Henry Charbonneau
Encyclopedia
Henry Charbonneau (born 12 December 1913 in Saint-Maixent-l'École
, Deux-Sèvres
- died 2 January 1983 in La Roche-sur-Yon
) was a French
far right
politician and writer.
The son of a soldier, Charbonneau initially came to political activism as a member of the Action Française
before embarking on a varied career with a number of far right groups. A close associate of Jean Filliol
, he followed him into the Camelots du Roi militia group before, in 1930, becoming the co-editor of the journal La France Ouvrière with Henry Coston
. His next stop in 1932 was the Ligue des Contributables, one of the Far right leagues
that, with its anti-tax message, pre-empted the later Poujadist movement. He then became a supporter of Eugène Deloncle
and in 1937 joined La Cagoule
.
Charbonneau dropped out of politics in 1939 when he enlisted in the 1st Regiment of Zouaves. He returned to France in 1941 and joined Deloncle's Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire
and soon became a member of the Filiol tendency that turned against Deloncle in 1942. Losing interest in the group, he enlisted in Milice
, which was commanded by his uncle by marriage Joseph Darnand
and took over editing duties on their journal Combats. The journal appeared weekly, initially in Vichy
and then in Paris
. Despite this Charbonneau was not overly enthusiastic about the existence of the Milice, and encouraged members to enlist in the Waffen-SS
and serve on then Eastern Front. He fled to Germany
in 1944 and from his base in Berlin
he served the Nazi Party as a propagandist before fleeing first to Milan
and finally to Switzerland
from where he was extradited to France.
Charbonneau spent a while in prison for collaborationism
but returned to writing upon his release, with his material featuring in a number of far right journals. In his later years he was a member of both Ordre Nouveau
and Parti des forces nouvelles
.
Saint-Maixent-l'École
Saint-Maixent-l'École is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.-Geography:Saint-Maixent-l'École is located in the Haut Val de Sèvre area of western France, about from Niort and from La Rochelle...
, Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
- died 2 January 1983 in La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...
) was a French
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...
politician and writer.
The son of a soldier, Charbonneau initially came to political activism as a member of the 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...
before embarking on a varied career with a number of far right groups. A close associate of Jean Filliol
Jean Filliol
Jean Filliol was a French militant, who was active in La Cagoule before the Second World War. After the war, he fled to Spain, where he worked for the local office of L'Oréal....
, he followed him into the Camelots du Roi militia group before, in 1930, becoming the co-editor of the journal La France Ouvrière with Henry Coston
Henry Coston
Henry Coston was a French far right and anti-Semitic journalist, collaborationist and conspiracy theorist....
. His next stop in 1932 was the Ligue des Contributables, one of the Far right leagues
Far right leagues
The Far right leagues were several French far right movements opposed to parliamentarism, which mainly dedicated themselves to military parades, street brawls, demonstrations and riots. The term ligue was often used in the 1930s to distinguish these political movements from parliamentary parties...
that, with its anti-tax message, pre-empted the later Poujadist movement. He then became a supporter of Eugène Deloncle
Eugène Deloncle
Eugène Deloncle was a French engineer and Fascist leader, and the adoptive father of Jacques Corrèze....
and in 1937 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...
.
Charbonneau dropped out of politics in 1939 when he enlisted in the 1st Regiment of Zouaves. He returned to France in 1941 and joined Deloncle's Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire
Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire
The Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire was a Fascist movement founded in France in September 1940. Its founder was Eugène Deloncle, who was previously associated with La Cagoule ....
and soon became a member of the Filiol tendency that turned against Deloncle in 1942. Losing interest in the group, he enlisted in Milice
Milice
The Milice française , generally called simply Milice, was a paramilitary force created on January 30, 1943 by the Vichy Regime, with German aid, to help fight the French Resistance. The Milice's formal leader was Prime Minister Pierre Laval, though its chief of operations, and actual leader, was...
, which was commanded by his uncle by marriage Joseph Darnand
Joseph Darnand
Joseph Darnand was a French soldier and later a leader of the Vichy French collaborators with Nazi Germany....
and took over editing duties on their journal Combats. The journal appeared weekly, initially in Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
and then 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...
. Despite this Charbonneau was not overly enthusiastic about the existence of the Milice, and encouraged members to enlist in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
and serve on then Eastern Front. He fled 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...
in 1944 and from his base in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
he served the Nazi Party as a propagandist before fleeing first to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and finally to 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....
from where he was extradited to France.
Charbonneau spent a while in prison for collaborationism
Collaborationism
Collaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
but returned to writing upon his release, with his material featuring in a number of far right journals. In his later years he was a member of both Ordre Nouveau
Ordre Nouveau
Ordre Nouveau may refer to:*Ordre Nouveau *Ordre Nouveau *Ordre Nouveau...
and Parti des forces nouvelles
Parti des forces nouvelles
Parti des forces nouvelles or Party of New Forces was a French far right political party formed in November 1974 from the Comité faire front, a group of anti-Jean-Marie Le Pen dissidents who had split from the National Front .-Development:...
.