January 5th 1936
“And so the sun rises over the conquered city…”
As Paris awoke, if indeed anyone slept during the turbulent night, Field Marshall’s Avaneux’s troops were parading through the Place de la Concorde in the centre of the city. As the sunlight broke, a silent eeriness, an almost disturbing atmosphere, fell upon the cold and tired capital. Most people feared leaving their homes, as they feared the Fascist Militia Forces, the Guard Argenté de la République, which marched on the capital with the Field Marshall’s Corps d’Armée.
At eight o’clock that morning, Field Marshall Avaneux broadcast a long and involved speech on the Service de Radiodiffusion National in Paris. Avaneux, a leading member of France’s Old Guard, had fought in the Franco-Prussian War on 1870-71, as well as led an Army group in the Great War. The Field Marshall was also considered France’s greatest colonial General, and was bestowed with distinguished title of Général de la Garde Colonial de la France in 1908. As a result, he was considered as France’s most respected and talented military leader for well over a century. He was a deeply conservative and sentimental man, with the utmost love for his country. His conservative sentiments however clashed with Jean-Veré Sanvea’s Nationalist policies. The only reason the two were brought together to overthrow the government was their mutual disdain of Socialism, which had infiltrated French politics over the past decade. His momentous speech lasted for nearly forty-five minutes, and roused the most sympathetic feelings amongst the French population for his coup d’état, which had installed the Fascist Party. He detailed his fight for the French people, and that the only way to protect France from the Red Menace was to bring to power Bolshevism’s arch-enemy, the Fascists, which as of yet, had not gained the popularity like the Fascist movements in neighbouring Italy and Germany.
Shortly after the broadcast of “the speech of the century” as Field Marshall Gamelin later recalled with a tear in his eye, Sanvea entered the Broadcasting building to address the French people as the new Prime Minster.
“ …I am here for the service of the French people. I am nothing more than a servant for the Republic, and everything I have done, and will ever do is at foremost in the interest of the French people and the glorious French Nation…I, by the grace of god, and with the blessing of Madame la République, have a mandate to lead this great nation to the grandeur that she so surely deserves. I therefore pledge to my people my utmost promises of optimistic change – change for the better. And if, at all I do not succeed in my mission, and in any way disappoint or fail the people of this brilliant nation, I will interpret it as the end of my mandate and I will leave the power to what is a more effective force. But let me assure you, the people of France, that it will never come to they, as I, and my Party will ensure that it is an absolute impossibility for France to fail under the enlightened leadership of French Fascism, the only true outlet of French Nationalism…”
An eruptive applause broke at Fascist Party headquarters, and many Nationalists spilled onto the streets in celebration “Viva le France, Viva Avaneux, Viva Fascism!” People ascended on all public places with flags and ribbons of blue, red and white. Many also carried framed portraits of Napoleon, Avaneux and Sanvea which they paraded with great enthusiasm on the streets of Paris.
The Home Front
January 5th – February 2nd 1936
“The descent into anarchy is marked by the words of one General…”
On the morning of January 5th, the state of France lay in disarray. The new government in Paris held little control outside of the capital, and it was unclear whether the rest of the country would come under the power of the Paris regime. At ten o’clock that morning, it became clear that the regime would not gain power easily outside Paris. General Besson, the commander of the troops under the Mediterranean Coast Military District, based in Marseilles, officially stated that he did not, and would not recognise Sanvea’s Fascist government in Paris. “My loyalties remain with President Laval. I will do everything in my power to resist the Fascists, and I denounce Field Marshall Avaneux for these gross acts treason.” The troops under his command would fight rather than bow down to the illegal Fascist regime. To compound matters further, Admiral Bouxin, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet anchored in Marseilles harbour pledged to stand by Besson’s stance. Just hours later, the Bordeaux Military District Commander, General Bounet, also pledged allegiance to President Laval, and would follow Besson’s position.
The south of France, at the time appeared to be in firm anti-Fascist hands. This, however, was not the situation in the North. In a strange turn of events, Field Marshall Juin, who commanded the troops under the Sedan Military District abruptly halted outside Paris. He had stated just hours before that he would liberate France from the “Fascist Militia”. Avaneux had, shortly after his nationally broadcasted speech, driven in his staff car to meet Avaneux to the north of Paris. The meeting, which was said to have lasted some fifteen minutes, completely changed Juin’s loyalties, and in an official broadcast at eleven that morning, he pledged his loyalties to Avaneux and Sanvea.
Another compelling event occurred shortly after lunch. Field Marshall Gamelin, the Chief-of-Staff, War Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Army turned up in his staff car at Avaneux’s headquarters on the bank of the Seine, just south of the Musée de Louvre. The Field Marshall, who would ultimately held the balance of power in his hand’s as France’s most powerful military leader, had disappeared during the night and had caused great anxiety to Avaneux and his staff. Avaneux, who had initially believed that Gamelin had fled the capital in order to escape capture would return with an large “army of liberation”. Gamelin immediately pledged loyalty to Avaneux, and in turn, was guaranteed to retain his posts of Chief-of-Staff of the High Command and Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
That afternoon, telegrams poured in from General Huntzinger in Roune, Field Marshall Lattre de Tassigney in Strasbourg and the commander of the Armée des Alpes assuring Paris of their loyalty to the new regime.