Gabriel Jeantet
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Jeantet was a French
far right
activist, journalist and polemicist. Active before, during and after the Second World War, Jeantet's links to Francois Mitterrand
became a source of controversy during the latter's Presidency. His brother Claude Jeantet
was also a far right activist.
and he served as a student leader for this group. He joined La Cagoule
when the movement was established, citing his fear of an imminent communist revolution as the main reason for his decision to join.
As the group's main theoretic writer during its existence, Jeantet sought to steer the group towards a socialist
economic position, arguing in 1942 in favour of a "national and socilaist revolution" similar to that associated with Strasserism. This was despite the fact that Jeantet was fully aware of La Cagoule being funded by wealthy industrialists such as Jacques Lemaigre-Dubreuil
and Louis Renault
, all of whom despised the concept of socialism. Ultimately Jeantet and La Cagoule leader Eugène Deloncle
came to endorse a form of national syndicalism
in which corporatist trade unions involving workers and management would be central to a planned economy.
As well as his extensive writing on behalf of La Cagoule Jeantet also played a leading in gun-running for the organisation, smuggling weapons into France from like-minded groups Fascist Italy
and Nationalist Spain, as well as Belgium
and Switzerland
.
and the establishment of the Vichy Regime Jeantet, who became a supporter of collaboration with the Nazis, was brought into Philippe Pétain
's government as inspecteur général à la propagande. However when his initial enthusiasm for collaboration waned, due in large part to the high degree of control exercised by the occupying Germans
, Jeantet followed the lead of Deloncle in resigning from the Vichy government in 1942. He would later make contact with the French Resistance
, such was his disillusionment with Nazism
.
, who had been a minor functionary under Vichy, maintained a life-long friendship with Jeantet even during his Presidency. Mitterrand had even written for Jeantet's journal France: Revue de l'Etat Nouveau during the war, a fact that would later be used against Mitterrand by his political opponents. The journal was particularly noted for its strong anti-Semitic articles, although Mitterrand's own piece was decidedly innocuous in terms of content. Jeantet was also one of two nominees, the other being Simon Arbellot, who put forward Mitterrand's name for the Ordre de la francisque medal in 1943.
in 1937. It was during this trial that Jeantet revealed the extent to which leading figures in French industry, many of whom continued to dominate post-war France, had been involved in providing the movement with financial support.
During the late 1960s Jeantet was involved in the formation of the far-right umbrella group Ordre Nouveau
. At the movement's foundation in 1969 he was appointed to the group's national council along with Henry Charbonneau
, with the two veterans serving as "mentors" to the new group. By the 1970s Jeantet had become associated with a group of former Ordre Nouveau activists known as the Faire Front and he was a founder member in 1974 when this group transformed itself into the Party of New Forces.
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...
far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
activist, journalist and polemicist. Active before, during and after the Second World War, Jeantet's links to Francois Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
became a source of controversy during the latter's Presidency. His brother Claude Jeantet
Claude Jeantet
Claude Jeantet was a French journalist and far right politician.-Biography:Jeantet was born at Pomponne, Seine-et-Marne, the son of poet Félix Jeantet and brother of fellow extreme rightist Gabriel Jeantet....
was also a far right activist.
La Cagoule
Jeantet's early political involvement was with the ultra-conservative Action FrançaiseAction 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...
and he served as a student leader for this group. He joined 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...
when the movement was established, citing his fear of an imminent communist revolution as the main reason for his decision to join.
As the group's main theoretic writer during its existence, Jeantet sought to steer the group towards a socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
economic position, arguing in 1942 in favour of a "national and socilaist revolution" similar to that associated with Strasserism. This was despite the fact that Jeantet was fully aware of La Cagoule being funded by wealthy industrialists such as Jacques Lemaigre-Dubreuil
Jacques Lemaigre-Dubreuil
Jacques Lemaigre Dubreuil was a businessman and activist, born in Solignac on October 30, 1894 and murdered in Casablanca on June 11, 1955....
and Louis Renault
Louis Renault
Louis Renault may refer to:* Louis Renault * Louis Renault * A character from the film Casablanca...
, all of whom despised the concept of socialism. Ultimately Jeantet and La Cagoule leader Eugène Deloncle
Eugène Deloncle
Eugène Deloncle was a French engineer and Fascist leader, and the adoptive father of Jacques Corrèze....
came to endorse a form of national syndicalism
National syndicalism
National syndicalism is a nationalist variant of syndicalism.- Founding of national syndicalism in France :National syndicalism was founded in France by the fusion of Maurrassian integral nationalism with Sorelian syndicalism. Interest in Sorelian thought arose in the French political right,...
in which corporatist trade unions involving workers and management would be central to a planned economy.
As well as his extensive writing on behalf of La Cagoule Jeantet also played a leading in gun-running for the organisation, smuggling weapons into France from like-minded groups Fascist Italy
Fascist Italy
"Fascist Italy" refers to Italy under the rule of Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism. The Fascists led two polities:*The Kingdom of Italy , under the National Fascist Party, and,...
and Nationalist Spain, as well as Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
During the war
Following the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and the establishment of the Vichy Regime Jeantet, who became a supporter of collaboration with the Nazis, was brought into 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...
's government as inspecteur général à la propagande. However when his initial enthusiasm for collaboration waned, due in large part to the high degree of control exercised by the occupying Germans
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...
, Jeantet followed the lead of Deloncle in resigning from the Vichy government in 1942. He would later make contact with 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...
, such was his disillusionment with Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
Relationship to Mitterrand
Francois MitterrandFrançois Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, who had been a minor functionary under Vichy, maintained a life-long friendship with Jeantet even during his Presidency. Mitterrand had even written for Jeantet's journal France: Revue de l'Etat Nouveau during the war, a fact that would later be used against Mitterrand by his political opponents. The journal was particularly noted for its strong anti-Semitic articles, although Mitterrand's own piece was decidedly innocuous in terms of content. Jeantet was also one of two nominees, the other being Simon Arbellot, who put forward Mitterrand's name for the Ordre de la francisque medal in 1943.
Post-war activity
In 1948 Jeantet was arrested along with a number of other surviving members of La Cagoule and stood trial on charges relating to a plot by the organisation to set a series of bombs off in ParisParis
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...
in 1937. It was during this trial that Jeantet revealed the extent to which leading figures in French industry, many of whom continued to dominate post-war France, had been involved in providing the movement with financial support.
During the late 1960s Jeantet was involved in the formation of the far-right umbrella group Ordre Nouveau
Ordre Nouveau (1960s)
Ordre Nouveau was a far-right movement created on December 15, 1969. The first president was the lawyer Jean-François Galvaire ....
. At the movement's foundation in 1969 he was appointed to the group's national council along with Henry Charbonneau
Henry Charbonneau
Henry Charbonneau was a French far right politician and writer....
, with the two veterans serving as "mentors" to the new group. By the 1970s Jeantet had become associated with a group of former Ordre Nouveau activists known as the Faire Front and he was a founder member in 1974 when this group transformed itself into the Party of New Forces.