26 mars 1875
18 janvier 1949
Henri Moysset est né le 26 mars 1875 à Gramond (Aveyron) dans une famille d’agriculteurs petits propriétaires. Élève du petit séminaire de Rodez, il ne souhaite pas embrasser la carrière ecclésiastique. Après son service militaire (1896-1897), il s’inscrit à la faculté des lettres de Bordeaux où il obtient en 1901 une licence d’histoire. Il s’installe ensuite à Paris où il fréquente le Collège de France, la Sorbonne et découvre les milieux intellectuels et politiques parisiens, des républicains radicaux aux catholiques sociaux ; il est très proche d’Henri Lorin, le président des Semaines sociales de France.
Passionné par l’histoire de l’Antiquité, du XIXe siècle – il est secrétaire de la Société d’histoire de la Révolution de 1848 –, mais aussi par la philosophie, toute sa vie sera animée par la volonté de créer une grande œuvre multidisciplinaire.
À partir de 1903, il entreprend plusieurs voyages d’études en Allemagne qui aboutissent à la publication d’un ouvrage, L’Esprit public en Allemagne vingt ans après Bismarck (1911), dans lequel il expose les conflits et dissensions divisant la société allemande, qui risquent de déboucher sur des tensions européennes. Cet ouvrage lui confère une stature d’expert des affaires allemandes et lui permet de prendre part aux débats politiques de l’immédiat avant-guerre.
Il est mobilisé le 6 août 1914 comme caporal puis sergent à la 16e section territoriale d’infirmiers à Perpignan jusqu’en avril-mai 1915. Il est alors détaché à la commission des affaires extérieures de la Chambre des députés, au sein du comité parlementaire d’action à l’étranger, un des organismes chargés de diffuser la propagande française à l’extérieur. Il participe en 1918 à une conférence alliée à Londres destinée à mettre au point un service de propagande interallié.
Sa carrière dans les cabinets ministériels débute en novembre 1917 comme chef adjoint puis chef du cabinet civil de Georges Leygues, ministre de la Marine de novembre 1917 à janvier 1920, puis président du Conseil et ministre des Affaires étrangères de septembre 1920 à janvier 1921. Il sera à nouveau chargé de mission au cabinet civil lors du retour de Georges Leygues au ministère de la Marine (novembre 1925-février 1930). Sa carrière à la Marine, marquée entre autres par l’élaboration du statut des ouvriers des arsenaux (1918-1919) et la réorganisation du ministère (1927), est couronnée par le titre de directeur honoraire et la cravate de commandeur de la Légion d’honneur (décret du 29 janvier 1927).
Le 5 novembre 1929, Henri Moysset est nommé directeur de cabinet du président du Conseil André Tardieu, qui incarne ses conceptions d’un exécutif fort et sa méfiance du parlementarisme et du suffrage universel. Il le suit dans son parcours ministériel jusqu’en 1934, à la présidence du Conseil, à l’Intérieur et aux Affaires étrangères ; ses compétences s’exercent notamment dans la diplomatie multilatérale comme expert financier à la conférence de La Haye (1929), délégué adjoint à la conférence navale de Londres (1930) et délégué adjoint à la conférence du désarmement de Genève (1932).
Homme des cabinets ministériels, Henri Moysset ne remplit pas de mandats électoraux, sinon tardivement au niveau local : en 1933, il est élu conseiller municipal de Gramond, son village natal, puis maire (1934-1945) et conseiller général du canton de Sauveterre en 1938. Mais il ne parvient pas à faire de cette base locale un tremplin pour une carrière nationale, du fait de son échec aux élections sénatoriales d’octobre 1938.
Henri Moysset a toujours eu l’ambition de concilier fonctions politiques et activités intellectuelles, en lien avec ses multiples centres d’intérêts et son expérience des questions géopolitiques. À partir de 1923, il dirige avec Célestin Bouglé l’édition des Œuvres complètes de Proudhon. Durant une décennie (1920-1930), il est aussi professeur à l’École de guerre navale et au Centre des hautes études navales qui forment les futurs chefs de la Marine nationale.
Il participe en 1919 à la fondation de l’Institut d’études slaves ; ses articles du Monde Slave, dont il est le codirecteur, traitent des problèmes de l’Europe centrale aux prises avec l’Allemagne. Jusqu’à la veille de la guerre, il se montre un adversaire déterminé du Reich et développe ses analyses dans ses conférences à l’Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales de Genève (Institut Rappard), ou au Centre d'études de politique étrangère (CEPE, fondé en 1935) dont il est membre depuis 1937.
À la déclaration de guerre, sa proximité avec l’amiral Darlan qui a suivi son enseignement à l’École de guerre – il appartient au cercle des « ADD » (Amis de Darlan) – lui permet de reprendre du service comme chargé de mission à l’Amirauté à Paris (octobre 1939), puis au ministère de la Marine à Vichy (juillet 1940).
Pleinement favorable à la politique de Révolution nationale qui réalise ses aspirations à une refonte radicale de la société et de la politique et tenu en estime par le maréchal Pétain, il devient une personnalité du nouveau régime (conseiller national en janvier 1941, Francisque n° 1328).
Dans le sillage de l’amiral Darlan qui accède au pouvoir début 1941, il est nommé secrétaire général à la vice-présidence du Conseil (décret du 16 février 1941) puis secrétaire d’État à la vice-présidence du Conseil (décret du 9 juin 1941), pour exercer des tâches de coordination administrative du travail gouvernemental.
Il reçoit par décret du 11 août 1941 le portefeuille de ministre d’État chargé de la coordination des institutions nouvelles, pour superviser la réforme professionnelle et faire la liaison entre Darlan et le Conseil National.
Il préside avec Lucien Romier, également ministre d’État, le Comité pour l’organisation professionnelle institué par décret du 28 février 1941, chargé d’élaborer la Charte du Travail qui sera signée par le maréchal Pétain le 4 octobre 1941.
Il est ensuite membre du Conseil supérieur de la Charte du Travail et président de la Commission de l’article 40 de la Charte (2 février 1942), qui délivre un agrément aux organisations professionnelles mixtes.
Henri Moysset, qui représente à Vichy la tendance catholique sociale, intervient peu en dehors de son domaine de compétence. Il appuie particulièrement les mesures de soutien financier aux congrégations religieuses ; en politique étrangère, plutôt favorable à la Grande-Bretagne, il se montre hostile aux Protocoles de Paris (mai 1941).
Brièvement secrétaire d’État à la Marine par intérim (décret du 12 avril 1942), mais opposé au retour de Pierre Laval, il quitte définitivement le gouvernement le 18 avril 1942.
Après avril 1942, il n’exerce plus de fonctions officielles mais demeure chargé de mission à la Marine et conseiller privé du maréchal Pétain.
Il se consacre alors pleinement à l’élaboration de la future constitution de l’État français, question qu’il avait déjà supervisée comme vice-président de la commission de constitution du Conseil National.
Le Conseil National cesse de se réunir à partir de juillet 1943 mais, dans l’entourage du maréchal Pétain, la question constitutionnelle devient une priorité. Une constitution permettrait d’assurer dans la légalité une transition, qui au fil des mois apparaît de plus en plus inéluctable, avec un nouveau pouvoir issu de la libération du territoire.
Henri Moysset fait partie du petit groupe de personnalités qui participe, entre août et octobre-décembre 1943, à la conception des projets successifs d’une constitution plus « démocratique ». Cette activité constitutionnelle est à l’origine de la crise du 13 novembre 1943 avec les Allemands qui aboutit à la soumission du maréchal Pétain. Le projet de constitution sera finalement signé par le chef de l’État le 30 janvier 1944 mais jamais promulgué.
Son dernier acte public est une conférence donnée à l’Institut catholique à Paris le 31 mars 1944 sur « Qu’est-ce que la civilisation, ou le contenu métaphysique de l’idée de civilisation ».
Il quitte Vichy pour Gramond mais le mandat d’arrêt lancé à son encontre en octobre 1944 le pousse dans une vie semi-clandestine compliquée par des problèmes de santé croissants.
La procédure instruite par le parquet de la Haute Cour en tant qu’ancien ministre prend corps avec l’affaire du 11 janvier 1942 : d’après un télégramme d’Abetz à Ribbentropp et une lettre de Benoist-Méchin à Darlan, il est accusé d’avoir pris part à une réunion de ministres ayant décidé de déclarer la guerre à la Grande-Bretagne et aux États-Unis.
Il est renvoyé devant la Haute Cour par arrêt du 13 février 1947 pour intelligence avec une puissance étrangère et participation au gouvernement.
Ses anciens collaborateurs et amis qui lui sont restés fidèles, Louis-Dominique Girard, Ivan Martin, Angelo Tasca, organisent sa défense mais, très diminué par la maladie, il décède le 18 janvier 1949 à Paris ; il est enterré à Gramond. L’action publique est déclarée éteinte le 21 juin 1949.
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