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Pierre Brossolette (25 June 1903 – 22 March 1944) was a French journalist, left-wing politician and major hero of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

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 ...

. He ran an intelligence hub of Parisian resistance at the

Rue de la Pompe Rue de la Pompe is a street in Paris, France, which was named after the pump which served water to the castle of Muette. With a length of 1690 metres, Rue de la Pompe is one of the longest streets in the 16th arrondissement. It runs from ''Avenue ...

, before serving as a liaison officer in London, where he also was a radio anchor for the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

. Arrested in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

as he was trying to reach the UK on a mission back from France alongside

Émile Bollaert Émile Bollaert (13 November 1890 – 18 May 1978) was French High Commissioner of Indochina from 5 March 1947 to 19 October 1948. He was one of the senators elected by the National Assembly who held office during the French Fourth Republic ...

, Brossolette was taken into custody by the ''

Sicherheitsdienst ' (, ''Security Service''), full title ' (Security Service of the '' Reichsführer-SS''), or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Established in 1931, the SD was the first Nazi intelligence organization ...

''. He tried to commit suicide by jumping out of a window at their headquarters on

84 Avenue Foch 84 Avenue Foch (german: Avenue Foch vierundachtzig) was the Parisian headquarters of the '' Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD), the counter-intelligence branch of the SS during the German occupation of Paris in World War II. Avenue Foch is a wide res ...

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 ...

as he feared he would reveal the lengths of French Resistance networks under torture. He died of his wounds at

Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital (french: Hôpital universitaire la Pitié-Salpêtrière, ) is a teaching hospital in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Part of the and a teaching hospital of Sorbonne University. History The Salpêtri� ...

later that day. In 2015, his ashes were transferred to the

Panthéon The Panthéon (, from the Classical Greek word , , ' empleto all the gods') is a monument in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It stands in the Latin Quarter, atop the , in the centre of the , which was named after it. The edifice was b ...

with national honours at the request of President François Hollande, alongside politician Jean Zay and fellow Resistance members

Germaine Tillion Germaine Tillion (30 May 1907 – 18 April 2008) was a French ethnologist, best known for her work in Algeria in the 1950s on behalf of the French government. A member of the French resistance, she spent time in the Ravensbrück concentration ...

and Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz.

Biography

Education and journalism

Pierre Brossolette was born in the 16th arrondissement of Paris to a family deeply involved in the fights for laic schools in early 20th century France. His father was Léon Brossolette, General Inspector for Primary Education; he was the nephew of Francisque Vial, Director of Secondary Education, responsible for making secondary education free in France. Brossolette ranked first at the entrance examination to the prestigious

École Normale Supérieure École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, S ...

; throughout his education held the title of " cacique" which was internally attributed to the most brilliant student, ahead of intellectuals such as philosopher

Vladimir Jankélévitch Vladimir Jankélévitch (; 31 August 1903 – 6 June 1985) was a French philosopher and musicologist. Biography Jankélévitch was the son of Russian Jewish parents, who had emigrated to France. In 1922 he started studying philosophy at the Éco ...

and two years before

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...

and

Raymond Aron Raymond Claude Ferdinand Aron (; 14 March 1905 – 17 October 1983) was a French philosopher, sociologist, political scientist, historian and journalist, one of France's most prominent thinkers of the 20th century. Aron is best known for his 19 ...

. In 1925 he graduated second to Georges Bidault after a small scandal on the dissertation themes for the final examination. His passion for history had led him to choose this "'' agrégation''" instead of the more usual and prestigious philosophy one. During this time and whilst he was in his military service, he married Gilberte Bruel and had two children, Anne and Claude. Instead of pursuing an academic career like most ''normaliens'', he longed for action and decided to enter journalism and politics. He joined the

Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was foun ...

(SFIO), the main socialist party, in 1929, adhered to the LDH and LICA league and entered

freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. He worked as a journalist for ''Notre Temps'', ''L'Europe Nouvelle'', the party newspaper ''Le Populaire'' and the state-owned Radio PTT but was fired when he violently opposed the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

on air in 1939. In his newspaper columns, Brossolette had evolved from a resolute pacifist and europeanist, after

Aristide Briand Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...

's ideals, to a denunciator of both fascism and communism.

Resistance activities

When World War II broke out, he joined the army as a lieutenant of the 5th régiment d'infanterie; before the fall of France, he reached the rank of captain receiving two citations for the French War Cross for having retreated his battalion in an orderly way. After the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

, when the Vichy regime forbade him to teach, Brossolette and his wife took over a bookstore specialised in Russian literature at the

near

Lycée Janson-de-Sailly Lycée Janson de Sailly is a ''lycée'' located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. The ''lycéens'' of Janson are called ''les jansoniens'' and they usually refer to their high school as Janson, or JdS. It is the biggest academic inst ...

, where he had attended high school. The bookstore became an intelligence hub of Parisian resistance where documents, such as

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...

factory plans used for its bombing, were exchanged unnoticed, thanks to the extensive library available underground. He was a popular voice on the radio before the war and his chronicles on Hitler's rise led to being blacklisted early in the 1930s by the Nazis. It did not take long before he was approached by his friend

Agnès Humbert Agnès Humbert (12 October 1894 – 19 September 1963) was an art historian, ethnographer and a member of the French Resistance during World War II. She has become well known through the publication of a translation of the diary of her experience ...

and introduced to

Jean Cassou Jean Cassou (9 July 1897 – 15 January 1986) was a French writer, art critic, poet, member of the French Resistance during World War II and the first Director of the Musée national d'Art moderne in Paris. Biography Jean Cassou was born at Bi ...

and the ''

Groupe du musée de l'Homme The ''Groupe du musée de l'Homme'' (French for 'Group of the Museum of Man') was a movement in the French resistance to the German occupation during the Second World War. In July 1940, after the Appeal of 18 June from Charles de Gaulle, a resis ...

'', the very first resistance network. He just had time to produce the last issue of the newsletter ''Résistance'' before narrowly escaping its dismantlement. By then assuming a pivotal role in the ZO (''Zone Occupée'') Resistance, Brossolette coordinated contacts between groups such as Libération-Nord from

Christian Pineau Christian Pineau (; 14 October 1904, in Chaumont-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne, France – 5 April 1995, in Paris) was a noted French Resistance fighter, who later served an important term as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1956 through 1958. Life ...

, the Organisation Civile et Militaire (OCM) and Comité d'Action Socialiste (CAS). He finally obtained a liaison with London and General Charles de Gaulle when he was hired by conservative Gilbert Renault also known as Colonel Rémy as press and propaganda manager of Confrérie Notre-Dame (CND), by then the most important network in Northern France. In April 1942, Brossolette met De Gaulle in London as representative of the ZO Resistance and was hired to work on bringing political credibility to De Gaulle to back his recognition as the only

Free French Forces __NOTOC__ The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...

leader by the Allies in his feud against

Henri Giraud Henri Honoré Giraud (18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French general and a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944. Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from ...

in Algiers. At the same time, he was promoted to major (''commandant'') and awarded ''

Compagnon de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

''. Brossolette created the civilian arm of the BCRAM intelligence service, which became the

Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action The Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (, Central Bureau of Intelligence and Operations), abbreviated BCRA, was the World War II-era forerunner of the SDECE, the French intelligence service. The BCRA was created by the Free French chief- ...

(BCRA), in liaison with the RF section of the British side,

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...

(SOE). Strong ties of camaraderie were forged between Brossolette (codenamed Brumaire, also known as Commandant Bourgat), BCRA's chief

André Dewavrin André Dewavrin DSO, MC (9 June 1911 – 20 December 1998) was a French officer who served with Free French Forces intelligence services during World War II. Biography He was born in Paris, the son of a businessman. He graduated as an ar ...

(codenamed Arquebuse, also known as Colonel Passy) and SOE's Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas (codenamed Shelley, also known as The White Rabbit). De Gaulle set up his Free French intelligence system to combine both military and political roles, including covert operations. The policy was reversed in 1943 by

Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie (6 January 190012 June 1969) was a French journalist, politician and member of the French Resistance. Biography Born in Paris, he attended the Naval Academy but resigned from the French Navy in 1923. He became a ...

(1900–1969), the Interior Minister, who insisted on civilian control of political intelligence. The three friends were sent on a mission to France and united, under the CCZN (''Comité de Coordination de Zone Nord''), the various ZO Resistance groups which had been thoroughly divided by political views, including the communist-led

Front National The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as far-right: Academic: ...

(mission Arquebuse-Brumaire); they were thus instrumental in the merging with the ZL (''Zone Libre'') Resistance similarly united by

Jean Moulin Jean Pierre Moulin (; 20 June 1899 – 8 July 1943) was a French civil servant and French Resistance, resistant who served as the first President of the National Council of the Resistance during World War II from 27 May 1943 until his death less ...

under the MUR. This led to the creation of the

Conseil National de la Résistance The National Council of the Resistance (also, National Resistance Council; in French: ''Conseil National de la Résistance'' (CNR), was the body that directed and coordinated the different movements of the French Resistance: the press, trade uni ...

(CNR) by Moulin through the addition of the political parties and unions and ultimately to De Gaulle's unequivocal recognition as

Free France Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

's political representative to the Allies. During this time, Pierre Brossolette resumed his radio chronicles on BBC with high-profile speeches to the "army of shadows", replacing

Maurice Schumann Maurice Schumann (; 10 April 1911 – 9 February 1998) was a French politician, journalist, writer, and hero of the Second World War who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Georges Pompidou from 22 June 1969 to 15 March 1973. Schumann w ...

as anchor (38 times). In a speech at the Albert Hall on 18 June 1943, he famously praised the ''soutiers de la gloire'' (or "stokers of glory") in a reference to the fallen anonymous soldiers and resistants. Brossolette also resumed his newspaper work through a series of articles on France's situation, including one in ''

La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du R ...

'' considered by many to be the doctrinal founding of the '' Gaullisme de guerre'' movement.

Politics

In addition to journalism, Pierre Brossolette was also a politician. He was a protégé of Léon Blum and was considered an up-and-coming star of the SFIO party, running elections on his Troyes (Champagne) base. He assumed cabinet functions during the

Popular Front A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault". More generally, it is "a coalition ...

government and as a political pundit on official Radio PTT he was considered the ''de facto'' foreign policy spokesman of the socialist government. Already calling for deep rejuvenation of the political class before the war, he attributed French defeat in 1940 to the corrupt political system of the Third Republic. As he politically structured the Parisian resistance, Brossolette succeeded in convincing the network leaders to create a temporary Resistance Party under De Gaulle's leadership after the war, focused on promoting ambitious social transformations while avoiding the predictable enmity and chaos of post-Liberation times. This political and social plan, including nationalisations and price controls, inspired the March 1944

Conseil national de la Résistance The National Council of the Resistance (also, National Resistance Council; in French: ''Conseil National de la Résistance'' (CNR), was the body that directed and coordinated the different movements of the French Resistance: the press, trade uni ...

programme and was implemented after war. Brossolette's criticism of the old parliamentarian system, together with the role of communist networks inside the CNR, became the main point of disagreement with his southern counterpart

. His desire to disband all the old parties through a complete reshuffle of ideological lines logically brought him into conflict with the party leaders. As a result, he was excluded from the newly reconstituted SFIO party by

Daniel Mayer Daniel Raphaël Mayer (29 April 1909 – 29 December 1996) was a French politician and a member of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) and president of the ''Ligue des droits de l'homme'' (LDH, Human Rights League) from 195 ...

and

Gaston Defferre Gaston Defferre (14 September 1910 – 7 May 1986) was a French Socialist politician. He served as mayor of Marseille for 33 years until his death in 1986. He was minister for overseas territories in Guy Mollet’s socialist government in 1956� ...

a few days before being arrested, although the decision to remove him from the party was never enforced and was actually forgotten. Despite this, most of his ideas were implemented in 1958 when De Gaulle established the Fifth Republic and established a presidentialist system based around his

Rally of the French People The Rally of the French People (french: Rassemblement du Peuple Français, RPF) was a French political party, led by Charles de Gaulle. Foundation The RPF was founded by Charles de Gaulle in Strasbourg on 14 April 1947, one year after his resign ...

(RPF) party. However, De Gaulle was pushed in the short term to decide in favour of Jean Moulin's proposal as he still struggled to show the Allies (Americans in particular) that he was not a dictator. Brossolette's ideas of a Resistance party raised many opponents' fears of a " bonapartian" drift, especially among fellow socialists in London including

Pierre Cot Pierre Jules Cot (20 November 1895, in Grenoble – 21 August 1977, Paris), was a French politician and leading figure in the Popular Front government of the 1930s. Born in Grenoble into a conservative Catholic family, he entered politics as a ...

and

. This seemed to be confirmed to his detractors' eyes when Brossolette succeeded a bold blow against the Vichy regime by exfiltrating from France

Charles Vallin Charles Vallin (1903–1948) was a French politician. Early life Charles Vallin was born on 3 July 1903 in Saint-Mihiel, Meuse, France. Career He joined the Croix-de-Feu and later, the French Social Party, a conservative political party. H ...

, deputy leader of conservative

French Social Party , logo = French Social Party emblem.svg , leader1_title = President , leader1_name = François de La Rocque , foundation = , dissolution = , predecessor = Croix-de-Feu , headquarters = Rue de Milan, P ...

(PSF) that had surged as the main French party with over 30% at pre-war elections, but deemed proto-fascist by the left. Hence the French Fourth Republic eventually reverted to the Third Republic's pre-war parliamentarist system. During his last missions, Brossolette worked on creating a new party that could be the major force of the left. He was inspired by the British Labour Party, utilising a non-Marxist or, at least, reformist approach (thus effectively challenging the French

Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...

). For that, he spent his last days writing an ambitious critique of Marx's political philosophy as a by-product of 18th-century rationalism that would provide the theoretical framework for this party. Unfortunately, at the time of his arrest the manuscripts were thrown overboard at sea over Brittany shores.

Arrest

Brossolette returned to Paris for a third mission to reorganise the Parisian resistance which was in disarray after successive Gestapo raids, especially by CND's dismantling. By then, his role and importance was already well known to the SS

Intelligence Services An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, public safety, and foreign policy objectives. Means of informatio ...

after Moulin's death and despite De Gaulle's clear reluctance to appoint him as substitute CNR chief. He escaped arrest many times and was summoned to return to Britain by late 1943 to introduce the newly appointed CNR chief,

, to De Gaulle. The bad winter weather cancelled many

Lysander Lysander (; grc-gre, Λύσανδρος ; died 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an en ...

exfiltration attempts (conducted only under moonlight) or Lysanders would be shot down as in a December attempt near

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. ...

, so in February 1944, they decided to return by boat from Brittany. However, the vessel, hit by a storm, shipwrecked at

Pointe du Raz The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France. The local Breton name is ''Beg ar Raz''. It is the western point of the ''commune'' of Plogoff, Finistère. It is named after the ''Raz de Sein' ...

. They managed to reach the coast and to be hidden by local Resistance, but were betrayed by a local woman at a checkpoint. Bollaert and Brossolette were not identified and were kept imprisoned in Rennes for weeks. F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas, when informed of Brossolette's capture, decided to be immediately parachuted onto the continent and organise his escape. Nevertheless, they were recognised before the planned action and taken to the Intelligence Services (''Sicherheitsdienst'') headquarters on

Avenue Foch Avenue Foch () is an avenue in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, named after World War I Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1929. It is one of the most prestigious streets in Paris, and one of the most expensive addresses in the world, home to ...

by senior SD officer

Ernst Misselwitz Ernst Misselwitz (31 August 1909 –?) was an SS-''Hauptscharführer'' who worked for the Gestapo (Secret State Police). He became head of the unit IV E of the RSHA - Reich Security Main Office of the Paris Gestapo. In 1952 he was found guilty ...

in person on 19 March. It was recently confirmed that he was identified by a semi-coded report to London from CNR's Claude Bouchinet-Serreules and

Jacques Bingen Jacques Bingen (16 March 1908 – 12 May 1944) was a high-ranking member of the French Resistance during World War II who, when captured by the Gestapo, chose to commit suicide rather than risk divulging what he knew under torture. Early life Bin ...

written by the services of

Daniel Cordier Daniel Cordier (10 August 1920 – 20 November 2020) was a French Resistance fighter, historian and art dealer. As a member of the Camelots du Roi, he engaged with Free France in June 1940. He was secretary to Jean Moulin from 1942 to 1943, and ...

intercepted at the Pyrenees, tragically self-fulfilling the severe criticism of Brossolette and Yeo-Thomas about the lack of prudence inside the Parisian ''Délégation générale''. Yeo-Thomas himself would be captured as he prepared a bold escape from Rennes Prison wearing German uniforms with the help of

Brigitte Friang Brigitte Friang (23 January 1924 – 6 March 2011) was a French journalist and writer. Friang was born in Paris in 1924 and immediately after leaving school in Paris in 1943 joined the French resistance.Friang (1958), 12–24. Working in the same ...

. Both Yeo-Thomas and Friang were captured before planned action as many Parisian networks were dismantled following the so-called "Rue de la Pompe affair" (after the location of the ''Delegation générale'') and Pierre Manuel's avows.

Torture and death

Plaque pelouse Pierre-Brossolette, avenue Foch, Paris 16e

Brossolette was tortured at

in Paris, enduring severe beatings and

waterboarding Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method of waterboard ...

s over a two-and-a-half-day period. On 22 March, whilst he was left alone and recovered some consciousness, he threw himself through the window of the garret room of the building's sixth floor. Since he had not swallowed his cyanide capsule when captured in Rennes, he was afraid of implicating others and probably chose to silence himself. There was a widespread belief among resistants that it was difficult, if not impossible, not to speak under torture. He died later in the evening at

. On 24 March, he was cremated at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...

. His ashes were kept at Père Lachaise Cemetery's ''columbarium'', urn 3913 according to official cemetery records. Brossolette's reportedly last words were enigmatic: "all will be fine Tuesday".

Posterity

From after the war until the late 1950s, Brossolette was considered the main leader of the French Resistance, though many were claimed heroes by their political family (such as

Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves Honoré is a name of French origin and may refer to several people or places: Given name Sovereigns of Monaco Lords of Monaco * Honoré I of Monaco Princes of Monaco * Honoré II of Monaco * Honoré III of Monaco * Honoré IV of Monaco * Honor� ...

by royalists and

Gabriel Péri Gabriel Péri (Peri) (9 February 1902 — 15 December 1941) was a prominent French Communist journalist and politician, and member of the French Resistance. He was executed in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Early life Péri was ...

by communists). Brossolette's fame was helped by his media notoriety before the war on Radio-PTT and on wartime BBC emissions, his networking role that made his name or codename known and remembered over almost every Resistance member in northern France and by flattering early accounts of BCRA's chief Passy in his memoirs although he had also created, through his independent position and sarcastic wit, many enemies among party leaders, Gaullists, communists and even socialists that survived him. De Gaulle himself thought otherwise and as he started writing his memoirs on 1954 and later assumed power, he attributed the main leading role to his by-then relatively unknown representative

rather than field leaders as De Gaulle emphasized the top-down unification work that objectively allowed him to be recognized by the Allies. This was formalized in 1964 by the transfer of Moulin's ashes to the

, and backed by an emotional speech by

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and Minister of Culture (France), minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' (Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Go ...

. With time, Brossolette was relegated to a second place and became the hero of his party SFIO while Moulin came to symbolize the myth of the French Resistance unity while the country struggled with the Algerian war and as De Gaulle tried to avoid civil war calling for union while noticing the growing popular clout of the Resistance legend on the postwar imagination. Later, Brossolette's memory suffered another blow when the 1981-elected socialist president François Mitterrand chose to honour Moulin at a Panthéon investiture ceremony instead of rehabilitating Brossolette's role. This further enhanced his relegation - even inside the socialist political family, as evidenced by the modest celebrations of his birth centenary in 2003 and the SFIO/PS centenary. At the time, a senior party official

Harlem Désir Harlem Jean-Philippe Désir (; born 25 November 1959) is a French politician who served in the government of France as Secretary of State for European Affairs from 2014 to 2017. Previously he was First Secretary of the French Socialist Party. Sin ...

(currently secretary-general of the PS) anecdotally told that the most important figure of the party's century was Jean Moulin - who actually never was a party member and deemed instead close to the Radical Party. Since then, he has been fairly better remembered than heroes such as Bingen,

Jean Cavaillès Jean Cavaillès (; ; 15 May 1903 – 4 April 1944) was a French philosopher and logician who specialized in philosophy of mathematics and philosophy of science. He took part in the French Resistance within the '' Libération'' movement and was a ...

Berty Albrecht Berty Albrecht (15 February 1893 – 31 May 1943) was a French feminist and Resistance martyr. Life Albrecht was born Berthe Wild in Marseilles on 15 February 1893 to a middle-class Protestant family. She married the Dutch banker Frédéric Al ...

or important leaders such as

Henri Frenay Henri Frenay Sandoval (1905–1988) was a French military officer and French Resistance member. He was born in Lyon, France, on 11 November 1905, into a Catholic family with a military tradition. He studied the Germanic languages at the Universit ...

, but overall eclipsed by Moulin's popularity. More recently in 2013, a support committee presided by historian Mona Ozouf was set up in order to bid for the transfer of Pierre Brossolette's ashes to the

, backed by an internet petition at the committee's site. On 21 February 2014, France's President François Hollande announced the transfer of Pierre Brossolette's ashes to the Panthéon with 3 other resistants Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion, as well as a former pre-war Minister Jean Zay. Brossolette's ashes were kept at the columbarium of

(urns 3902 or 3913) until his entrance to the Panthéon, which was celebrated on 27 May 2015.

Homages

In France today, Brossolette's name is better known than the man himself or his life achievements, thanks to the great number of streets - nearly 500 out of which 127 in Greater Paris, schools and public facilities bearing it (see below). His widow Gilberte was prominent in relaying his political ideas. In the 1950s, she was the first woman to enter – and, as vice-president, occasionally preside over – the French Senate. In Paris, a small street in the ''

Quartier Latin The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros ...

'' between Rue Érasme and Rue

Calvin Calvin may refer to: Names * Calvin (given name) ** Particularly Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States * Calvin (surname) ** Particularly John Calvin, theologian Places In the United States * Calvin, Arkansas, a hamlet * Calvi ...

, near École Normale Supérieure, was christened Rue Pierre-Brossolette in 1944 as among the very few celebrating a 20th-century person, together with Pierre and

Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

. A notable exception is Lyon, probably illustrating the rivalries between the two Zones as conversely no street in Paris had been christened after Jean Moulin until 1965. Buildings in Paris such as the former bookstore and nearby ''Lycée'' Janson de Sailly's court at

, the residence at Rue de Grenelle, his birthplace at rue Michel-Ange, the ''Maison'' de Radio France and the

Ministry of the Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministr ...

's court at

Rue des Saussaies Rue des Saussaies is a short (50m long) street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris that adjoins the Ministry of the Interior. It begins at place Beauvau and finishes at place Saussaies. At number 10, lived the comte de Ségur, Napoleon I ...

all feature commemorative plaques and his name is mentioned on a floor plaque at the Panthéon. In Narbonne plage, a unique aeolian memorial attests to his popularity in the early postwar years and marks the place of his exfiltration by

felucca A felucca ( ar, فلوكة, falawaka, possibly originally from Greek , ) is a traditional wooden sailing boat used in the eastern Mediterranean—including around Malta and Tunisia—in Egypt and Sudan (particularly along the Nile and in protect ...

Seadog. In Saint-Saëns, a stele commemorates the first Lysander exfiltration to London and nearby

Plogoff Plogoff (; br, Plougoñ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It contains three small ports suitable for small vessels: Pors-Loubous, Feunten-Aod and Bestrée. Local industries include tourism, traditi ...

another marks the failed Brittany exfiltration attempt. Brossolette was also featured in the first series of Heroes of the Resistance by French PTT in 1957. The Saint-Cyr Military Academy ROTC Class of 2004 was christened after Brossolette, and a class song was created for the occasion. The masonic Grande Loge de France named its cultural circle after

Condorcet Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis of Condorcet (; 17 September 1743 – 29 March 1794), known as Nicolas de Condorcet, was a French philosopher and mathematician. His ideas, including support for a liberal economy, free and equal pu ...

-Brossolette.

Military honours

* First '' Croix de Guerre 1939-1945'' with bronze star (1940). * ''

'', by decree of October 17, 1942, and named member of ''

Ordre de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

'' Council. * '' Croix de guerre 1939-1945'' with silver-gilt palm (1943) * ''

Médaille de la Résistance The Resistance Medal (french: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 ...

'' with ''rosette''. * Knight of ''Légion d'honneur''.

Operations and missions

* 27 April 1942, Saint-Saëns (near Rouen), first exfiltration * 3 June 1942, Chalon-sur-Saône, blind dropping (single) * Operation Leda, 5 September 1942, Narbonne, second exfiltration, felucca Seadog * Operation Atala, 26 January 1943, Le Grand-Malleray (near Bourges), dropping (single) * Mission Arquebuse-Brumaire, Jan–April 1943 * Operation Liberté/Juliette, 15 April 1943, third exfiltration, Lysander (with André Dewavrin and F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas) * Trip to Algiers, 13 August – 3 September 1943 * Operation Bomb, 18 September 1943, Angoulême, Lysander (with F. F. E. Yeo-Thomas) * Mission Marie-Claire, Sept–Feb 1944 * Operation Sten, 10 December 1944, near Laon, cancelled (Lysander shot down)

Notes

References

* René Ozouf, ''Pierre Brossolette, héros de la résistance'', librairie Gedalge, 1946. * Colonel Passy, ''Souvenirs'' - Tome 1 : ''2e bureau, Londres (1940-1941)'', Raoul Solar, 1947 - Tome 2 : ''10, Duke Street, Londres (le B.C.R.A)'', Raoul Solar, 1951 - Tome 3 : ''Missions secrètes en France (novembre 1942-juin 1943)'', Plon, 1951; republished ''Mémoires du chef des services secrets de la France libre'', Odile Jacob, 2000 * Bruce Marshall, ''The White Rabbit'', Evans Bros., 1952 ; Greenwood Press, 1987; Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2000. * Agnès Humbert, ''Notre guerre: souvenirs de résistance'', éd. Émile Paul, 1946; republished éd. Tallandier, 2004; ''Memoirs of Occupied France'' (tr. Barbara Mellor), London, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2008 * Charles de Gaulle, ''Mémoires de guerre'', éd. Plon, Paris, 1954 ; republished éd.Pocket, 1999, 2007 * Gilberte Brossolette, ''Il s'appelait Pierre Brossolette'', éd. Albin Michel, 1976 * Guy Perrier, ''Pierre Brossolette, le visionnaire de la Résistance'', éd. Hachette littératures, 1997 * Mark Seaman, ''Bravest of the Brave'', Isis LP Books, 1997 * Guillaume Piketty, ''Pierre Brossolette, un héros de la Résistance'', éd. Odile Jacob, 1998 * Pierre Brossolette, ''Résistance (1927-1943)'', éd. Odile Jacob, 1998 (assembled by Guillaume Piketty) * Guillaume Piketty, Daniel Cordier, Alain Finkielkraut, ''Pierre Brossolette ou le destin d'un héros'', éd. du Tricorne, 2000 * Julian Jackson - France - ''The dark years, 1940-1944'', Oxford University Press, 2001 * Guillaume Piketty, ''Pierre Brossolette, le rude parcours d'une mémoire'', Les Chemins de la Mémoire, n° 128, mai 2003 * Laurent Douzou, ''La résistance française, une histoire périlleuse''. éd. du Seuil, 2005 * Éric Roussel, ''Pierre Brossolette'', éd. Fayard, 2011 * Sébastien Albertelli, ''Les Services secrets du général de Gaulle, le BCRA 1940-1944'', Perrin, 2009

External links

*
Pierre Brossolette's biography on the ''Ordre de la Libération'' site

Pierre Brossolette site with his speeches and articles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brossolette, Pierre 1903 births 1944 deaths Journalists from Paris French Section of the Workers' International politicians Human Rights League (France) members French Army personnel of World War II École Normale Supérieure alumni French Resistance members French torture victims Companions of the Liberation Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Resistance Medal French Freemasons Burials at the Panthéon, Paris French Army officers Politicians from Paris Military personnel from Paris Suicides by jumping in France