Michel Albert Jean Joseph Ybarnégaray (; 16 October 1883 – 25 April 1956) was a French

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

politician and founder of the International Federation of Basque Pelota. Jean Ybarnegaray was born in Uhart-Cize, Department of

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

, then called ''Basses Pyrénées'', in the

Northern Basque Country The French Basque Country (; ; ), or Northern Basque Country (, or , ), is a region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 1 January 2017, it constitutes the Basque Municipal Community (; ) presided o ...

. He studied law at the Sorbonne and Bordeaux University and practised as a lawyer. He was elected to the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

in April 1914. On the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he was recalled to service. He was wounded and discharged from the army with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

, returning to the Chamber of Deputies, where he criticised the Nivelle Offensive of 1917, the armistice of 1918 and the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

. A member of the Republican Federation, Ybarnegaray joined the French Social Party of François de La Rocque in 1938. He served as

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

in Paul Reynaud's government from 10 May 1940. On arrival of refugees from the

(1937) and Catalan fronts (1939) in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, Ybarnegaray took a hostile stance against the exiles, labeling them as "reds" and turned a cold shoulder to

Basque nationalism Basque nationalism ( ; ; ) is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the political unity of the Basques, today scattered between Spain and France. Since ...

or any Basque political approach. He served in the French State government in the first cabinet of Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

as Minister for Veterans and the Family. He resigned his office on 6 September 1940. Ybarnegaray had undertaken

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

activities, assisting escapees in crossing the

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, for which he was arrested in 1943 and detained in

Plansee The Plansee Group (named after Plansee, Lake Plansee; company name: ''Plansee Holding AG)'' is an Austrian company based in Reutte that specialises in the Powder metallurgy, powder metallurgical production of materials (molybdenum and tungsten) an ...

in the

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. Although he was sentenced after the war to losing civil rights, his Resistance activities resulted in the sentence being suspended. He died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

on 25 April 1956.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ybarnegaray, Jean 1883 births 1956 deaths People from Lower Navarre Republican Federation politicians Republican Independents French Social Party politicians Ministers of veterans affairs of France Government ministers of France Government ministers of Vichy France Members of the 11th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 12th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 13th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 14th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 15th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 16th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of Parliament for Pyrénées-Atlantiques Mayors of places in Nouvelle-Aquitaine University of Paris alumni University of Bordeaux alumni French military personnel of World War I Basque collaborators with Nazi Germany Knights of the Legion of Honour Basque sportspeople