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Development of Pierre Boisson's article
[edit]Pierre François Boisson (19 June 1894 – 20 July 1948) was a senior French civil servant, colonial administrator, and the Governor General of French Equatorial Africa (AEF) and French West Africa (AOF). His diplomatic career includes two terms where he reigned as Governor-General over the AEF and AOF. During his second reign over these territories, he is remembered for assuming the role of High Commissioner to Vichy France[1]. His actions leading to and during the Nazi occupation of France were met with condemnation from Allied forces, particularly from French civilians after the conclusion of the Second World War.
Biography
[edit]Pierre Boisson was born in Saint-Launeuc, Cotes du Nord[1]. His mother was a teacher and his father was a paraplegic war veteran. He took after the occupation ambitions of his parents to become a schoolteacher until the First World War broke out.
Military service in the First World War
[edit]During the First World War, he held the position of second lieutenant in the 71st Infantry regiment. He served in the battles of Artois, the Argonne, and at Verdun. Over the course of the war, Boisson attained many wounds, eventually having one of his legs amputated due to injuries in 1917[1].
Career in colonial administration
[edit]After the First World War, Boisson decided to take up colonial administration. His advancements were notably quick. In 1920, he was appointed as an assistant administrator at Brazzaville in the Congo. Over the next twelve years, he spent his career working in various African posting within the French colonies. By 1932, Boisson had been designated the chief of cabinet role of the under secretary of colonies.
Between 1938 and 1939, Boisson served as temporary governor-general of the AOF, governor-general of the AEF, and governor of the Congo[1].
Appointment to Vichy High Commissioner
[edit]By June 1940, the Nazis had overrun Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and most of France.
On 25th June 1940, Boisson was appointed to the position of high commissioner of French West Africa. In the face of a mounting diplomatic crisis, Boisson believed that acting in favour of Vichy French forces, while being a difficult decision to commit to, was in the best interest of the French nation. Charles de Gaulle was notably critical of Boisson's decision to cave in to the diplomatic pressures of Nazi Germany in stating that Boisson's "ambition was greater than his discernment". De Gaulle's convictions toward Boisson saw him popularly viewed as an outcast from an Allied perspective[1].
