Louis Alexis Étienne Bonvin (6 November 1886 in Montluçon (

Allier Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...

) – 23 February 1946, Montluçon (Allier)) was a French diplomat and colonial official of the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...

, who served as governor of

French India French India, formally the (), was a French colony comprising five geographically separated enclaves on the Indian subcontinent that had initially been factories of the French East India Company. They were ''de facto'' incorporated into the ...

between 1938 and 1946.

Early life

Louis Bonvin was born on 6 November 1886 in Montluçon (Allier) to a family of shopkeepers. He studied in Paris where he graduated from '' Hautes études commerciales'' (HEC), and in 1912, joined the colonial administration in

French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (, or AEF) was a federation of French colonial territories in Equatorial Africa which consisted of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. It existed from 1910 to 1958 and its administration was based in Brazzav ...

. Promoted to deputy director of the colonies in 1914, he served successively in

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

, Middle Congo, and then

Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...

. In 1933 he was appointed Inspector of Administrative Affairs in Gabon, and then became acting Governor in 1934. He was appointed Governor in 1936, serving till December 1937.

French India

In 1938, The French government appointed him governor of French India, a colony shaken by unrest in the textile mills. In the course of the French military debacle during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Bonvin telegraphed to the French government (then in Bordeaux) on 20 June 1940, declaring the will of the people of French India to continue the war on the side of the Allies. However, following the signing of the Armistice of 22 June 1940, he immediately recognized the government of

Marshal Pétain Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated of ...

. Shortly afterward, after meeting with Colonel Schomberg, the British consul in Pondicherry, who warned him that the

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

would occupy the colony if he didn't declare for General de Gaulle, he reversed his decision. In an appeal to the people of 27 June 1940, Bonvin announced that the

French colonial empire The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...

(and therefore the French Establishments in India) "will remain on the British side until the final victory." On 12 July, Governor Bonvin, through the British, assured de Gaulle of the cooperation of French India. On 9 September 1940, two days after having informed the authorities and officers of the colony of his decision, Louis Bonvin proclaimed the formal adherence of French India to

Free France Free France () was a resistance government claiming to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third French Republic, Third Republic during World War II. Led by General , Free France was established as a gover ...

. General de Gaulle immediately confirmed Bonvin's position as Governor. The Vichy French denounced Bonvin for this action. On 14 January 1942, the Vichyite Permanent Military Tribunal of

Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

found him guilty of "delivery to a foreign power of territory belonging to France", and sentenced him to death. His wife, Marcelle Bonvin, was sentenced to penal servitude for life. As Bonvin was not in Indochina, this had no real effect. For the duration of hostilities, Bonvin was at the forefront as a representative of General de Gaulle for India and the East from 1940 to 1944. He was a member of the Defense Council of the Empire and worked to provide all possible assistance to the Free French forces (''Forces Françaises Libres'', FFL) including those under the command of General Kœnig in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

. This aid was funnelled through the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

committee headed by Bonvin's wife; some of it came from soldiers of the FFL in the form of subscriptions and also remittances. Before he left India in September 1945, the British government, for services rendered to the Allied cause, awarded him the dignity of Knight Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. Louis Bonvin died on 23 February 1946, as a result of an illness contracted in India, three months after his return to Montluçon, his hometown, where he is buried.

Titles Held

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonvin, Louis Alexis Etienne Colonial governors of French Gabon French generals Governors of French India Companions of the Liberation Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Knights of the Legion of Honour People from Montluçon 1946 deaths 1886 births Free French military personnel of World War II

Early life

French India

Titles Held

See also

References