Jean Raoux (1916 – 11 January 2004) was a French général de brigade, who began his career during the Second World War and later fought in Indochina and Algeria.

Life

Early life

Jean Raoux was particularly noted for his knowledge of Arabic, completed by a ''

licence ès lettres A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin A ...

''. In his youth he frequently met with the writer Albert Camus in

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...

Education

* Prepara Saint-Cyr at La Corniche (Alger) * Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, promotion Marne et Verdun (1937–1939) * Breveté at the Ecole de Guerre (Doctorate in National Defence on the American defence strategy under FD Roosevelt) * Diplômé at the Ecole d'Etat-Major * Licence in Arabic (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales) * Licence in English * Licence Es lettres

Second World War

* 1939 – Sous-Lieutenant – Assigned to the Caserne de Châteauroux to train reservists before the Battle of the Ardennes * 1940 – Lieutenant – Fought in the Ardennes during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

* June 1940 – Captured by the Germans and escaped * 1941 – In the Free Zone he rejoined the 152e régiment d'infanterie * 1942 – At Clermont-Ferrand (then in the Free Zone) he married Marie-Paule Solelis (1920 – 5 October 2009) then returned to Algiers * 1942 – He joined the 16e régiment de tirailleurs algériens at Tlemcen and fought in the North African campaign * 1942 – Birth of his eldest daughter Marie-Françoise * January – May 1943: Fought against the Germans in the Tunisian campaign * 1944 – He commanded a company of the 1st demi-brigade de Zouaves * 15 August 1944 – Participated in

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil) was the code name for the landing operation of the Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15August 1944. Despite initially designed to be executed in conjunction with Operation Overlord, th ...

, landing at Cavalaire * 20 November 1944 – He actively participated in the liberation of Mulhouse under the command of Général de Lattre de Tassigny and joined the advance into Germany * February 1945 – Birth of his son Bernard * 1945 – Under the orders of Colonel de Pouilly, he joined the 1re Division Blindée at Besançon

Indochina

* 1946: Captain: 10e Promotion de l'Ecole d'Etat-Major * 17 December 1948: Birth of his daughter Catherine (married Joannidès in 1972) at Besançon * 1948–1952: Put in command of 1re région militaire * 1952–1955: Appointed to the France's High Commission to Laos; operated in Cochinchina at the head of a unit of Cambodians Also whilst in Indochina he was councillor to his majesty

Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...

, king of Cambodia, as well as Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny's personal English translator. He also met Graham Greene in Indochina and advised him on the publication of his ''

The Quiet American ''The Quiet American'' is a 1955 novel by English author Graham Greene. Narrated in the first person by journalist Thomas Fowler, the novel depicts the breakdown of French colonialism in Vietnam and early American involvement in the Vietnam W ...

''.

Algeria

* 1955–1958: Ministère des Armées, liaison officer with the British Army * 1958–1960: Chef de bataillon in the Aures * Councillor to his majesty

Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II ( ar, الحسن الثاني, translit=al-Ḥasan aṯ-ṯhānī;), with the prefix "Mulay" before his enthronement 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was the King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. He was a member of the 'Ala ...

Later career

* 1964: Ecole supérieure de guerre * 1966–1968 – Colonel: Commandement of the 75e régiment d'infanterie de ligne at Valence * 1969–1972 – Groupe d'organisation des manoeuvres nationales to the Ecole Militaire in Paris, where his son Bernard, Sous-Lieutenant joined him in the Groupe de Recherche Opérationnelle de l'Armée de Terre * 1972 – Made Général in the Conseil des Ministres

Decorations

Honours

* Officer of the Légion d'Honneur * Commander of the Ordre National du Mérite *

Croix de guerre 1939-1945 Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

(three citations) *

Croix de guerre des TOE Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

with Palm * Croix de la Valeur Militaire with Palm * Chevalier dans

l'ordre du Mérite Agricole The Order of Agricultural Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite agricole) is an order of merit bestowed by the French Republic for outstanding contributions to agriculture. When it was created in 1883, it was second in importance only to the ...

* Médaillé du Corps expéditionnaire français d'Extrême-Orient (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) * Médaillé des opérations de sécurité et de maintien de l'ordre en Algérie * Decorated in the Order of a Million Elephants (Laos)

Citations

He won six citations, of which two were in dispatches.

Tunisian campaign (citation in the divisional orders with the Croix de guerre)

French campaign (three days after entering the campaign)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raoux, Jean 1916 births 2004 deaths People from Dellys Pieds-noirs French generals French military personnel of World War II Free French military personnel of World War II French military personnel of the First Indochina War French military personnel of the Algerian War Officers of the Legion of Honour Commanders of the Ordre national du Mérite Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures Recipients of the Cross for Military Valour Knights of the Order of Agricultural Merit Emigrants from French Algeria to France