Claude Jeantet (12 July 1902 – 16 May 1982) was a French journalist and

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

politician.

Biography

Jeantet was born at

Pomponne Pomponne () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. The inhabitants are called ''Pomponnais''. History On 23 December 1933, the second worst train accident in France occurred in Pompo ...

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne (river), Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square ...

, the son of poet Félix Jeantet and brother of fellow extreme rightist

Gabriel Jeantet Gabriel Jeantet (3 April 1906 – 1 December 1978) was a French far-right activist, journalist and polemicist. Active before, during and after the Second World War, Jeantet's links to François Mitterrand became a source of controversy during the ...

. He studied under philosopher

Léon Brunschvicg Léon Brunschvicg (; 10 November 1869 – 18 January 1944) was a French Idealist philosopher. He co-founded the ''Revue de métaphysique et de morale'' with Xavier Leon and Élie Halévy in 1893. Life He was born into a Jewish family. From ...

at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

Philip Rees Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right. Works *'' Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester Pr ...

(1990) ''

Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 The ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890. It contains entries for what the author regards as "the 500 major figures on the ...

'', Simon & Schuster, p. 197, He joined the student movement of

Action Française Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 f ...

in 1919, taking over the editorship of their eponymous paper in 1923, although he severed his ties with the group in 1930. He worked for the publishing house

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

and was for a time associated with the historian and rightist

Pierre Gaxotte Pierre Gaxotte (19 November 1895 – 21 November 1982) was a French historian. Gaxotte was born in Revigny-sur-Ornain, Meuse. He began his career as a history teacher at the Lycée Charlemagne and later worked as a columnist for ''Le Figaro''. Ove ...

, whilst also spending brief periods as a member of both

La Cagoule La Cagoule (''The Cowl'', press nickname coined by the ''Action Française'' nationalist Maurice Pujo), originally called the ''Organisation secrète d'action révolutionnaire nationale'' (Osarn or OSAR; Secret Organisation for revolutionary nat ...

and

Croix-de-Feu , logo = Croix de Feu.svg , logo_size = 200px , leader1_title = President , leader1_name = François de La Rocque , foundation = 11 November 1927 , dissolution = 10 January 1936 , successor = F ...

before, in 1934, becoming close to Paul Marion and the neosocialists. In keeping with his shifting loyalties Jeantet also wrote for a number of journals, including ''Candide'', ''

Je suis partout ''Je suis partout'' (, lit. ''I am everywhere'') was a French newspaper founded by , first published on 29 November 1930. It was placed under the direction of Pierre Gaxotte until 1939. Journalists of the paper included Lucien Rebatet, , the illus ...

'' and ''Le Petit Journal''. His main writing topics were his opposition to

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

and his desire for a

rapprochement In international relations, a rapprochement, which comes from the French word ''rapprocher'' ("to bring together"), is a re-establishment of cordial relations between two countries. This may be done due to a mutual enemy, as was the case with Germ ...

with

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and indeed in 1936 he attended the

Nuremberg Rally The Nuremberg Rallies (officially ', meaning ''Reich Party Congress'') refer to a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party in Germany. The first rally held took place in 1923. This rally was not particularly large or impactful; ...

. Following his spell in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Jeantet joined the

Parti Populaire Français The French Popular Party (french: Parti populaire français) was a French fascist and anti-semitic political party led by Jacques Doriot before and during World War II. It is generally regarded as the most collaborationist party of France. ...

(PPF) as a central committee member.

(1990) ''

'', Simon & Schuster, p. 198, He was added to the Politburo of the party in 1938 as one of a number of

anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

new members. He also served as diplomatic editor of their paper ''L'Émancipation nationale'', which was under the overall control of

Maurice-Yvan Sicard Maurice-Ivan Sicard (nom de plume Saint-Paulien; 21 May 1910 in Le Puy-en-Velay – 10 December 2000) was a French journalist, far right political activist, and Nazi collaborator. Biography Initially a teacher and journalist for such mainstream ...

. With the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Jeantet became a prominent voice against the conflict, with his writings – along with those of the likes of Drieu la Rochelle and Alfred Fabre-Luce – enough to see PPF paper ''La Liberte'' banned for defeatism.Jean-Baptiste Duroselle (2004) ''France and the Nazi Threat: The Collapse of French Diplomacy'', Enigma Books, p. 296, Following the establishment of

Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

Jeantet served that regime as head of their Foreign Press Service and as editor of ''

Le Petit Parisien ''Le Petit Parisien'' was a prominent French newspaper during the French Third Republic. It was published between 1876 and 1944, and its circulation was over two million after the First World War. Publishing Despite its name, the paper was circu ...

'', which by then was the mouthpiece of the government. He fled to Germany in 1944 and attempted to continue publishing ''Le Petit Parisien'', but was soon captured and sent back to France where he was sentenced to hard labour for life for his

collaborationism Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime, and in the words of historian Gerhard Hirschfeld, "is as old as war and the occupation of foreign territory". The term ''collaborator'' dates to t ...

. Despite his life sentence Jeantet was released after a few years and he returned to political involvement. Taking up his pen once again he wrote for a number of far right journals, including the

monarchist Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...

papers ''La France Réelle'' from 1951 and ''Aspects de la France'' from 1956 to 1965. He also became a vocal supporter of

Poujadism Pierre Poujade (; 1 December 1920 – 27 August 2003) was a French populist politician after whom the Poujadist movement was named. Biography Pierre Poujade was born in Saint-Céré (Le Lot), France, and studied at Collège Saint-Eugène d'Aur ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeantet, Claude 1902 births 1982 deaths People from Seine-et-Marne French fascists French collaborators with Nazi Germany People affiliated with Action Française University of Paris alumni French Popular Party politicians French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French journalists 20th-century French male writers