Fernand Gentin (27 September 1876 – 24 April 1946) was a French printer and Radical politician who was a deputy from 1932 to 1942.
He was Minister of PTT and then Minister of Health in 1938, and Minister of Commerce from 1938 to 1940.
In the period before
World War II
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 opposing ...
(1939–45) began he first opposed and then supported letting refugees from
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 ...
work freely in France.
In the early part of the war he promoted continued production of luxury goods to earn money for import of armaments.
After the defeat of France, he collaborated with the German occupiers as administrator and political director of a newspaper.
He was banned from public office after the
Liberation of France
The liberation of France in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance.
Nazi Germany inv ...
.
Early years (1876–1932)
Fernand Gentin was born on 27 September 1876 in Reims, Marne, son of a printer.
Gentin completed his education at the age of 20.
He worked at the printing shop for a period, then spent ten years working among peasants before succeeding his father in the family business.
He was president and chairman of the Grande Imprimerie de Troyes.
Gentin became vice chairman of the General Council of the
Aube
Aube () is a French department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. As with sixty departments in France, this department is named after a river: the Aube. With 310,242 inhabitants (2019),Troyes, and was elected in the second round.
He was elected on 8 May 1932 as deputy for
Aube
Aube () is a French department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. As with sixty departments in France, this department is named after a river: the Aube. With 310,242 inhabitants (2019),Isle-Aumont and Chairman of the General Council of the Aube.
In April 1936 ran again and was reelected in the second round for the same constituency.
He was reelected on 3 May 1936 as deputy for
Aube
Aube () is a French department in the Grand Est region of north-eastern France. As with sixty departments in France, this department is named after a river: the Aube. With 310,242 inhabitants (2019),Pierre Brossolette
Pierre Brossolette (25 June 1903 – 22 March 1944) was a French journalist, left-wing politician and major hero of the French Resistance in World War II. He ran an intelligence hub of Parisian resistance at the Rue de la Pompe, before servi ...
.
The Radicals had agreed not to oppose René Plard in the 1st district of Troyes, and in return Gentin was supported by the ''Amis du Rappel''.
Gentin was
Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
The Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, to which was later added the charge of Telephones (the position was later named "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications"), was, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of the French Posta ...
from 18 January 1938 to 13 March 1938 in the 4th cabinet of Camille Chautemps.
He was
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
from 13 March 1938 to 10 April 1938 in the 2nd cabinet of Léon Blum.
He was
Minister of Commerce
A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial polic ...
from 10 April 1938 to 20 March 1940 in the cabinet of
Édouard Daladier
Édouard Daladier (; 18 June 1884 – 10 October 1970) was a French Radical-Socialist (centre-left) politician, and the Prime Minister of France who signed the Munich Agreement before the outbreak of World War II.
Daladier was born in Carpe ...
.
At the annual Radical Party congress in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
at the end of October 1938 Gentin proposed a modern economic plan with partial funding from the state.
The plan was approved by the delegates, but two days later
Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany.
Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...
took office as Minister of Finance and rejected the plan.
With the economy still depressed, in the late 1930s there were popular demands for measures to prevent Jewish and other refugees from
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 ...
from competing with native French people.
On 17 June 1938 Gentin announced a decree that limited the right of foreigners to engage in commerce.
The local chambers of commerce had to agree that a foreign-owned enterprise was "desirable", and could limit the number of foreigners who could work in some commercial occupations.
With the growing threat of war in 1939, Gentin changed his position on refugees.
He sponsored the 21 April 1939 "Decree to Favor the Establishment in France of Industries of National Interest", which had resulted from lobbying by
Louise Weiss
Louise or Luise may refer to:
* Louise (given name)
Arts Songs
* "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005
* "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984
* "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013
* "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929
*"Louise", by Clan of ...
and the Bonnet Committee.
This would remove constraints on foreign entrepreneurs and skilled technicians, particularly those who could assist in the war industry.
He wrote, "we first of all want to make known the desire of France to facilitate the establishment on its soil of industries likely to increase in times of peace its power for expansion, and in times of war its capacity for resistance.
During
World War II
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 opposing ...
(1939–45), in October 1939 Gentin said that manufacturing for the military should not be allowed to affect production of luxury goods, since the profits from exports would offset the cost of war material imports. He said, "It is essential that we continue manufacturing export goods so that we hang on to our customers ... for when the war is over."
This reflected a belief that France had strong defenses but a weak economy, the opposite of the view of the military leaders.
Gentin visited London at the end of January 1940 and surprised his hosts by asking for removal of all obstacles to trade between Britain and France.
This resulted in a broad agreement signed on 16 February 1940.
Gentin repeated to a parliamentary committee in February 1940 that France should not give up manufacture of civilian products for export in response to an exaggerated demand for the manufacture of armaments.
Vichy France and aftermath (1940–46)
After the defeat of France, on 10 July 1940 Gentin voted in favor of granting the constitutional powers requested by Marshal
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of Worl ...
.
Gentin was retained by the
Vichy government
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 terr ...
as mayor of Isle-Aumont during the German occupation of France, and continued to run his printing house.
He also administered and gave political direction to ''Le Petit Troyen''.
He submitted to German demands that he publish their communiqués, and that the paper follow their approved line.
The paper was later described as "a clearly collaborationist organ, as much as any Paris daily".
His motives may have been as much financial as ideological.
It was said at his trial, "M. Gentin derived from his functions as political director substantial pecuniary advantages, and he also maneuvered as administrator to profit from the particular conditions created by the German occupation. This was how he increased his financial participation in the company's capital."
Due to his attitude during the occupation Gentin was arrested in December 1944 and tried by the Aube court of justice.
On 24 January 1945 the court acquitted him of the charge of endangering the security of the state, but condemned him to ten years of national degradation for collaboration.
On 10 July 1945, due to the previous court decision and on the basis that he was administrator and political director of a newspaper that put itself at the service of the enemy, a Jury of Honor confirmed his ineligibility for public office caused by his vote on 10 July 1940.
Fernand Gentin died on 24 April 1946 in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...