioners of the Interior
Commissaires à l'Intérieur
1943 André Philip (jun - nov 1943) s.a.
1943 - 1944 Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie
(nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1900 - 1969
Commissioner of Justice, National Education and Public Health
Commissaire à la Justice, à l'Education nationale et à la Santé publique
1943 Jules Abadie (jun - sep 1943)
Commissiioner of Justice
Commissaire à la Justice
1943 - 1944 François de Menthon (sep 1943 - jun 1944) 1900 - 1984
Commissioner of National Education and Public Health
Commissaire à l'Education nationale et à la Santé publique
1943 Jules Abadie (sep - nov 1943) s.a.
Commissioner of National Education
Commissaire à l'Education nationale
1943 - 1944 René Capitant (nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1901 - 1970
Commissioners of Finances
Commissaires aux Finances
1943 Maurice Couve de Murville (jun - nov 1943) 1907 - 1999
1943 - 1944 Pierre Mendès-France (nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1907 - 1982
Commissioner of Communications and of the Merchant Marine
Commissaire aux Communications et à la Marine marchande
1943 - 1944 René Mayer 1895 - 1972
Commissioner of Armament, Supply and Reconstruction
Commissaire à l'Armement, au Ravitaillement et à la Reconstruction
1943 Jean Monnet (jun - nov 1943) 1888 - 1979
Commissioners of Production and Commerce
Commissaires à la Production et au Commerce
1943 André Diethelm (jun - nov 1943) s.a.
Commissioners of Production and Supply
Commissaires à la Production et au Ravitaillement
1943 - 1944 André Diethelm (nov 1943 - apr 1944) s.a.
1944 Paul Giacobbi (apr - jun 1944) 1896 - 1951
Commissioner of Labour and Social Security/Social Affairs
Commissaire au Travail et à la Prévoyance sociale/Affaires sociales
1943 Adrien Tixier, since nov 1943
of Social Affairs 1893 - 1946
Commissioner of Prisoners and Displaced Persons
Commissaire aux Prisonniers et aux Déportés
1943 - 1944 Henri Frenay (nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1905 - 1988
Commissioner of Information
Commissaire à l'Information
1943 - 1944 Henri Bonnet 1888 - 1978
Commissioner of the Colonies
Commissaire aux Colonies
1943 - 1944 René Pleven s.a.
Commisioner to the US
Commissaire en mission aux États-Unis
1943 - 1944 Jean Monnet (nov 1943 - jun 1944) s.a.
Commissioners of State
Commissaires d'État
(Commisioners without portfolio)
1943 -Gén. Georges Albert Julien Catroux,
Governor General of Algeria, in
charge of the coordination of Muslim
Affairs (jun - nov 1943) 1877 - 1969
-Gen. Alphonse Joseph Georges
(jun - nov 1943) 1875 - 1951
1943 - 1944 -Gen. Georges Albert Julien Catroux,
in charge of Muslim Affairs (nov 1943
- jun 1944) s.a.
-André Philip, in charge of the
relations with the Consultative
Assembly (nov 1943 - jun 1944) s.a.
-Henri Queuille, in charge of the
coordination of the interministrial
commissions (nov 1943 - jun 1944) 1884 - 1970
-François Billoux (apr - jun 1944) 1903 - 1978
Commissioner Delegate in charge of the Administration of the Liberated Metropolitan
Territories
Commissaire délégué à l'Administration des Territoires Métropolitains Libérés
1944 André Le Troquer (apr - jun 1944) s.a.
__________________________________________________________________________________
LEADERS OF THE INTERNAL RESISTANCE
French resistance against the Germans and Vichy France started nearly immediately
after the defeat and by early 1942 the major resistance movements were :
- in the Occupied zone :
- Civilian and Military Organization (Organisation Civile et Militaire - OCM),
founded in 1940
- Liberation-North (Libération-Nord), founded in 1940
- Those of the Liberation (Ceux de la Libération), founded in 1940
- Those of the Resistance (Ceux de la Résistance), founded in 1942 by remnants of
the northern section of Combat (s.b.)
- in the Southern zone :
- Combat, founded in 1941 by the merger of the Movement of National Liberation
(Mouvement de Libération nationale) and Liberty (Liberté), both founded in 1940.
- Franc-Tireur, founded in 1941
- Liberation-South (Libération-Sud), founded in 1940
- The National Front (s.b.) founded in 1941 and operating in the whole country.
Chronology of the internal Resistance 1942 - 1944
1942
Jul 22 : The resistance movements listed above - except the National Front - rallied
to the CNF.
Oct 02 : The three major southern movements listed above started coordinating their
activities [Chairman of the Coordination Committee : Jean Moulin, Delegate
of the CNR to non-occupied Frane (1899-1943)]
Oct 09 : The three southern movements merged their militias into the Secret Army
(Arméé Secrete - AS)
Nov : After the German occupation of Southern France remnants of the disbanded
French Army formed the Resistance Organization of the Army (Organisation
de Résistance de l'Armée - ORA). Unlike the other movements the ORA didn't
rally to the CNF, but rather recognized the authority of Gen. Giraud (s.a.)
1943
Jan 18 : The Communist Party and the National Front rallied to the CNF.
Jan 26 : The four major northern movements listed above started coordinating their
activities [Chairman of the Coordination Committee : Pierre Brossolette,
Delegate of the CNF to occupied France (1903-1944)]
May 15 : Creation of the National Council of the Resistance (Conseil National de la
Résistance - CNR) as supreme political organ of the resistance.
Its members included :
- all listed resistance movements except the ORA
- the following (underground) political parties :
- the Democratic Alliance (Alliance démocratique)
- the Communist Party (Parti communiste)
- the Socialist Party (Parti socialiste)
- the Radical Socialist Party (Parti radical-socialiste)
- the Democratic Popular Party (Parti démocrate-populaire)
- the Republican Federation (Fédération républicaine)
- the following (underground) trade unions :
- the General Confederation of Labour (Confédération générale du Trvail
- CGT)
- the French Christian Workers' Confederation (Confédération française
de Travailleurs chrétiens - CFTC)
Sep 08 : The National Front initiated a revolt in Corsica, which became the first
liberated French territory. (2)
Dec 29 : Cooperation agreement between the AS and the FTP.
A military committee - the Committee of Military Action (Comité militaire
d'Action - COMAC) - was established to coordinate their activities
1944
Jan 05 : the MUR absorbed some resistance movements of the northern zone and was
restyled National Liberation Movement (Mouvement de Libération nationale
- MLN).
Feb 01 : All military forces of the resistance - now also including the ORA, which
however kept an autonomous position - were merged into the French Forces
of the Interior (Forces françaises de l'Intérieur - FFI)
(2) In France itself, various "free zones" were established by so-called Maquis
(resistance fighters), especially after the allied landing in Normandy.
One of the most important of these was the so-called République Libre du
Vercors (Free Republic of the Vercors).
The Vercors - a mountainous area in the Isére department in South Eastern
France - had been a gathering place for opponents to the Vichy regime since
1940.
After it had been nearly destroyed by the Italians in 1943, the maquis was
reconstructed and after the allied landing in Normandy it proclaimed itself
a Free Republic (jul 03). This lasted until jul 21 when it was destroyed by
the Germans.
Leaders of the Vercors (since the reconstruction in may 1943)
(under the FFI)
Political Leader
1943 - 1944 Eugène Chavant "Clément" 1894 - 1969
Military Leaders
1943 Alain Le Ray "Reval" 1910 -
1943 - 1944 François Huet "Herveux"
DELEGATES OF THE CNF AND THE CFLN TO FRANCE
Since 1942 the CNF - and later the CFLN - were represented in France by a Delegate
(since 1943 Delegate General) who had the political and administrative supervision
over the different movements. In 1943 a National Military Delegate was appointed
to supervise and coordinate military affairs.
Heads of the BCRA and of the DGSS
The resistance movements were under the overall supervision of the Central Bureau
of Intelligence and Action (Bureau Central de Renseignement et d’Action - BCRA),
which in 1943 became subordinated to the General Direction of the Special Services
(Direction Générale des Services Spéciaux - DGSS) created by the CFLN in Algiers.
1942 - 1944 André Dewavrin "Dewavrin-Passy", "Colonel
Passy", Head of the BCRA 1911 - 1998
1944 - 1945 Jacques Soustelle, Head of the DGSS s.a.
Civil Delegates
Delegate of the CNF to the southern zone
1942 - 1943 Jean Moulin "Rex" 1899 - 1943
Delegates General of the CNF/CFLN to France
1943 Jean Moulin "Max" s.a.
1943 none
Acting Delegates (de facto)
1943 -Claude Bouchinet-Serreules for
the northern zone 1912 - 2000
-Capt. Jacques Maurice Alfred
Bingen for the southern zone 1908 - 1944
1943 - 1944 Émile Bollaert 1890 - 1978
1944 none
Acting Delegate General
1943 - 1944 Capt. Jacques Mairice Alfred
Bingen, Assistant Delegate
General for the southern zone s.a.
1944 Alexandre Parodi "Cérat" 1901 - 1979
Assistant Delegates General for the northern zone
1943 - 1944 Claude Bouchinet-Serreules s.a
1944 Roland Joannes Louis Pré 1907 - 1980
Assistant Delegates General for the southern zone
1943 - 1944 Jacques Maurice Alfred Bingen s.a.
1944 Jacques Maillet 1913 -
Military Delegates
National Military Delegates of the CFLN to France
1943 - 1944 Cdr. Louis Mangin
1944 Cdr. Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury 1914 - 1993
1944 Col. Paul Ély* 1897 - 1975
1944 Gen. Jacques Delmas "Chaban-Delmas" 1915 - 2000
Military Delegates to the northern zone
1943 Cdr. Pierre Marchal 1... - 1943
1943 - 1944 Gen. Jacques Delmas
"Chaban-Delmas" s.a.
1944 Col. André Rondenay "Jarry" 1913 - 1944
Military Delegates to the southern zone
1943 - 1944 Col. Paul Ély s.a.
1944 Cdr. Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury s.a.
LEADERS OF THE NATIONAL FRONT
As mentioned the National Front for the Independence of France (Front National de
l'Indépendance de la France - FN) was created in 1941.
Although it also included non-communist organizations, it was largely dominated by
the French Communist Party and despite the fact that it joined the CNR in 1943,
(s.a.) it acted very independently until the end of the war.
Its armed forces, the Francs Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) were created in 1942.
Its activities at first only covered occupied France, but later they were extended
to include all of France.
Secretaries of the French Communist Party
The Politburo ceased to function at the start of the war and actual leadership of
the party passed to a secretariat of two - later four - members.
1940 - 1944 -Jacques Duclos 1896 - 1975
-Benoît Frachon 1893 - 1975
-Charles Tillon (since may 1941) 1897 - 1993
-Auguste Lecoeur (since may 1942) 1911 -
Chairmen of the National Front
1941 - 1942 Roger Ginsburger "Pierre Villon" 1901 - 1981
1942 - 1944 Jean Frédéric Joliot-Curie 1900 - 1958
Commander of the National Military Committee of the FTP
1942 - 1944 Charles Tillon s.a.
LEADERS OF THE MUR AND THE MLN
(for the history s.a.)
Members of the Direction Committee of the MUR - ML%
(possibly incomplete)
1943 - 1944 -Emmanuel d’Astier de la Vigerie s.a.
(Libération-Sud)
-Henri Frenay (Combat) s.a.
-Jean-Pierre Lévy (Franc-Tireur) 1910 - 1966
+ the successive commanders of the AS
Commanders of the AS
1942 - 1943 Gen. Charles Delestraint "Vidal" 1879 - 1945
1943 none
Inspector General for the northern zone
1943 Raymond Aubriac 1914 -
Inspector General for the southern zone
1943 André Lassagne
1943 - 1944 Ltgen. Pierre Marie Philippe Dejussieu
"De Jussieu-Pontcarral" 1898 - 1984
LEDAERS OF THE CNR, THE COMAC AND THE FFI
Political Leaders
Chairmen of the CNR
1943 Jean Moulin "Max" s.a.
1943 - 1944 Georges Augustin Bidault
(Democratic Popular Party) 1899 - 1983
Members of the Permanent Bureau
For security reasons only one assembly of the whole CNR was held in may 1943.
Thereafter the management of daily affairs was entrusted to a Permanent Bureau of
five members.
1943 - 1944 -Georges Augustin Bidault s.a.
Pascal Copeau (Libération-Sud) 1908 - 1982
Maxime Blocq-Mascart (OCM) 1894 - 1965
-Louis Saillant (CGT) 1910 - 1974
Roger Ginsburger "Pierre Villon" (FN) s.a.
Miltary Leaders
Presidium of the COMAC
1943 -1944 -Roger Ginsburger "Pierre Villon"
(Chairman), Representative of
National Front s.a.
-Jean de Vogüé "Vaillant"
(Representative of the northern
movements)
-Maurice Kriegel "Valrimont"
(Representative of the MUR/MLN) 1914 -
+ the successive Military Delegates to
France (s.a.) as advisor
+ a representative of the ORA
Commander of the FFI (3)
1944 Gen. Joseph Pierre Marie Koenig 1898 - 1970
(3) In practice only the former AS was under his direct authority, both the
FTP (s.a.) and the ORA keeping their own commanders.
The commanders of the ORA since 1942 were :
1942 - 1943 ArmyGen. Aubert Achille Jules Frère 1881 - 1944
1943 DivGen. Jean Edouard Verneau 1890 - 1944
1943 - 1944 DivGen. Georges Marie Joseph Revers 1891 - 1974
(the ORA was a purely military organization and had no civil branch)
__________________________________________________________________________________
ALLIED REPRESENTATIVE 1944 - 1945
In 1944, after the landing in Normandy, a Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary
Force (SHEAF) Mission was sent to France to serve as a liason office bewteen the
headquarters, the allied forces operating in France and the French authorities and
to administer the country in cooperation with these French authorities until the
country was considered "save" (4).
Head of the SHAEF Mission - France
1944 - 1945 MajGen. John Taylor Lewis (US) 1894 - 198.
French Delegate to the SHAEF Mission - France
1944 - 1945 Gen. Joseph Pierre Marie Koenig s.a.
The mission was terminated in 1945 when France was considered liberated.
(4) This second part of the mission - to be entrusted to a "Civil Affairs"
section - was never fully carried out as General de Gaulle was strongly
opposed to it and prevented it by appointing his own French officials
in the liberated territories immediately after the landing.
FRANCE 1944 - 1945
A few days before the allied landing in Noramndy in 1944, the CFLN. was restyled
Gouvernement Provisoire de la République Française (Provisional Governemnt of the
French Republic - GPRF). After the landing this GPRF toke over the administration
of the country, while remaining in exil until aug 1944. (1)
(1) Although most of France had been liberated at the end of 1944, some
German pockets maintained themselves until the final German surrender
in 1945.
At the same time a remnant of the Vichy regime also survived in exile
until the end of the war.
__________________________________________________________________________________
COMMISSIONERS/MINISTERS OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENTS
Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic
Président du Gouvernment provisoire de la République française
1944 - 1946 Gen. Charles André Marie Joseph de Gaulle (2) 1890 - 1970
(2) Between the arrival of Gen. de Gaulle in Paris on Aug 25 and the arrival
of the other members of the GPRF some days later, the administration of
the country was entrusted to a provisional Council of Secretaries General
(Secrétaires généraux) which had actually already been established on Aug
22 during the Paris insurrection.
The Secretaries General in charge when the GPRF resumed its work in France
(sep 04) were :
President and Interior : Alexndre Parodi, Delegate
General of the CFLN to
France 1901 - 1979
Information : Jean Guignebert
National Defense : DivGen. Louis Alexandre
Fernand Fortin 1889 - 1949
Justice : Marcel Willard
Finances : Emmanuel Monick
National Economy : René Constant
Agriculture : Jean Lefèvre
Supply : L. Miné
Industrial Production : Robert Lacoste 1898 - 1989
Posts, Telegraphs and
Telephones : ... Quesnot
Communications : ... Mathieu
Labour : ... Sanson
Health : Louis Pasteur Vallery-Radot 1886 - 1970
Prisoners : François Mitterrand 1916 - 1996
National Education : Henri Wallon 1879 - 1962
Liberated Territories
of Northern France : André Le Troquer 1884 - 1963
[The style was changed from Commissaire (C) to Ministre (M) on sep 04 1944]
Commissioners of State/Ministers of State
Commissaires d'État/Ministres d'État
(without Portfolio)
1944 -Gen. Georges Albert Julien
Catroux, C/M in charge of Muslim
Affairs (jun - sep 1944), 1877 - 1969
-André Philip, C/M in charge of the
relations with the Consultative
Assembly (jun - sep 1944) 1902 - 1970
-Henri Queuille, C in charge of the
coordination of the interministrial
commissions (apr - aug 1944) 1884 - 1970
-François Billoux, C (apr - aug 1944) 1903 - 1978
1944 - 1945 -Jean Jeanneney M 1864 - 1957
Commissioner/Ministers of Information
Commissaire/Ministres à l'Information
1944 Henri Bonnet C/M 1888 - 1978
1944 - 1945 Pierre-Henri Teitgen M 1908 - 1997
Commissioner/Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Commissaire/Ministres aux Affaires Etrangères
1944 René Massigli C/M 1888 - 1988
1944 - 1946 Georges Augustin Bidault M 1899 - 1983
Commissioners/Ministers of Defence
Commissioner/Minister of War
Commissaire/Ministre à la Guerre
1944 - 1945 André Diethelm 1896 - 1954
Commissioner/Minister of the Navy
Commissaire/Ministre à la Marine
1944 - 1945 Louis Jacquinot 1898 - 1993
Commissioner/Ministers of the Air
Commissaire/Ministres à l'Air
1944 Fernand Grenier C/M 1901 - 1992
1944 - 1945 Charles Tillon M 1897 - 1993
Commissioner/Ministers of the Interior
Commissaire/Ministres à l'Intérieur
1944 Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie C/M 1900 - 1969
1944 - 1946 Adrien Tixier M 1893 - 1946
Commissioners/Ministers of the Liberated Territories
Commissaires/Ministres aux Territoires libérés
(listed as Commissioners of State until sep 04, thereafter as Ministers until sep
10)
1944 - 1944 -François Billoux (sometimes listed as
Minister of the Occupied Territories) s.a.
-André Le Troquer s.a.
-Alexandre Parodi (sometimes listed as
Minister of the Occupied Territories) s.a.
-Henri Queuille (sometimes listed as
Minister of the Occupied Territories) s.a.
Commissioner/Minister of Justice
Commissaire/Ministre à la Justice
1944 - 1945 François de Menthon 1900 - 1984
Commissioner/Ministers of Finances
Commissaire/Ministres aux Finances
1944 Pierre Mendès-France C 1907 - 1982
1944 Aimé Lepercq M 1889 - 1944
1944 - 1946 René Pleven M 1901 - 1993
Commissioners/Ministers in charge of Economic and Social Affairs
Ministers of National Economy
Ministres à l'Economie nationale
(no commissioners)
1944 - 1945 Pierre Mendès-France s.a.
1945 René Pleven s.a.
Minister of Agriculture
Ministre à l'Agriculture
(no commissioners)
1944 - 1947 François Tanguy-Prigent 1909 - 1970
Commissioners/Ministers of Production, Industrial Production and Supply
Commissaires/Ministres à la Production, à la Production industrielle et au
Ravitaillement
1944 Paul Giacobbi, C of Production and
Supply (until sep 04) 1896 - 1951
1944 - 1945 Robert Lacoste, M of Industrial
Production (since sep 04) s.a.
1944 Paul Giacobbi, M of Supply (since sep 04) s.a.
1944 - 1945 Paul Ramadier, M of Supply 1888 - 1961
Comminissioner/Minister of Communications, Transports and Public Works
Commissioner of Communications and Transports
(Commissaire aux Communications et aux Transports)
1944 René Mayer 1895 - 1972
Commissioner/Minister of Transports and Public Works
(Commissaire/Ministre aux Transports et aux Travaux publics
1944 - 1945 René Mayer s.a.
Minister of Posts, Telegraphes and Telephones
Ministre aux Postes, Télégraphs et Téléphones
(no commissioner and minister until sep 10)
1944 - 1945 Augustin Laurent 1895 - 1990
Minister of Reconstruction and Town Planning
Ministre à la Reconstruction et à l'Urbanisme
[Ministry created out of two preexisring Vichy services : the Commissariat of Real
Estate Reconstruction (Commissariat à la Reconstruction immobilière) and the General
Delegation of National Equipment (Délégation Générale à l’Equipement national)]
1944 - 1946 Raoul Dautry 1880 - 1951
Commissioner/Minister of Social Affairs, of Labour and Social Security
Commissaire/Ministres aux Affaires sociales, au Travail et à la Prévoyance sociale
1944 André Tixier, C of Social Affairs,
M of Labour and Social Security 1893 - 1946
1944 - 1945 Alexandre Parodi, M of Labour and
Social Security s.a.
Minister of Public Health
Ministre à la Santé publique
(no commissioners)
1944 - 1945 François Billoux s.a.
Commissioner/Minister of Prisoners, Displaced Persons and Refugees
Commissaire/Ministre aux Prisonniers, Déportés et Réfugiés
1944 - 1945 Henri Frenay, C/M of Prisoners
and Displaced Persons until sep 10,
thereafter M of Prisoners, Displaced
Persons and Refuges 1905 - 1988
Commissioner/Minister of National Education
Commissaire/Ministre à l'Education nationale
1944 - 1945 René Capitant 1901 - 1970
Commissioner and Ministers in charge of Oversea Depandencies
Commissioner and Miniusters of Colonies
Commissaire et Ministres aux Colonies
1944 René Pleven C/M s.a.
1944 - 1945 Paul Giacobbi M s.a.
Miniter Delegate of Northern Africa
Ministre délégué en Afrique du Nord
1944 Gen. Georges Albert Julien
Catroux, before Minister of State
in charge of Muslim Affairs (sep
- nov 1944) (3) s.a.
(3) The existence of separate offices for Muslims and Northern Africa since
jun 1943 was linked to the growing importance of nationalism in Northern
Africa.
In this period Catroux is sometimes listed as Minister of State or simply
Minister.
__________________________________________________________________________________
COMMANDERS OF THE GERMAN FORTRESS POCKETS 1943 - 1945
In 1943, when an allied landing in France could no longer be excluded, the German
High Command decided to organize important French ports as "Festungen" (Fortresses)
that had to be held to the last man, in order to allow the German troops to regroup.
Although some fortresses did indeed resist until the final German surrender, most
of them however surrendered in the course of the months following the landing.
Fortress Commanders
Festungskommandanten
(Directly subordinated to the High Command.
They also were in charge of administrative affairs of the places where there was
no other regular German administration)
Boulogne sur Mer
1944 MajGen. Wilhelm Kunze 1894 -
1944 MajGen. Hans Mikosch 1898 - 1993
1944 LtGen. Ferdinand Heim, surrendered
on sep 22 1944 1895 - 1977
Brest
1943 - 1944 Col. Hans von der Mosel 1898 - 1969
1944 LtGen. Hermann Bernhard Ramcke,
surrendered on sep 19 1944 1889 -
Calais
1944 LtCol. ... Schröder, surrendered
on oct 01 1944
Channel Islands
See here
Cherbourg
1943 - 1944 Col. Hans von Rohr 1895 -
1944 MajGen. Robert Sattler 1891 - 1978
1944 LtGen. Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben,
surrendered on jun 27 1944 1894 - 1964
Dunkerque
1944 Col. Hugo Ewringmann
1944 Col. Christian Wittstatt 1887 - 1954
1944 - 1945 VAdm. Friedrich Frisius,
surrendered on may 09 1945 1895 - 1970
La Rochelle
1944 Col. Wilhrlm Preussen 1881 - 1945
1944 Col. Hartwig Pohlman 1898 -
1944 Col. Wilhelm Preussen (2x)
1944 - 1945 VAdm. Ernst Schirlitz, surrendered
may 09 1945 1893 - 1978
Le Havre
1944 MajGen. Walter Leuze 1891 - 1958
1944 MajGen. Hans Sauerbrey 1893 - 1982
1944 Col. Hermann-Eberhard Wildermuth,
surrendered on sep 12 1944 1889 -
Lorient
1943 - 1944 Col. Karl Kaumann 1896 -
1944 - 1945 ArtGen. Wilhelm Fahrmbacher,
surrendered on may 10 1945 1888 - 1970
Royan and La Pointe de Grave
The mouth of the Gironde river was defended by two fortresses :
- Gironde Mündung Nord (or Royan)
- Gironde Mündung Süd (or La Pointe de Grave)
Commanders of Royan
1944 MajGen. Helmut Eisenstück 1892 - 1959
1944 Col. Hartwig Pohlman s.a.
1944 - 1945 CAdm. Hans Michahelles,
surrendered on apr 17 1945 1899 - 1975
Commanders of La Pointe de Grave
1944 MajGen. Fritz Meyer 1893 - 1954
1944 Capt. Hans Michahelles s.a.
1944 Col. Hartwig Pohlman*
1944 - 1945 Col. Christian Sonntag 1910 - 1945
1945 Col. ... Prahl, surrendered
on apr 20 1945
Saint Malo
1944 Col. Andreas Maria Karl von Aulock,
surrendered on aug 17 1944 1893 - 1968
Saint Nazaire
1944 MajGen. Maximilian Hünten 1894 - 1965
1944 - 1945 LtGen. Hans Junck, surrendered
on may 11 1945 1893 - 1966
_________________________________________________________________________________
FRENCH VICHY REGIME IN EXILE
As allied troops advanced, the Germans forced the Vichy administration to move to
the East (first to the Alsace, then to Germany) (3).
Here it continued a powerless existence until the Geramn defeat in 1945. By then
the leadership of the Vichy regime in exile had however already been taken over by
a French Governmental Delegation (or French Governmental Commission) composed of
die-hard collaborators. (4)
French Governmental Delegation for the Defence of the National Interests
Délégation gouvernementale française pour la Defense des Intérets nationaux
1944 - 1945 -Fernand, Comte de Brinon (chairman) 1885 - 1947
-Joseph Darnand, Delegate for the
organization of the National Forces
(délégué pour l'organisation des
Forces nationales) 1897 - 1945
-DivGen. Eugène Marie Louis Bridoux,
Delegate for the Protection of the
French Prisoners of War (délégué
pour la protection des prisonniers
de guerre français) 1888 - 1955
-Jean Luchaire, Commissioner for
propaganda and information
(Commissaire à la propagande et
l'information) 1901 - 1946
-Marcel Déat, Delegate for National
Solidarity and Protection of the
French Works in Germany
(Délégué à la Solidarité nationale
et pour la Protection des Oeuvres
françaises en Allemagne) 1894 - 1945
(3) Before being forced to leave Paris Laval transferred all governmental power
to four high ranking officials, who actually had no power at all, but seem
to have acted as mediators between the German Commander von Choltitz and
the leaders of the Free French during the revolt of Paris.
High Officials in charge
1944
aug 17 - 2. -René Bouffet, Prefect of the
Seine department
-Amédée Félix Bussière, Police Prefect 1886 - 1953
-Victor Constant, President of
the General Council of the
Seine Department
-Pierre Taittinger, President of
the Municipal Council of Paris 1887 - 1965
(4) This Delegation was contested by some other collaborators, who created
a Committee of French Liberation, that actually received more German
support than the Delegation.
Chairman of the Committee of French Libération
President du Comité de Libération française
1944 - 1945 Jacques Doriot, leader of the
Parti populaire français 1888 - 1945
The Committee ended with the death of Doriot.
In 1945 a second Committee of National Liberation was established by
Marcel Déat (s.a.). It's not clear wether this was the continuation
of the Delegation under a new name and a new chairman or if it was
a new administrative organ.
Information on this subject will be very welcomed.
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