Georges Bruguier
Encyclopedia
Victorien Félix Bruguier (16 March 1884–20 August 1962), called Georges Bruguier, was a French
politician and journalist.
Born in Nîmes
, Georges Brugier was a son of trade unionist Victorien Bruguier. He studied law at the University of Montpellier
and worked for the left-wing newspaper La Dépêche de Toulouse.
Bruguier served with the French Army
during the First World War and was awarded the Croix de guerre
and Médaille militaire
. After the war Bruguier became active in politics although he was not a member of a political party until the 1930s when he joined the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) (French socialist party). He stood for unsuccessfully in elections to the city council in 1919 and 1924 on lists backed by the SFIO and Radical Party. He was elected to the French Senate
to represent the Gard
départment in a by-election in 1924, sitting with the Democratic Left until he joined the SFIO, and finally to the city council the year following.
Having been re-elected in subsequent elections to the senate, Bruguier was still serving in July 1940 when he was one of the 80 who voted against
the grant of special powers to Philippe Pétain
and the creation of the Vichy régime
. As a consequence he was removed from office by the Vichy régime and interned at Saint-Paul-d'Eyjeaux
where he remained until liberated in 1944.
He was mayor of Nîmes and served in the provisional consultative and constituent assemblies from 1944 to 1946 but did not seek election to the new National Assembly of France when his term expired. Leaving politics, he moved to Carcassonne
where he worked as a writer and journalist. He died in Carcassonne and is buried in the Cimetière de la Cité there. In addition to his military honours Bruguier was an officer of the Légion d'honneur
.
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...
politician and journalist.
Born in Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, Georges Brugier was a son of trade unionist Victorien Bruguier. He studied law at the University of Montpellier
University of Montpellier
The University of Montpellier was a French university in Montpellier in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of the south of France. Its present-day successor universities are the University of Montpellier 1, Montpellier 2 University and Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III.-History:The university...
and worked for the left-wing newspaper La Dépêche de Toulouse.
Bruguier served with the French 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...
during the First World War and was awarded the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
and Médaille militaire
Médaille militaire
The Médaille militaire is a decoration of the French Republic which was first instituted in 1852.-History:The creator of the médaille was the emperor Napoléon III, who may have taken his inspiration in a medal issued by his father, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland...
. After the war Bruguier became active in politics although he was not a member of a political party until the 1930s when he joined the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) (French socialist party). He stood for unsuccessfully in elections to the city council in 1919 and 1924 on lists backed by the SFIO and Radical Party. He was elected to the French Senate
French Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president.The Senate enjoys less prominence than the lower house, the directly elected National Assembly; debates in the Senate tend to be less tense and generally enjoy less media coverage.-History:France's first...
to represent the Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
départment in a by-election in 1924, sitting with the Democratic Left until he joined the SFIO, and finally to the city council the year following.
Having been re-elected in subsequent elections to the senate, Bruguier was still serving in July 1940 when he was one of the 80 who voted against
The Vichy 80
The Vichy 80 were a group of elected French parliamentarians who, on 10 July 1940, voted against the constitutional change that dissolved the Third Republic and established an authoritarian regime known as Vichy France....
the grant of special powers to 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...
and the creation of the Vichy régime
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...
. As a consequence he was removed from office by the Vichy régime and interned at Saint-Paul-d'Eyjeaux
Saint-Paul, Haute-Vienne
Saint-Paul is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in west-central France.Inhabitants are known as Saint-Paulais.-References:*...
where he remained until liberated in 1944.
He was mayor of Nîmes and served in the provisional consultative and constituent assemblies from 1944 to 1946 but did not seek election to the new National Assembly of France when his term expired. Leaving politics, he moved to Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
where he worked as a writer and journalist. He died in Carcassonne and is buried in the Cimetière de la Cité there. In addition to his military honours Bruguier was an officer of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.