Colonne Fabien

Last updated
Colonne Fabien
Active 1944–45
Country France
Allegiance Free French
Type Irregular
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Pierre Georges

The Colonne Fabien [lower-alpha 1] (Fabien Column) was an irregular force of mostly Communist volunteers that was formed in Alsace, France in September 1944 after the Liberation of Paris. It was led by Pierre Georges (1919–44), who took the alias Colonel Fabien. The column was absorbed by the French army in November 1944. Fabien and his volunteers are celebrated by the Communists, but for many years there was little official recognition of the force's actions.

Alsace Place in Grand Est, France

Alsace is a cultural and historical region in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland.

Liberation of Paris military action that took place during World War II

The Liberation of 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 ruled by Nazi Germany since the signing of the Second Compiègne Armistice on 22 June 1940, after which the Wehrmacht occupied northern and western France.

Pierre Georges French resistance member

Pierre Georges, better known as Colonel Fabien, was one of the two members of the French Communist Party who perpetrated the first assassinations of German personnel during the Occupation of France during the Second World War.

Contents

Formation

Five days after the surrender of Dietrich von Choltitz, the German governor of Paris, Albert Ouzoulias ("Colonel André") of the national committee of Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP) called a meeting at which Pierre Georges ("Colonel Fabien") was assigned the task of forming a battalion of resistance fighters. [1] Colonel Fabien organized a Free French (FFI: Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur) column that left Paris soon after the uprising in that city early in September 1944. The column was to form the nucleus of a Free French force in 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". [2]

Dietrich von Choltitz German general

Dietrich von Choltitz was a German General who served in the Royal Saxon Army during World War I and the German Army during World War II. He is chiefly remembered for his role as the last commander of Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, when he disobeyed Adolf Hitler's orders to level the city, but instead surrendered it to Free French forces. He has been called the "Saviour of Paris" for preventing its destruction. Choltitz later asserted that his defiance of Hitler's direct order stemmed from its obvious military futility, his affection for the French capital's history and culture, and his belief that Hitler had by then become insane.

Albert Ouzoulias French politician

Albert Ouzoulias was a Communist leader of the French Resistance during World War II (1939–45) using the name of "Colonel André". He played a major role in the 1944 liberation of Paris.

Francs-Tireurs et Partisans Résistance groups in France during WWII, linked to Communist Party

The Francs-Tireurs et Partisans Français (FTPF), or commonly the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans (FTP), was an armed resistance organization created by leaders of the French Communist Party during World War II (1939–45). The communist party was neutral at first, following the Soviet Union's official view that the war was a struggle between imperialists, but changed to a policy of armed resistance to the German occupation of France after the end of the Soviet-German alliance, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Three groups were formed, consisting of party members, young communists and foreign workers. Early in 1942 they were merged to form the FTP, which undertook sabotage and assassinations of the occupation. The FTP became the best organized and most effective of the French Resistance groups. In March 1944, before the Allied forces returned to Normandy, the FTP was theoretically merged with the other Resistance groups. In practice, it retained its independence until the end of the war.

The project was supported by the French Communist Party but not by the French military command, although the army did not use force to prevent it. Some FFI units from the Reuilly barracks and Fort de Bicêtre in Paris managed to join the column, despite lack of vehicles and obstacles created by the army. The force was called the Groupe Tactique Lorraine (GTL) and mostly consisted of FTP veterans led by Communist officers. [2] The volunteers were aged 24.1 years on average, mostly from the working-class districts of the capital. 80% of the men and 53% of the officers were working class. [1] A company led by Captain Neuville, commanded by Saint-Cyr cadets, was an exception. [2]

French Communist Party left-wing political party in France which advocates the principles of communism

The French Communist Party is a communist party in France.

Fort de Bicêtre

The Fort de Bicêtre is a military structure built between 1841 and 1845 during the reign of Louis-Philippe during a time of tension between France and England, in the Paris suburb of Kremlin-Bicêtre. The fort is part of the Thiers Wall fortifications of Paris, built under a program of defensive works initiated by Adolphe Thiers. The fort served as a prison for those involved in the French coup of 1851.

The École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr is the foremost French military academy – often referred to as Saint-Cyr – located in Coëtquidan in Guer, Morbihan, Brittany, along with the École militaire interarmes. Its motto is Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre, literally meaning "They study to vanquish" or, more freely put, "Training for victory". French cadet officers are called saint-cyriens or cyrards.

Independent activities

Soldier committees were established, and publications of the Communist party distributed widely. The French authorities refused to provide any supplies, so the GTL was forced to resort to requisitions. Eventually Colonel Fabien managed to join up with General Edwin Walker's corps, and the GTL soldiers received canned food from the US army. [2] The unit was assigned to clean-up operations and support in the rear of the 1st US Army and then the 3rd US Army. The first real battle test was on the Moselle front at Garche on 23 September and Gravelotte on 26–27 September. [1] The troops had endured mortar fire without helmets, and suffered casualties that included Captain Neuville. They managed to recover American rifles from the dead, and gradually became fully armed. [2] The losses forced a rigorous review of ranks, intensified military training and greater discipline. [1]

Edwin Walker American army officer and conservative activist

Edwin Anderson Walker — known as Ted Walker — was a United States Army officer who served in World War II and the Korean War. He became known for his staunch conservative political opinions and was criticized by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower for promoting a personal political opinion while in uniform. Walker resigned his commission during 1959, but Eisenhower refused to accept his resignation and gave Walker a new command of the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany. Walker again resigned his commission during 1961 after being publicly and formally admonished by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for allegedly referring to Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman as "pink" in print and for violating the Hatch Act of 1939 by attempting to influence the votes of his troops. President John F. Kennedy accepted his resignation, making Walker the USA's only general to resign during the 20th century.

Gravelotte Commune in Grand Est, France

Gravelotte is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, with a population of 652 by 1999.

The GTL was deployed near Thionville in October. Colonel Fabien managed to obtain uniforms for the men, and tried to train the men to accept commands without question, so the GTL would appear as an ordinary military unit to the French and Americans. This was not easy with men who considered that they were proletarians rather than soldiers. Morale began to fall as the men were not assigned useful duties. They mixed with the local miners and steel workers, held committee meetings and tried to replace unpopular officers. Some deserted, and in some cases the military authorities helped them return to civilian life. The GTL reached Montmédy in late October, where it was joined by an FFI unit from Paris that had managed to evade the authorities. These were the last reinforcements to meet the GTL. Captain Neuville's company broke up, and one section deserted with its equipment. The army provided papers to the deserters. [2]

Thionville Subprefecture and commune in Grand Est, France

Thionville is a commune in the northeastern French department of Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.

Montmédy Commune in Grand Est, France

Montmédy is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.

Integration with the army

Fabien moved increasingly toward the political right. He had a guard composed only of Arabs, an officer's mess was established, a chaplain was appointed and officers began to ride horses. Attempts were made to break up the soldiers' committees. Some of the officers and men began to become reconciled to the idea of becoming part of the regular army. Other simply deserted, saying they planned to join the regular army, where they would be better treated. The final blow came when the government insisted that the GTL become integrated with the First French Army of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny. Some of the soldiers left for civilian life, while others signed up in exchange for promises of full equipment and the benefits provided by the army, expecting conscription to soon be imposed anyway. [2]

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Marshal of France

Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny, GCB, MC was a French military commander in World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously promoted to Marshal of France.

After intensive negotiations, on 10 November 1944 the formation came under the command of General de Lattre. [1] Solange Troisier was engaged as a doctor for the Colonne Fabien after it was attached to the regular army. [3] Colonel Fabien was killed in a mine explosion at Habsheim, on the Alsace front, on 27 December 1944. [1] Two other leaders died at the same time. This gave rise to various conspiracy rumors. [2] On 31 March 1945 the unit, now commanded by a career officer, was the first French formation to force a Rhine crossing. In the campaign in Germany the unit lost 164 killed and 54 missing. [1]

Legacy

Fabien and his volunteers are celebrated by the Communists, but for many years there was little official recognition of the force's actions. [4] As of 2014 there was no monument in Paris to commemorate the column. [1]

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References

  1. ↑ The Colonne Fabien took various names. It was originally called the 1st FFI Regiment of Paris, then the Battle Group Lorraine (GTL: Groupement tactique lorraine). On 28 November it was renamed the 1st FFI Brigade of Paris, and on 13 January 1945 it became the 151st Infantry Regiment, with 2,400 men. [1]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pigenet 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Calvès 1996.
  3. ↑ Guéraiche 1999, p. 137.
  4. ↑ Pigenet 1998.

Sources

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