Henri Giraud | |
|---|---|
 Giraud in Casablanca, 19 January 1943 | |
| Co-chairman of the French Committee of National Liberation (with Charles de Gaulle) | |
| In office 3 June 1943 – 9 November 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Civilian and military commander-in-chief for French North Africa and French West Africa | |
| In office 26 December 1942 – 3 June 1943 | |
| Preceded by | François Darlan (as High-Commissioner) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the Constituent Assembly from Moselle | |
| In office 11 June 1946 – 27 November 1946 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henri Honoré Giraud 18 January 1879 Paris, France |
| Died | 11 March 1949 (aged 70) Dijon, France |
| Political party | PRL |
| Awards | Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  French Third Republic Free France |
| Branch/service | French Army |
| Years of service | 1900–1944 |
| Rank | Général d'Armée |
| Battles/wars | |
Henri Honoré Giraud (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi ɔnɔʁe ʒiʁo]; 18 January 1879 – 11 March 1949) was a French military officer who was a leader of the Free French Forces during the Second World War until he was forced to retire in 1944.[1]
Born to an Alsatian family in Paris, Giraud graduated from the Saint-Cyr military academy and served in French North Africa. He was wounded and captured by the Germans during the First World War, but managed to escape from his prisoner-of-war camp. During the interwar period, Giraud returned to North Africa and fought in the Rif War, for which he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.
Early in the Second World War, Giraud fought in the Netherlands. In May 1940, he was again captured by the Germans, but made another successful escape from captivity in April 1942 after two years of careful planning. From within Vichy France he worked with the Allies in secret, and assumed command of French troops in North Africa after Operation Torch (November 1942) following the assassination of François Darlan. In January 1943, he took part in the Casablanca Conference along with Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Later in the same year, Giraud and de Gaulle became co-presidents of the French Committee of National Liberation, but he lost support and retired in frustration in April 1944.
After the war, Giraud was elected to the Constituent Assembly of the French Fourth Republic. He died in Dijon in 1949.
- ^ "Henri Giraud". Assemblée nationale (in French).