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Henri Lagrange (born 21 November 1893 in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
; died 30 October 1915 in
Montereau-Fault-Yonne Montereau-Fault-Yonne (, before 1992: ''Montereau-Faut-Yonne''), or simply Montereau, is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France ...
) was a
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
and monarchist activist in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.


Biography

Henri Eugène Georges Lagrange was born in Paris on 21 November 1893. He published his first article in '' Revue critique des idées et des livres'' in 1910 at the age of 16, attracting the attention of Maurice Barrès and
Romain Rolland Romain Rolland (; 29 January 1866 – 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and Mysticism, mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary pro ...
. A Camelot du roi, he became famous for allegedly insulting President Armand Fallières or shouting "Down with the Republic!" during the festivities in Rouen on 23 June 1911, celebrating the millennium of Normandy's annexation to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. This act resulted in a six-month prison sentence, served under common law, despite efforts on his behalf by over 150 writers and artists, including
Guillaume Apollinaire Guillaume Apollinaire (; ; born Kostrowicki; 26 August 1880 – 9 November 1918) was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist and art critic of Poland, Polish descent. Apollinaire is considered one of the foremost poets of the ...
, Frédéric Mistral, and
Francis Jammes Francis Jammes (; 2 December 1868, in Tournay, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tournay – 1 November 1938, in Hasparren) was a French and European poet. He spent most of his life in his native region of Béarn and the Northern Basque Country, Basque Country ...
. He was released after 139 days, on 8 November 1911. This act earned him significant popularity among the '' Fédération nationale des étudiants d'Action française'' (Students of Action française), where he became Secretary General in 1913. However, he was expelled from Action française on 5 June 1914 for "activism," accused of planning a coup against the Republic. He befriended
Georges Valois Georges Valois (; born Alfred-Georges Gressent; 7 October 1878 – February 1945) was a French journalist and national syndicalist politician. He was a member of the French Resistance and died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Lif ...
and sought to bridge nationalist monarchists with revolutionary syndicalists, drawing on the political legacy of Georges Sorel and co-founding the
Cercle Proudhon ''Cercle Proudhon'' (; French for Proudhon Circle) was a national syndicalist political group in France. The group was inspired by Georges Sorel, Charles Maurras and a selective reading of anarchist theorist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. History Foun ...
. In August 1914, he volunteered for military service, declaring, "It is the duty of intellectuals to set an example." Serving as an adjutant in the 103rd Infantry Regiment, he was critically wounded during an attack on Auberive on 6 October 1915 and succumbed to his injuries on 30 October in a hospital in
Montereau-Fault-Yonne Montereau-Fault-Yonne (, before 1992: ''Montereau-Faut-Yonne''), or simply Montereau, is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France ...
.


Tributes

Charles Maurras, with whom Lagrange unsuccessfully attempted reconciliation before his deployment, referred to him as the "prince of youth" in the preface to a posthumous collection of Lagrange's writings, ''Vingt ans en 1914. Études politiques et littéraires, portraits et polémiques, lettres de guerre'' (1920). Maurice Barrès dedicated pages to him in ''Familles spirituelles de la France'' (1917), describing him as a "storm bird" and "torrent stone, full of sparks." In 1924,
Georges Valois Georges Valois (; born Alfred-Georges Gressent; 7 October 1878 – February 1945) was a French journalist and national syndicalist politician. He was a member of the French Resistance and died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Lif ...
dedicated his essay ''La Révolution nationale'' to Lagrange. Georges Bernanos also referenced him in his novel '' Under the Sun of Satan'' (1926), stating, "The new generation was clearly marked by his sacrifice." File:Henri Lagrange, Camelot du Roi, condamné le 29 juin 1911 à six mois de prison.png, Henri Lagrange sentenced to six months in prison on 29 June 1911. File:Henri Lagrange mort pour la France le 30 octobre 1915.png, Henri Lagrange, fallen for France, 30 October 1915. File:Henri Lagrange.jpg, alt=, Medallion of Henri Lagrange in ''L'Almanach de l'Action française'' (1919).


Legacy

A YouTube channel titled ''Cercle Henri Lagrange'' has existed since 21 May 2014. Lagrange is often mistakenly confused with Lucien Lacour, who slapped Prime Minister
Aristide Briand Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...
, but contrary to some reports, Lagrange never struck President Armand Fallières.


Works

* ''Gérard de Nerval'', Paris, Éditions de la Revue critique, 1911. * Introduction to
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (, ; ; 1809 – 19 January 1865) was a French anarchist, socialist, philosopher, and economist who founded mutualist philosophy and is considered by many to be the "father of anarchism". He was the first person to ca ...
, ''Les femmelins. Les grandes figures romantiques...'', Paris, Nouvelle Librairie nationale, 1912. * ''Vingt ans en 1914. Études politiques et littéraires, portraits et polémiques, lettres de guerre'', preface by Charles Maurras, Paris, Nouvelle Librairie nationale, 1920.


Notes and References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lagrange, Henri 20th-century French journalists People affiliated with Action Française French nationalists 1893 births 1915 deaths Military personnel from Paris French military personnel killed in World War I