François Darlan

Jean Louis Xavier François Darlan (7 August 1881 – 24 December 1942), best known as Admiral Darlan, was a French naval officer and sometime Minister in the French Government.

Early life

Darlan was born in Nérac, Dept., Lot-et-Garonne, to a family with a long connection with the French Navy. His great-grandfather was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. His father, Jean-Baptiste Darlan, was a lawyer and politician who served as Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Jules Méline. Georges Leygues, a political colleague of his father who would spend seven years as Minister of the Marine, was Darlan's godfather.

Navy

Darlan graduated from the École navale in 1902 and quickly advanced through the ranks following his service during World War I. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1929, Vice-Admiral in 1932, Lieutenant-Admiral in 1937, before finally being made a full Admiral and Chief of the Naval Staff in 1937. In 1939, Darlan was promoted to Admiral-of-the-fleet, a rank created specifically for him. Darlan was Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy at the beginning of World War II.

World War II

Darlan was excessively anti-British. He recalled being in London in 1930 when Ramsay MacDonald made a speech in which he said that "England alone was qualified to use the seas". Darlan's Anglophobia was intensified by what he called the "scurrilous" way Britain had treated France at the various naval conferences between the wars, then by Britain's "desertion" at Dunkirk and the subsequent murderous Royal Navy attacks on the neutral French fleet moored at Mers-el-Kebir and Dakar. Of Dunkirk he said "the prospect of getting out suddenly made the crawling British grow wings" and added that but for the two French Admirals on the spot, Abrial and Platon, the evacuation could never have succeeded. His hatred became "frantic" with the "massacre" at Mers-el-Kebir on 3 July 1940 murdering over 1000 French sailors.

Politics

After France's armistice with Germany in June 1940, Darlan served in Maréschal Philippe Pétain's Government as Minister of Marine, and in February 1941 he took over as Vice-President of the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Interior and Minister of National Defence, arguably making him the de facto head of the Government. In April 1942, Darlan resigned his Ministries over to Pierre Laval, but retained his position as Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces.

Darlan had actively opposed the French resistance which he called "the unholy union of Gaullism and Communism."..."Before the Communists joined the active-anti-German resistance in France, the Gaullist party lacked real dynamic vigour and was merely engaging in wishful thinking. Now, thanks to the Communists, who constitute by far the most highly organised and the best-armed goup, and counting among their members real experts in the art of underground propaganda, sabotage, guerilla warfare and outright murder, the anti-German movement has acquired the dynamic vigour which it lacked. Instead of appearing to be vulgar terrorists (which they are) they have now acquired, through their association with the 'Free French', a patriotic halo. But de Gaulle is not using them; it is they who are using de Gaulle."

Darlan was in Algiers when the Allies illegally invaded neutral French North Africa in November 1942. Allied commander Dwight D. Eisenhower was said to have struck a controversial deal with Darlan, recognizing him as High Commissioner of France for their colonies in North and West Africa. In return, Darlan ordered all French forces in North Africa to cease resistance and co-operate with the Allies.

Death

Less than two months later, on December 24th, Darlan was assassinated by a 20 year-old traitor, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, said to have been put up to the task by British Military Intelligence. The assassin was hastily executed the following day.

references

• Werth, Alexander, France 1940-1955, Readers Union pubs., London, 1957, chapter V, "The Forgotten Admiral", pps:78-92.