Jean Bastien-Thiry
Jean Bastien-Thiry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service/ | French Air Force |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II Algerian War |
| Other work | Aerospace engineer |
Jean-Marie Bastien-Thiry (19 October 1927 – 11 March 1963) was a French military air weaponry engineer who attempted to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle on 22 August 1962, following Algerian independence.
Life
Bastien-Thiry was born to a family of Catholic military officers in Lunéville, Meurthe-et-Moselle. His father had known de Gaulle in the 1930s and was a member of the Gaullist RPF. He attended the École Polytechnique, followed by the École nationale supérieure de l'Aéronautique before going into the French Air Force where he specialized in the design of air-to-air missiles. In 1957 he was promoted to become principal air military engineer. He was married to Geneviève Lamirand, the daughter of Georges Lamirand (1899-1994), the latter had been Vichy France General Secretary of Youth from September 1940 to March 1943 but the family was Free French[1]. He had three daughters with her.
Assassination attempt
After returning to power with the intention of maintaining the French departments of Algeria as "an integral part of France", de Gaulle made a sudden reversal of policy in September 1959 and began gradually opting instead for the secession of Algeria. Bastien-Thiry who was a Gaullist until 1959 became an opponentCite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). There were 2000 policemen posted along the way and 35 vehicles used. The government feared an escape was planned, and there had been a plan but it was abandoned. Paradoxically, the police plan was headed by Jean Cantelaube, a former security officer of De Gaulle. He has been recently[when?] identified as an intelligence agent who provided information to Bastien-Thiry's organization.[2]
Jean Bastien-Thiry was executed by firing squad at the Fort d'Ivry on 11 March 1963, while clutching his rosary. He refused to be blindfolded. He was 35 years old.
About Bastien-Thiry, de Gaulle said "The French need martyrs ... They must choose them carefully. I could have given them one of those idiotic generals playing ball in Tulle prison. I gave them Bastien-Thiry. They'll be able to make a martyr of him. He deserves it." (Lacouture, 329).
References
- ^ Jean Lacouture, Charles de Gaulle – Le souverain 1959-1970, Template:Opcit, p. Missing parameter/s! (Template:P.)276-279.
- ^ Cantelaube's notes quoted in Jean-Pax Meffret's book; attempt accomplice interviewed by Olivier Cazeaux
- Lacouture, Jean. De Gaulle: The Ruler 1945-1970.
- Venner, Dominique (2004). De Gaulle: La Grandeur et le Néant. Editions du Rocher. ISBN 2-268-05202-8.
- Soustelle, Jacques (1962). L'Espérance Trahie. Editions de l'Alma.
- Plume, Christian (1973). Translated by Richard Barry. Corgi. ISBN 0 552 10143 5.
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