Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (; 20 March 191629 August 2007) was a French

Gaullist Gaullism (french: link=no, Gaullisme) is a French political stance based on the thought and action of World War II French Resistance leader Charles de Gaulle, who would become the founding President of the Fifth French Republic. De Gaulle withd ...

politician. He served as Minister of Armies under

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since

Étienne François, duc de Choiseul Étienne François, Marquis de Stainville, Duc de Choiseul, KOHS, OGF (28 June 17198 May 1785) was a French military officer, diplomat and statesman. From 1758 to 1761 and from 1766 to 1770, he was Foreign Minister of France and had a strong ...

under

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

– and then as

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

under

Georges Pompidou Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou ( , ; 5 July 19112 April 1974) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1969 until his death in 1974. He previously was Prime Minister of France of President Charles de Gaulle from 1962 to 196 ...

from 1972 to 1974. A member of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

, he was considered one of the historical Gaullists, and died aged 91 in the

military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned and operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a ...

of the

Val-de-Grâce The (' or ') was a military hospital located at in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was closed as a hospital in 2016. History The church of the was built by order of Queen Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII. After the birth of h ...

in August 2007. He was elected a member of the ''

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

'' in 1999; his seat was taken over by

Simone Veil Simone Veil (; ; 13 July 1927 – 30 June 2017) was a French magistrate and politician who served as Health Minister in several governments and was President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982, the first woman to hold that office. A ...

.Thomas Ferenczi
Le gaulliste Pierre Messmer est mort
, ''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'', 29 August 2007

Early career

Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was born in

Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attached ...

in 1916. He graduated in 1936 in the language school ENLOV and the following year at the '' Ecole nationale de la France d'outre-mer'' (National School of Oversea France). He then became a senior civil servant in the colonial administration and became a

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

in 1939. In the outbreak of World War II, he was

sous-lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 19 ...

of the 12th regiment of

Senegalese tirailleurs The Senegalese Tirailleurs (french: Tirailleurs Sénégalais) were a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. They were initially recruited from Senegal, French West Africa and subsequently throughout Western, Central and Eastern Africa: t ...

, and refused France's capitulation after the defeat. He then hijacked 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 Franc ...

an Italian cargo ship (the ''Capo Olmo''), along with his friend Jean Simon (a future French General), and sailed first to Gibraltar, then London and engaged himself in the

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 ...

as a member of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the

. Messmer then participated to the campaign in Eritrea, in Syria, in Libya, participating to the

Battle of Bir Hakeim The Battle of Bir Hakeim () took place at Bir Hakeim, an oasis in the Libyan desert south and west of Tobruk, during the Battle of Gazala (26 May – 21 June 1942). The 1st Free French Brigade under Marie-Pierre Kœnig defended the position from ...

, and in the

Tunisia campaign The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the World War II, Second World War, between Axis powers, Axis and Allies of World War II, Allied ...

. He also fought at the

Battle of El Alamein There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942 * Secon ...

in Egypt.Messmer, légionnaire et baron gaulliste
, ''

Radio France International Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the state-owned international radio broadcaster of France. With 37.2 million listeners in 2014, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world, along with D ...

'', 30 August 2007 He joined in London

General Koenig A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

's military staff and participated in the landings in Normandy in August 1944 and the

Liberation of Paris The liberation of Paris (french: Libération de Paris) was a military battle that took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germ ...

. Named ''

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 ...

'' in 1941, he received the ''

Croix de guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

'' (War Cross) with six citations after the Liberation, as well as the

medal of the Resistance 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 ...

After World War II

After World War II, he returned to the colonies and was a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

of the

Vietminh The Việt Minh (; abbreviated from , chữ Nôm and Hán tự: ; french: Ligue pour l'indépendance du Viêt Nam, ) was a List of historical separatist movements, national independence coalition formed at Pác Bó by Ho Chi Minh, Hồ Chí Min ...

, during two months in 1945, after the outbreak of the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

. He was named the following year general secretary of the interministerial committee for

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

and then head of staff of the high commissary of the Republic.

Colonial Administrator in Africa

Messmer began his high-level African service as governor of

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

from 1952 to 1954, and then served as governor of

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

from 1954 to 1956, when he briefly returned to Paris in the staff of

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� ...

, Minister of Overseas Territories who enacted the Defferre Act granting to colonial territories internal autonomy, a first step towards independence. That same year, Messmer was nominated as governor general of

Cameroun Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

, where a civil war had started the preceding year following the outlawing of the independentist

Union of the Peoples of Cameroon The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon ( - UPC) is a political party in Cameroon. Foundation The UPC was founded on 10 April 1948, at a meeting in the bar ''Chez Sierra'' in Bassa. Twelve men assisted the founding meeting, including Charles Assal ...

(UPC) in July 1955. He initiated a

decolonization Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...

process and imported the

counter-revolutionary warfare Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...

methods theorized in Indochina and implemented during the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

(1954–62).David Servenay
Pierre Messmer, un soldat que le Cameroun n'a pas oublié
, ''

Rue 89 Rue89 is a French news website started by former journalists from the newspaper ''Libération''. It was officially launched on 6 May 2007, on the day of the second round of the French presidential election. Its news editor is Pascal Riché, forme ...

'', 30 August 2007 Visiting de Gaulle in Paris, he was implicitly granted permission for his change of policies in Cameroon, which exchanged repression for negotiations with the UPC. A "Pacification Zone" – the ZOPAC (''Zone de pacification du Cameroon'') was created on 9 December 1957, englobing 7,000 square km controlled by seven infantry regiments. Furthermore, a civilian-military intelligence apparatus was created, combining colonial and local staff, assisted by a civilian militia.

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

people's war People's war (Chinese: 人民战争), also called protracted people's war, is a Maoist military strategy. First developed by the Chinese communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong (1893–1976), the basic concept behind people's war is to mainta ...

was reversed, in an attempt to separate the civilian population from the guerrilla. In this aim, the local population was rounded-up in guarded villages located on the main roads, controlled by the French Army. Messmer served as high commissioner of

French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...

from January 1958 to July 1958, and as high commissioner of

French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...

from 1958 to 1959.

Minister of Armies (1959–1969)

From 1959 to 1969, under

's presidency and in the turmoil of the

, he was Minister of Armies. He was confronted with the 1961

Generals' Putsch The Algiers putsch (french: Putsch d'Alger or ), also known as the Generals' putsch (''Putsch des généraux''), was a failed coup d'état intended to force French President Charles de Gaulle not to abandon French Algeria, along with the resi ...

, reorganized the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and adapted it to the nuclear era. Messmer gave permission for former Algerian War veterans to fight in Katanga against the newly independent Congo and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

peacekeeping forces. He confided to

Roger Trinquier Roger Trinquier (20 March 1908 – 11 January 1986) was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and special forces units. He was also a counter-insurgency theorist, mainl ...

that it was de Gaulle's ambition to replace the Belgians and control a reunited Congo from

Élisabethville Lubumbashi (former names: (French language, French), (Dutch language, Dutch)) is the second-largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital and pr ...

. Along with the Minister of Research,

Gaston Palewski Gaston Palewski (20 March 1901 – 3 September 1984), French politician, was a close associate of Charles de Gaulle during and after World War II. He is also remembered as the lover of the English novelist Nancy Mitford, and appears in a fiction ...

, Messmer was present at the Béryl nuclear test in Algeria, on 1 May 1962, during which an accident occurred. Officials, soldiers and Algerian workers escaped as they could, often without wearing any protection. Palewski died in 1984 of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

, which he always has attributed to the Beryl incident, while Messmer always remained close-mouthed on the affair.La bombe atomique en héritage
''

L'Humanité ''L'Humanité'' (; ), is a French daily newspaper. It was previously an organ of the French Communist Party, and maintains links to the party. Its slogan is "In an ideal world, ''L'Humanité'' would not exist." History and profile Pre-World Wa ...

'', 21 February 2007 De Gaulle said of Messmer that, along with

Maurice Couve de Murville Jacques-Maurice Couve de Murville (; 24 January 1907 – 24 December 1999) was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaull ...

, he was "one of his two arms. " In

May '68 Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting some seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, as well as the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which h ...

, he advised de Gaulle against the use of the military. Messmer became a personality of the

Gaullist Party In France, the term Gaullist Party is usually used to refer to the largest party professing to be Gaullist. Gaullism claims to transcend the left–right divide in a similar way to populist republican parties elsewhere such as Fianna Fáil in Rep ...

and was elected deputy in 1968, representing

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...

''département''. A member of the conservative wing of the Gaullist movement, he criticized the "New Society" plan of Prime Minister

Jacques Chaban-Delmas Jacques Chaban-Delmas (; 7 March 1915 – 10 November 2000) was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. He was the Mayor of Bordeaux from 1947 to 1995 and a deputy for the Gironde ''d� ...

, and thus won the trust of

, elected President in 1969. He quit the government after de Gaulle's resignation and founded the association ''Présence du gaullisme'' (Presence of Gaullism).

From the 1970s to the 2000s

He occupied cabinet positions again in the 1970s, serving first as

Minister of state Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

charged of the Overseas Territories in 1971,Discours de politique générale
(General Politics Speech) of Messmer during his 1972 investiture, French government's website then as Prime Minister from July 1972 to May 1974.

Messmer's cabinet (July 1972 – May 1974)

He succeeded in this function to

, who had adopted a parliamentary reading of the

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

, which Messmer opposed in his investiture speech. Messmer had been chosen by Pompidou as a guarant of his fidelity to de Gaulle, and his cabinet included personalities close to Pompidou, such as

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

, named Minister of Agriculture.Le gouvernement de Pierre Messmer
, politique.net, Due to President

's illness, he dealt with the everyday administration of the country and adopted a conservative stance opposed to Chaban-Delmas' previous policies. Henceforth, he stopped the liberalization of the ORTF media governmental organization, naming as its CEO Arthur Conte, a personal friend of Pompidou. Under his government, the

Union des Démocrates pour la République The Union for the Defence of the Republic (french: Union pour la défense de la République), after 1968 renamed Union of Democrats for the Republic (french: Union des Démocrates pour la République), commonly abbreviated UDR, was a Gaullist po ...

(UDR) presidential majority negotiated with

Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...

Independent Republicans The Independent Republicans (french: Républicains Indépendants, RI) were a liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative political group in France founded in 1962, which became a list of political parties in France, political party in 1966 known ...

an electoral alliance, which enabled it to win the 1973 elections despite the left-wing union realized with the 1972 Common Program. Messmer's second cabinet excluded several Gaullists, among whom

Michel Debré Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 1959 ...

, while he named several Independent Republicans members, such as

Michel Poniatowski Michel Poniatowski (16 May 1922 – 15 January 2002) was a French politician, member of a legitimized line of Poland's princely Poniatowski family. He was a founder of the Independent Republicans and a part of the administration for President ...

, close to Giscard, himself named Minister of Economy and Finances. A Ministry of Information was also re-created and put under the authority of an ultra-conservative,

Philippe Malaud Philippe Malaud (2 October 1925, in Paris – 14 October 2007, in Paris) was a French diplomat and politician. He graduated from the École nationale d'administration in 1956. From 1968 until 1978, he was a member of the Independent Republicans ...

. In June 1974, he initiated the construction of 13 nuclear plants in order to confront the "'' choc pétrolier''" (oil crisis). In 1974, when Pompidou died, those close to Messmer encouraged him to run for president. He accepted at the condition of Chaban-Delmas,

and

Edgar Faure Edgar Jean Faure (; 18 August 1908 – 30 March 1988) was a French politician, lawyer, essayist, historian and memoirist who served as Prime Minister of France in 1952 and again between 1955 and 1956.Canard enchaîné Canard is French for duck, a type of aquatic bird. Canard may also refer to: Aviation *Canard (aeronautics), a small wing in front of an aircraft's main wing * Aviafiber Canard 2FL, a single seat recreational aircraft of canard design * Blé ...

''s campaign against him, maintained himself, leading Messmer to withdraw his candidacy. Finally,

, a conservative rival of the Gaullists, was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

. He served as prime minister for another few weeks after Pompidou's death, ending his term after the presidential elections.

replaced him on 29 May 1974. After the election of Giscard, he never held again ministerial offices, and became one of the historical voices of Gaullism.

Later career and death

Messmer remained a member of Parliament for the Moselle department until 1988, and served as President of the

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

regional assembly from 1968 to 1992. He was mayor of the town of

Sarrebourg Sarrebourg (; also , ; Lorraine Franconian: ; older la, Pons Saravi) is a commune of northeastern France. In 1895 a Mithraeum was discovered at Sarrebourg at the mouth of the pass leading from the Vosges Mountains. Geography Sarrebourg is ...

from 1971 to 1989. Messmer was also president of the

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

(RPR) parliamentary group during the first

cohabitation Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...

(1986–1988), under

' government. In 1997 he testified as a witness during the trial of

Maurice Papon Maurice Papon (; 3 September 1910 – 17 February 2007) was a French civil servant who led the police in major prefectures from the 1930s to the 1960s, before he became a Gaullist politician. When he was secretary general for the police in B ...

, charged of

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...

committed under the

Vichy regime 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 ...

, and declared: "The time has come when the Frenchmen could stop hating themselves and begin to grant pardon to themselves.".French: "''Le temps est venu où les Français pourraient cesser de se haïr et commencer de se pardonner"'', quoted by Thomas Ferenczi i
Le gaulliste Pierre Messmer est mort
, ''

'', 29 August 2007 Along with some other former Resistants, he demanded Papon's

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...

in 2001. He died in 2007 aged 91, just four days after fellow Prime Minister

Raymond Barre Raymond Octave Joseph Barre (; 12 April 192425 August 2007) was a French centre-right politician and economist. He was a Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs under three presidents ( Rey, ...

. He was the last surviving major French Politician to have been a member of the Free French forces.

Political career

Governmental functions *Prime Minister: 1972–1974 *Minister of State, Minister of Departments and Overseas Territories: 1971–1972 *Minister of Armies: 1960–1969 Electoral mandates ''National Assembly'' *Member of the

National Assembly of France The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...

for

: 1969–1971, 1974–1988 ''Regional Council'' *President of the Regional Council of

: 1978–1979 *Regional councillor of

: 1968–1992 ''General Council'' *General councillor of

: 1970–1982 ''Municipal Council'' *Mayor of

: 1971–1989 *Municipal councillor of

: 1971–1989

Honours

An important figure of the French Resistance during World War II, Pierre Messmer was a member of the

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 ...

, and the recipient of numerous decorations including the highest rank of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. In 2006, he was named Chancellier de l'Ordre de la Libération after the death of General

Alain de Boissieu Alain de Boissieu Déan de Luigné (; 5 July 1915 – 5 April 2006) was a French general who served in the Free French Forces during World War II, later becoming Army chief of staff (1971–1975). He was the son-in-law of General Charles de Ga ...

. He was also an officer of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

. In 1992 he became president of the Institut Charles de Gaulle and, in 1995, of the Fondation Charles de Gaulle. He also became elected as a member of the

(the French language academy) in 1999, replacing a Gaullist comrade,

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 ...

. He was also a member of the

French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

since 1988, and, since 1976, of the ''Académie des sciences d'outre-mer'' (Academy of Sciences of Overseas Territories). He was named perpetual secretary of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 1995.Pierre Messmer est mort
, ''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...

'', 29 August 2007 He was also chancellor of the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

(1998–2005) before becoming honorary chancellor. In October 2001, Messmer succeeded to the General Jean Simon as President of the '' Fondation de la France libre'' (Foundation of Free France).

Messmer's First Ministry, 5 July 1972 – 2 April 1973

*Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of National Defense *

Raymond Marcellin Raymond Marcellin (19 August 1914 in Sézanne, Marne – 8 September 2004) was a French politician. Biography The son of a banker, he studied law at the University of Strasbourg and the University of Paris. He worked as a lawyer for three ye ...

– Minister of the Interior *

– Minister of Economy and Finance * Jean Charbonnel – Minister of Industrial and Scientific Development *

Joseph Fontanet Joseph Fontanet (9 February 1921, Frontenex, Savoie – 2 February 1980, Paris) was a French politician. He was first elected to Parliament in 1956 as MP for Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ...

– Minister of National Education, Labour, Employment, and Population *

René Pleven René Pleven (; 15 April 1901 – 13 January 1993) was a notable French politician of the Fourth Republic. A member of the Free French, he helped found the Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (UDSR), a political party that was meant ...

– Minister of Justice *

André Bord André Bord (30 November 1922 in Strasbourg – 13 May 2013) was a French politician.Jacques Duhamel Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

– Minister of Cultural Affairs *

– Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development *

Olivier Guichard Olivier Guichard (; 27 July 1920 – 20 January 2004) was a French politician. He was born in Néac and joined the French Army in 1944 and served until the end of World War II, during which, he earned the Médaille militaire and the Croix de ...

– Minister of Housing, Tourism, Equipment, and Regional Planning *

Robert Galley Robert Galley (11 January 1921 – 8 June 2012) was a French politician and member of the Free French Forces during World War II, for which he received the Ordre de la Libération. The son of a doctor, Galley was born in Paris on January 11, 19 ...

– Minister of Transport *

Jean Foyer Jean Foyer (21 April 1921, Contigné, Maine-et-Loire – 3 October 2008, Paris) was a French politician and minister. He studied law and became a law professor at the university. He wrote several books about French Civil law. Political care ...

– Minister of Public Health * Hubert Germain – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications *

Yvon Bourges Yvon may refer to: * Yvon (given name), a masculine given name * Yvon (surname), a surname See also * Chapelle-Yvon * Evon * Ivon * Jaille-Yvon * Pierre-Yvon * Yvan Yvan is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Jacques-Yvan Mor ...

– Minister of Commerce *

Roger Frey Roger Frey (11 June 1913, Nouméa, New Caledonia – 13 September 1997) was a French politician. His parents were of Alsatian origin. He was Minister of the Interior and president of the Constitutional Council of France. Political career In 19 ...

– Minister of Administrative Reforms *

Edgar Faure Edgar Jean Faure (; 18 August 1908 – 30 March 1988) was a French politician, lawyer, essayist, historian and memoirist who served as Prime Minister of France in 1952 and again between 1955 and 1956.André Bettencourt André Bettencourt (; 21 April 1919 – 19 November 2007) was a French politician. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre, and was a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. He had been a member of La Cagoule, a violent French fascist-leaning and anti- ...

succeeds Schumann as interim Minister of Foreign Affairs. *16 March 1973 – Pierre Messmer succeeds Pleven as interim Minister of Justice.

Messmer's Second Ministry, 6 April 1973 – 1 March 1974

*Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister *

Michel Jobert Michel Jobert (; 11 September 1921 – 25 May 2002) was a French politician of the left-wing Gaullist orientation. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Georges Pompidou, and as Minister of External Commerce under François Mitterra ...

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of Armies *

– Minister of the Interior *

– Minister of Economy and Finance * Jean Charbonnel – Minister of Industrial and Scientific Development *

Georges Gorse Georges Gorse (15 February 1915 – 17 March 2002) was a French politician and diplomat. Born in Cahors, he qualified in 1939 as a professor at the University of Cairo. During World War II he joined Charles de Gaulle and the Free French as Di ...

– Minister of Labour, Employment, and Population *

Jean Taittinger Jean Taittinger (25 January 1923 – 23 September 2012) was a French politician and member of the champagne producing Taittinger family. Political career Taittinger was Minister of Budget between 7 January 1971 and 5 April 1973. He also was ...

– Minister of Justice *

– Minister of National Education *

André Bord André Bord (30 November 1922 in Strasbourg – 13 May 2013) was a French politician.Maurice Druon Maurice Druon (23 April 1918 – 14 April 2009) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999. Life and career Born in Paris, France, Druon was the s ...

– Minister of Cultural Affairs *

– Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development *

Robert Poujade Robert Poujade (6 May 1928 – 8 April 2020), born in Moulins, Allier, was a French politician. He was the first French Minister of the Environment and was mayor of Dijon from 1971 to 2001. Biography The son of a professor of literatur ...

– Minister of Natural Protection and Environment *

Bernard Stasi Bernard Stasi (4 July 1930, Reims – 4 May 2011) was a French politician. He was the son of Italo-Mexican immigrants. Stasi served as Minister for Overseas Departments and Territories from 2 April 1973 to 27 February 1974. From 1998 to 20 ...

– Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories *

– Minister of Housing, Tourism, Regional Planning, and Equipment *

Yves Guéna Yves Guéna (; 6 July 1922 – 3 March 2016) was a French politician. In 1940, he joined the Free French Forces in the United Kingdom. He received several decorations for his courage. Political life He belonged to various right wing parties ...

– Minister of Transport * Joseph Comiti – Minister of Relations with Parliament *

– Minister of Public Health * Hubert Germain – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications *

– Minister of Information *

Jean Royer Jean Royer (31 October 1920 – 25 March 2011) was a French catholic and conservative politician, former Minister, and former Mayor of Tours. Biography Mayor of Tours Born in Nevers, Nièvre, Royer was at first a teacher. In 1958 he was elec ...

– Minister of Commerce and Craft Industry *

Alain Peyrefitte Alain Peyrefitte (; 26 August 1925 – 27 November 1999) was a French scholar and politician. He was a confidant of Charles de Gaulle and had a long career in public service, serving as a diplomat in Germany and Poland. Peyrefitte is remembered ...

– Minister of Administrative Reforms ''Changes'' *23 October 1973 –

becomes Minister of Civil Service.

Jean-Philippe Lecat Jean-Philippe Lecat (29 July 1935 – 26 March 2011) was a French politician. He graduated from the École nationale d'administration in 1963. Between 1968 and 1978, he was a member of the Union of Democrats for the Republic and between 197 ...

succeeds Malaud as Minister of Information

Messmer's Third Ministry, 1 March – 28 May 1974

*Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of Armies *

– Minister of the Interior *

– Minister of Economy and Finance *

– Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Craft Industry *

– Minister of Labour, Employment, and Population *

– Minister of Justice *

– Minister of National Education *

– Minister of Cultural Affairs and Environment *

– Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development *

– Minister of Regional Planning and Equipment * Hubert Germain – Minister of Relations with Parliament *

– Minister of Public Health *

– Minister of Posts and Telecommunications *

– Minister of Information Changes *11 April 1974 – Hubert Germain succeeds Royer as interim Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

Bibliography

* 1939 ''Le Régime administratif des emprunts coloniaux.'' Thesis for his

Doctorate of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

(Librairie juridique et administrative) * 1977 ''Le Service militaire. Débat avec Jean-Pierre Chevènement'' (Balland) * 1985 ''Les Écrits militaires du général de Gaulle'', in collaboration with Professor Alain Larcan (PUF) * 1992 ''Après tant de batailles, Mémoires'' (Albin Michel) * 1998 ''Les Blancs s’en vont. Récits de décolonisation'' (Albin Michel) * 2002 ''La Patrouille perdue'' (Albin Michel) * 2003 ''Ma part de France'' (Xavier de Guibert)

References

External links

L'Organisation des Nations Unies et les guerres civiles
by Messmer
Museum of the Order of the Liberation page on Pierre Messmer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Messmer, Pierre 1916 births 2007 deaths People from Vincennes Companions of the Liberation French colonial governors and administrators French colonial people in Cameroon French Roman Catholics French prisoners of war in the 20th century Politicians of the French Fifth Republic French Ministers of Defence French Ministers of Justice Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni École nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer alumni Members of the Académie Française Members of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques Prime Ministers of France Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion French Army personnel of World War II French Army officers Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Rally for the Republic politicians Union of Democrats for the Republic politicians French Ministers of Overseas France French colonial governors of Mauritania