Claude Ribbe (born 13 October 1954) is a French writer, activist and filmmaker.

Early life and education

Ribbe was born in Paris and is alumnus of the Ecole normale superieure.

Career

Ribbe has specialised in the history of colonialism in the Caribbean. He has also been active in promoting civil rights in France for people of ethnic African and Caribbean origin. Through his books and films, he has supported the recognition of figures such as

Eugene Bullard Eugene Jacques Bullard (born Eugene James Bullard; October 9, 1895 – October 12, 1961) was one of the first black American military pilots, although Bullard flew for France, not the United States. Bullard was one of the few black combat pilo ...

Chevalier de Saint-George Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (25 December 1745 – 10 June 1799), was a French Creole (people), Creole virtuoso violinist and composer, who was conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris. Saint-Georges was born in the ...

, and

Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (; known as Alexandre Dumas; 25 March 1762 – 26 February 1806) was a Creole general, from The French colony of Saint-Domingue, in Revolutionary France. Along with his French contemporary Jo ...

, who was the first black man to be promoted to general in the French Army in 1793. In his book '' Le Crime de Napoleon'' (2005), Ribbe accused

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

of having used

sulphur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activ ...

gas for the mass execution of more than 100,000 rebellious black

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

s when trying to put down slave rebellions in

Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1804. The name derives from the Spanish main city in the island, Santo Domingo, which came to refer ...

(now Haiti) and

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

. He said this was a model for

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

nearly 140 years later.

Books

* ''Le Cri du Centaure'' (2001) * ''Alexandre Dumas, le dragon de la Reine'' (2002) * ''L'Expedition'' (2003) * ''Le chevalier de Saint-George'' (2004) * ''Une Saison en Irak'' (2005) * ''Le Crime de Napoleon'' (2005) * ''Les Nègres de la République'' (2007) * ''Le Nègre vous emmerde'' (2008) * ''Le Diable Noir'' (2008) * ''Mémoires du Chevalier de Saint-George'' (2010) * ''Eugene Bullard'' (2012) * ''Une autre histoire'' (2016)

Films

* ''Le Diable Noir'' (2009) * ''The Legendary Chevalier de Saint-George'' (2011) * ''Eugene Bullard'' (2013)

References

École Normale Supérieure alumni 1954 births French people of Guadeloupean descent Living people French male writers {{Guadeloupe-bio-stub