Count Gilbert de Chambrun (1909–2009) was a French politician. He was a member of the French Resistance and he served in the National Assembly.

Early life

Gilbert de Chambrun was born on 2 November 1909 in Paris, France. His father, Pierre de Chambrun, was a politician. He was a descendant of Agrippa d'Aubigné and

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemasonry, freemason and military officer who fought in the Ameri ...

, and he was raised as a Calvinist. De Chambrun was educated at the

Lycée Janson de Sailly In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Laws from the University of Paris, and he received another degree from

Sciences Po , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public university, Public research university''Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , a ...

Career

Chambrun joined the French Foreign Service in 1934, serving at the French embassy in Rome until 1938. During World War II, he served in the French Army from 1939 to 1941. He joined

Combat Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

, a group within the French resistance in 1942, and he served as a leader until 1944. At the end of the war, he returned to the French Army, where he served under General

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny Jean Joseph Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tassigny (2 February 1889 – 11 January 1952) was a French général d'armée during World War II and the First Indochina War. He was posthumously elevated to the dignity of Marshal of France in 1952. As ...

. De Chambrun served as a member of the National Assembly from 1945 to 1955, representing Lozère. He was opposed to the First Indochina War as well as the establishment of the

European Coal and Steel Community The European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was a European organization created after World War II to regulate the coal and steel industries. It was formally established in 1951 by the Treaty of Paris, signed by Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembo ...

, the

European Defence Community The Treaty establishing the European Defence Community, also known as the Treaty of Paris, is an unratified treaty signed on 27 May 1952 by the Inner Six, six 'inner' countries of European integration: the Benelux countries, France, Italy, and We ...

, and NATO. He was the vice president of the Mouvement pour la paix, a non-profit organization which promoted nuclear disarmament. De Chambrun resumed his position in the Foreign Service in 1956. Meanwhile, he also served as the mayor of

Marvejols Marvejols (; oc, Maruèjols), is a Communes of France, commune in the Lozère Departments of France, department in southern France. Its inhabitants are known as ''Marvejolais''. Geography The commune is located in the Massif central. The Colag ...

from 1953 to 1965, and again from 1971 to 1983. He was a Commander of the Legion of Honour and the

National Order of Merit An order of merit is conferred by a state, government or royal family on an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. Order of merit may also refer to: * FIFA Order of Merit, for significant contribution to association football * PDC O ...

. He was a recipient of the

Croix de guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

and the

Resistance Medal The Resistance Medal (french: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 ...

for his World War II service. De Chambrun published his memoir as well as a novel and several plays.

Personal life and death

De Chambrun married Jacqueline Retourné, a paediatrician whom he met in the Maquis du Mont Mouchet. They had four children. He died on 22 December 2009 in Marvejols, Lozère, France. He was 100 years old.

Works

* *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambrun, Gilbert de 1909 births 2009 deaths Politicians from Paris French Calvinist and Reformed Christians Union progressiste politicians Members of the Constituent Assembly of France (1945) Members of the Constituent Assembly of France (1946) Deputies of the 1st National Assembly of the French Fourth Republic Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fourth Republic Mayors of places in Occitania (administrative region) French anti–nuclear weapons activists French novelists 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights University of Paris alumni Sciences Po alumni French military personnel of World War II French Resistance members Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Commanders of the Ordre national du Mérite Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) French centenarians Men centenarians 20th-century French memoirists