6 octobre 1885
28 avril 1946
La Rocque de Séverac, François de (1885-1946)
La Rocque, François de (1885-1946)
Né le 6 octobre 1885 à Lorient, François de La Rocque (1885-1946) descend d’une famille originaire de Haute-Auvergne, qui tient son nom du hameau de La Roque à Saint-Clément. Il est le fils du général d’artillerie de marine Raymond de la Rocque. Il entre à Saint-Cyr en 1905, sert en Algérie aux confins du Sahara puis à Lunéville (1912). Appelé en 1913 par Lyautey au Maroc, il demeure jusqu’en 1916 officier des affaires indigènes. Grièvement blessé, il est rapatrié en France mais repart volontairement dans les tranchées de la Somme pour commander un bataillon du 135e régiment d'infanterie. La Rocque est en 1918, à 33 ans, le plus jeune chef de bataillon de l'armée française, avec dix citations au combat. Il est décoré de la croix de guerre et est fait officier de la Légion d'honneur
La Rocque est affecté après la guerre, de 1919 à 1927, à l’état-major interallié du maréchal Foch. Après une période à la tête de la mission militaire française à Varsovie (1921-1922), il devient en 1925 chef du 2ème bureau au Maroc lors de la campagne contre Abd el-Krim.
François de la Rocque démissionne de l’armée en 1927 avec le grade de lieutenant-colonel. Il entre en 1929 aux Croix de Feu, association d'anciens combattants fondée préalablement à son arrivée par Maurice d'Hartoy et réservée aux seuls décorés de la croix de guerre. Il en devient le président en 1932 (et le restera jusqu'à la dissolution du mouvement en 1936). Il y développe un « Mouvement » ouvert désormais aux non décorés – les Briscards –, à de plus jeunes – les Volontaires Nationaux – et aux femmes réunies en section. Son programme est exposé dans l'ouvrageService Public(Grasset, 1934), il lance le mot d’ordre « Social d’abord » à l’appui d’œuvres caritatives.
La Rocque et les Croix-de-Feu se distinguent des autres ligues par leur respect de la légalité républicaine. Participant à la manifestation du 6 février 1934, les Croix de Feu s’abstiennent sur instructions de La Rocque, de forcer l’entrée du Palais Bourbon et ne se mêlent pas à l’émeute de la Place de la Concorde. Il refuse en outre toute alliance avec l’extrême-droite, ce qui lui sera vivement reproché (cf.J’accuse La Rocquede Jean Renaud etComment La Rocque a trahide Maurice Pujo) : il s’oppose ainsi à l’adhésion au sein du Front National des ligues (1935) et du Front de la Liberté (1937) proposé par Doriot, de même qu’à toute participation aux entreprises de la Cagoule. La Rocque sera un opposant avéré aux courants et discours antisémites (cf. Henri Coston :La Rocque et les Juifs : un nouveau scandale, 1937). Néanmoins le colonel de La Rocque subit des injures et des calomnies très violentes venues tout autant de l'extrême-gauche que de l'extrême-droite.
Le gouvernement du Front Populaire ayant dissous les « ligues », La Rocque fonde en 1936, aux côtés de l'aviateur Jean Mermoz, le Parti Social Français (PSF), qui se transforme en union inter-fédérale en 1938. Le succès est immédiat : à la veille de la guerre, le PSF est le plus important parti politique français, avec un million d’adhérents, 11 députés, 3000 maires. Le PSF est lié aux Syndicats Professionnels Français (S.P.F.) et fonde des organisations caritatives et sociales puissantes : La Propagande ouvrière et commerciale (POC), la Société de Préparation et d'Éducation Sportive (SPES) et l'association « Travail et Loisirs », présidée par la mère de Jean Mermoz. En juillet 1937, le PSF acquiert un grand quotidien parisien,Le Petit Journal, dont François de La Rocque est nommé directeur. Il y publie de nombreux éditoriaux qui diffusent sa ligne politique. Mû par un idéal de liberté et de défense de la civilisation chrétienne, il rejette les deux formes de totalitarisme, soviétique et nazi et pressent dès 1937 la possiblité d'un pacte germano-soviétique. Il dénonce l’impréparation du pays à la guerre et crée en 1939 les « Artisans du Devoir Patriotique » (A.D.P.), accentuant la dimension civique et sociale de son parti.
Le 16 juin 1940, La Rocque signe un éditorial intitulé « Résistance », dans lePetit Journal, et quand survient l'armistice du 22 juin 1940, il rappelle que cette situation dramatique ne suspend nullement les hostilités et dénonce la collaboration avec l'Allemagne : « pas de collaboration sous l'occupation ». À l'égard du régime de Vichy, il précise : « loyalisme à l'égard du maréchal Pétain, mais réserve absolue à l'égard du gouvernement de Vichy ». Dans l'éditorial du 5 octobre 1940 duPetit Journal, La Rocque s'oppose au futur statut des Juifs. Il désavoue l’emprunt par Vichy de la devise « Travail, Famille, Patrie ». Le parti est interdit en zone occupée dès le 28 août 1940 et transformé en organisation sociale sous le nom de « Progrès Social Français ». Le PSF sera définitivement dissous le 2 novembre 1942 sur ordre du général Oberg, commandant des S.S. en France.
D'abord nommé chargé de mission au cabinet de Pétain, La Rocque est nommé au Conseil National de Vichy dont il démissionne en août 1941. Il est le fondateur du réseau Klan (juin 1942) destiné à recueillir des renseignements militaires transmis aux services britanniques. Interrogé une première fois en 1941 par les Allemands, La Rocque est arrêté le 9 mars 1943 par la Gestapo en même temps que 150 cadres PSF. Interné à Fresnes puis à la prison du Cherche-Midi, La Rocque est transféré à Eisenberg (Tchécoslovaquie) aux côtés de Pierre de Gaulle puis à Itter (Autriche) où il se retrouve comme otage des Allemands avec Édouard Daladier, Léon Jouhaux, Paul Reynaud et le général Weygand notamment. Il y rédigeAu service de l’avenir, livre paru en 1946. C'est la 103e division américaine qui le libère, ainsi que les personnalités détenues à Itter, le 7 mai 1945.
La Rocque revient en France libérée le 9 mai 1945 et se voit immédiatement placé en internement administratif sans mandat jusqu'au 31 décembre 1945, afin de l'éloigner des affaires politiques, notamment des négociations du Conseil national de la Résistance. À sa sortie d'internement administratif, il est assigné à résidence et décède quelques mois plus tard, le 28 avril 1946, des suites des séquelles de ses années de détention et d’une intervention chirurgicale.
Quinze ans plus tard, jour anniversaire de la Déportation, le général de Gaulle, président de la République, fait remettre à Madame de La Rocque la médaille de déporté-résistant à titre posthume, précisant que « l’ennemi (lui) fit subir une cruelle déportation pour faits de Résistance, dont, je le sais, les épreuves et le sacrifice furent offerts au service de la France» (Le Monde, 30 avril 1961).
François de La Rocque a épousé en 1912 Édith Marie-Louise Allotte de La Füye avec laquelle il a quatre fils et deux filles : Jean-François (1916-1940), Jacques (1919-1948) – tous deux aviateurs morts pour la France, Gilles († 2001), chasseur alpin, blessé au combat en juin 1940. Deux de ses enfants, Hugues et Nadine sont décédés prématurément en 1927 et 1934, et la dernière fille, Edith est entrée dans les ordres religieux.
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