Assassination in Vichy : Marx Dormoy and the Struggle for the Soul of France

"During the night of July 25, 1941, assassins planted a time bomb in the bed of former French Interior Minister Marx Dormoy. The explosion of the bomb on the morning of July 26 launched a two-year investigation that traced Dormoy's murder to the highest echelons of the Vichy regime. Dormoy, who had led a 1937 investigation into the "Cagoule," a violent ultra-right-wing terrorist organization, was the victim of a captivating revenge plot. Based on the meticulous examination of thousands of documents, Assassination in Vichy tells the story of Dormoy's murder and of the investigation, led by courageous Police Superintendent Charles Chenevier, who persisted despite opposition from both Vichy and collaborationists in Paris. A book about France's deep political divisions, wartime choices, and post-war memory, Assassination in Vichy explores the impact of fascist extremism on France's history and explains why after the war none of Dormoy's assassins were punished for his murder. At the heart of this book lies the investigation of a true crime that was sensational in its day but overshadowed by the war. It is a microhistory that also tells a larger and more significant story about the development of far-right political movements, domestic terrorism, and the importance of courage."-- Provided by publisher "During the night of July 25, 1941, assassins planted a time bomb in the bed of former French Interior Minister Marx Dormoy. The explosion of the bomb on the morning of July 26 launched a two-year investigation that traced Dormoy's murder to the highest echelons of the Vichy regime. Dormoy, who had led a 1937 investigation into the "Cagoule," a violent ultra-right-wing terrorist organization, was the victim of a captivating revenge plot. Based on the meticulous examination of thousands of documents, Assassination in Vichy tells the story of Dormoy's murder and of the investigation, led by courageous Police Superintendent Charles Chenevier, who persisted despite opposition from both Vichy and collaborationists in Paris. A book about France's deep political divisions, wartime choices, and post-war memory, Assassination in Vichy explores the impact of fascist extremism on France's history and explains why after the war none of Dormoy's assassins were punished for his murder. At the heart of this book lies the investigation of a true crime that was sensational in its day but overshadowed by the war. It is a microhistory that also tells a larger and more significant story about the development of far-right political movements, domestic terrorism, and the importance of courage."-- Résumé de l'éditeur During the night of 25 July 1941, assassins planted a time bomb in the bed of former French Interior Minister Marx Dormoy. The explosion on the morning of 26 July launched a two-year investigation that traced Dormoy's murder to the highest echelons of the Vichy regime. Dormoy, who had led a 1937 investigation into the "Cagoule," a violent ultra-right-wing terrorist organization, was the victim of a captivating revenge plot. Based on the meticulous examination of thousands of documents, Assassination in Vichy tells the story of Dormoy's murder and of the investigation, led by courageous Police Superintendent Charles Chenevier, who persisted despite opposition from both Vichy and collaborationists in Paris. A book about France's deep political divisions, wartime choices, and post-war memory, Assassination in Vichy explores the impact of fascist extremism on France's history. At the heart of this book lies the investigation of a true crime that was sensational in its day but overshadowed by the war. It is a microhistory that also tells a larger and more significant story about the development of far-right political movements, domestic terrorism, and the importance of courage

During the night of 25 July 1941, assassins planted a time bomb in the bed of the former French Interior Minister, Marx Dormoy. The explosion on the following morning launched a two-year investigation that traced Dormoy’s murder to the highest echelons of the Vichy regime. Dormoy, who had led a 1937 investigation into the “Cagoule,” a violent right-wing terrorist organization, was the victim of a captivating revenge plot. Based on the meticulous examination of thousands of documents, Assassination in Vichy tells the story of Dormoy’s murder and the investigation that followed.

At the heart of this book lies a true crime that was sensational in its day. A microhistory that tells a larger and more significant story about the development of far-right political movements, domestic terrorism, and the importance of courage, Assassination in Vichy explores the impact of France’s deep political divisions, wartime choices, and post-war memory.

Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Note on Sources......Page 14 Introduction: 26 July 1941: Explosion......Page 16 1 1888–1941: Marx Dormoy and the Fall of France......Page 29 2 1941: A Long, Hot Summer......Page 53 3 26–30 July 1941: Anatomy of a Crime Scene......Page 65 4 14 August 1941: A Bombing in Nice......Page 84 5 Summer 1941: Recruiting the Assassins......Page 101 6 August–October 1941: The Net Widens......Page 123 7 October 1941–March 1942: The Waiting Game......Page 144 8 18 April 1942: The Return of Pierre Laval......Page 164 9 23 January 1943: German Intervention......Page 183 10 26 August 1944: Liberation......Page 204 Conclusion: Today: The Legacy of Marx Dormoy......Page 218 Glossary of Names......Page 238 Organizations......Page 242 Timeline......Page 244 Notes......Page 248 Suggested Reading in English for Students and General Readers......Page 292 Bibliography......Page 298 Index......Page 312 An engrossing World War II "who done it" and a well-researched historical study of France's deep political divisions and wartime choices, Assassination in Vichy explores the impact of right-wing extremism in wartime France.