Jacques Doriot

French Politician

Born: September 26, 1898 at Bresle, Oise
Died: February 22, 1945 at Sigmaringen, Germany

     Doriot began his career as a laborer in the industrial suburb of Saint Denis. He joined the Socialist Youth in 1916. World War I interrupted his political formation. Doriot was mobilized in 1917, captured and held prisoner until the armistice.

     He joined the newly formed French Communist Party in 1920 and made a rapid rise through the ranks; member of the presidium of the executive committee of the Communist Internationale 1922, Secretary of the French Federation of Young Communists 1923, served a prison term for opposition to Poincare's occupation of the Ruhr, elected to the Chamber of Deputies from Seine 1924, elected Mayor of Saint Denis 1931.

     Doriot was expelled from the Communist Party for engaging in factionalism in 1934. He remained in the Chamber and formed his own party, le Parti Populaire Francais. He began espousing Fascism, expressed admiration for Mussolini's Italy and used the party paper Le Cri du Peuple advocate collaboration with Germany even before war was declared.

     Doriot joined the Legion des volontaires Francais contre le bolchevisme in 1942 then donned a German uniform after the LVF was wiped out. He was killed when his car was strafed by a fighter near Sigmaringen, Germany on February 22, 1945.