An Influential Person under Vichy: Henri du Moulin de Labarthète
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The historiography of the Vichy Regime is marked above all by its main protagonists or its most emblematic figures. This article aims to bring to light, in a complementary way, one of marechal Petain’s right -hand men and one of the brains behind the French state, Henri de Moulin de Labarthete. As a politically right-wing and brilliant Inspector of Finance he first comes to light in the 30’s and is noted for the strength of his commitments and also his scepticism of the Third Republic. He was close to Paul Reynaud and also his valuable collaborator. Just before the Second World War he meets marechal Petain who was at the time French ambassador in Spain, and gains his trust and esteem. Petain, who had become Head of State in the meantime, nominates him as head of his civilian cabinet in July 1940. Du Moulin gave this purely administrative structure a political role but also transformed it into a hive of intrigue. The civilian cabinet, under the power of its head, becomes little by little a real organ of influence and decision. Henri du Moulin de Labarthete, who was often linked to the wide political trends of the national Revolution, left his personal imprint on it and in so doing, occupied an essential place in the politics of Vichy.
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