Pierre Georges

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Pierre Georges
Born(1919-01-21)21 January 1919
Paris, France
Died27 December 1944(1944-12-27) (aged 25)
Habsheim, France
NationalityFrench
OccupationResistance leader
Known forColonne Fabien

Pierre Georges (21 January 1919 – 27 December 1944), better known as Colonel Fabien, was one of the two members of the

Second World War
.

Life

Pierre Georges was born to a baker's family on 21 January 1919 in Paris. He fought for the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War until the end of the International Brigades in 1939. In 1940, Georges joined the French Resistance in the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, at the time still largely operating by sabotaging German equipment in France.

On 2 August 1941

Jeunesses Communistes (Young Communists or "JC"). He took the name of "Colonel Andre".[1] Pierre Georges was made his second-in-command.[2] The JC were mainly involved in propaganda, publishing tracts and clandestine newspapers, with minimal armed action. At a session in 15–17 August it was agreed that members of the JC should receive weapons training and should increase sabotage and attacks on occupation troops. There was some resistance, but with news of the execution of Samuel Tyszelman and Henri Gautherot it was agreed to take a more active role. Of the JC leaders, Georges became primarily involved in military operations in the Paris region, while Ouzoulias was more concerned with recruitment and liaison between the regions.[3]

On 21 August 1941 Pierre Georges, who then went by the name of Frédo, and his companion Gilbert Brustlein, helped by two other members of the

Barbès station at eight in the morning. The killing was in revenge for the execution of Samuel Tyszelman for taking part in an anti-German demonstration.[4] This was the start of a series of assassinations and reprisals that resulted in five hundred French hostages being executed in the next few months.[5]
In 1943, Georges was captured and tortured but escaped.

Five days after the surrender of Paris Albert Ouzoulias ("Colonel André") of the national committee of

Lorraine, which would be joined by volunteers from Paris and the eastern regions of France as soon as possible. The French state would have to accept the fait accompli of the Free French army fighting on the front, which would become a "great people's army".[7]

Colonel Fabien was killed in a mine explosion at Habsheim, on the Alsace front, on 27 December 1944.[6] Two other leaders died at the same time. This gave rise to various conspiracy rumors.[7]

Honours

Commemorative plaque at 34 rue Gandon, 13th arrondissement de Paris, marking the command post of Colonel Fabien until the Liberation of Paris

Likewise, many streets in towns with communist mayors are named Colonel Fabien.

References

  1. ^ Johnson 1995.
  2. ^ Lallier & Logak 2015.
  3. ^ Porin 2004.
  4. ^ Ce jeudi 21 août 1941 ... L'Humanité.
  5. ^ Hansen 2014, p. 31.
  6. ^ a b Pigenet 2014.
  7. ^ a b Calvès 1996.

Sources

  • Calvès, André (1996). "La Colonne Fabien" (in French). Retrieved 2015-04-04.
  • "Ce jeudi 21 août 1941, 8 heures". L'Humanité. 1994-08-23. Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  • Hansen, Randall (2014). Disobeying Hitler: German Resistance After Valkyrie. Oxford University Press. p. 31.
    ISBN 978-0-19-992792-0
    . Retrieved 2015-06-06.
  • Johnson, Douglas (6 December 1995). "Obituary: Albert Ouzoulias". The Independent (UK). Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  • Lallier, Rose; Logak, Elisabeth (2015). "Albert Ouzoulias (1915 – 1995)". Figures humaines. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  • Pigenet, Michel (5 September 2014). "La colonne Fabien, de la Mutualité à Sigmaringen". L'Humanité. Retrieved 2015-04-04.
  • Porin, Axel (2004). "Albert Ouzoulias". La Résistance en Ile-de-France. AERI. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
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