7 août 1881
24 décembre 1942
Amiral Darlan
Darlan, François (1881-1942)
François Darlan est né dans une famille républicaine laïque de Nérac. Son père était engagé en politique et a occupé des fonctions ministérielles. Proche de Georges Leygues, ami de son père, il connaît une brillante carrière politique en cabinets ministériels après sa formation à l’Ecole navale dont il sort en 1901.
Promu amiral en 1937, il devient commandant en chef de la Marine nationale. Avec l’avènement du Front populaire, ses affinités politiques avec la gauche lui permettent d’accéder au grade de chef d’État-major de la marine avant la création en 1939 du titre, qui est distinct d’un grade, d’amiral de la flotte dans le but d’harmoniser les dénominations militaires avec les usages internationaux. Sous sa direction, la marine française connaît un accroissement important de ses capacités.
Si en juin 1940 il refuse d’abandonner le combat et permet l’évacuation d’or de la Banque de France vers le Sénégal, il se rallie ensuite à l’armistice demandé par le maréchal Pétain.
Il succède à Pierre Laval à la tête du gouvernement de Vichy par l’acte constitutionnel quatre quater du 18 décembre 1940. Il occupe ce poste jusqu’en avril 1942, lors du rappel de Laval à la demande de l’occupant.
Darlan est le premier artisan de la politique de collaboration convenue entre Hitler et Pétain lors de l’entrevue de Montoire à l’automne 1940. Il plaide ainsi pour accroître les liens économiques et militaires avec l’Allemagne nazie. En 1941, il est à l’initiative de la création du Commissariat général aux questions juives, dont la direction est confiée à Xavier Vallat, ancien député de la Fédération républicaine. La même année, le 28 mai, il signe les protocoles de Paris par lesquels des officiers français sont libérés par les Allemands et une base militaire française au Levant est confiée à l’Allemagne afin de favoriser la lutte contre les Britanniques, notamment en soutenant l’insurrection irakienne. D’autres remises de bases militaires françaises en faveur de l’Axe sont prévues. Cette action aboutit au déclenchement de la campagne de Syrie par les Alliés, lors de laquelle les mandats français sont perdus. La France de Vichy se trouve alors proche d’être cobelligérante des Allemands de sorte que le gouvernement ne ratifie par le texte. Darlan organise également la collaboration avec l’Empire du Japon en raison de l’occupation de l’Indochine française par celui-ci.
Devenu ministre de la Défense nationale, l’amiral Darlan est en conflit avec ses chefs militaires, Weygand à l’armée et Huntzinger à la marine. Ce dernier meurt d’un accident d’avion tandis que Weygand est rappelé d’Afrique en métropole, laissant la voie libre à Darlan.
Celui-ci est ensuite présent aux côtés de Pétain lors de l’entrevue de Saint-Florentin – Vergigny avec Goering qui ne permet d’obtenir aucune des concessions demandées par Pétain. La France doit toutefois aider les troupes allemandes et italiennes en Afrique du Nord. De plus, Darlan déplaît aux Allemands qui finit par être écarté du pouvoir au printemps 1942. Il reste commandant en chef des forces militaires.
Lors de la prise d’Alger par les Alliés dans le cadre de l’opération Torch, Darlan est fait brièvement prisonnier puis, libéré, demande à Vichy de faire intervenir l’armée allemande contre les Alliés.
Le 10 novembre 1942, il ordonne aux troupes françaises sous son commandement au Maroc et dans le reste de l’Algérie de cesser le combat. Vichy le désavoue alors. L’Afrique du Nord puis l’AOF basculent alors dans le camp des Alliés. Il échoue ensuite à obtenir le départ de la flotte française de Toulon qui est sabordée le 27 novembre. Haut-commissaire de France en Afrique du Nord à la création de cet organe, Darlan maintient les mesures prises par Vichy, notamment la détention des prisonniers politiques et l’abrogation du décret Crémieux. Ce refus de la démocratisation de l’Afrique du Nord associé à son passé récent de collaborateur au sein du gouvernement de Vichy lui valent la double hostilité des opinions publiques alliées et de la résistance française.
Le 24 décembre 1942, Darlan est assassiné à Alger par un étudiant âgé de vingt ans, Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, agissant pour le compte du monarchiste Henri d’Astier de La Vigerie.
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