Jacques Doriot

From Kaiserreich

Jacques Doriot (born on September, 26 1898 in Bresles, France) is a French Syndicalist politician and military officer. One of the leaders of the Sorelian wing of the Commune politics, he is chairman of the Saint-Denis labour council since 1928, he was elected General of the Communal Army the same year and has been member of the Comité de Salut Public as Commander of Communal Ground Forces since 1935.

Biography

Early life

Doriot was born into a working class family, to a smith and a dressmaker. Beginning to work in a factory at 15, then finding a job in a neighbouring dairy, he was 17 when he moved to Saint-Denis, in Paris suburbs, and worked in several factories as a metal worker. The following year, in 1916, he joins the local section of the Socialist Youth, tired of the war and heavily pacifist. Mobilized in April 1917, his unit suffered heavy casualities during the Chemin des Dames offensive: he receives the Croix de Guerre for having helped a wounded comrade, but is also sentenced to one month's imprisonment for lack of discipline. After his transfer to the Greek front was cancelled, he was among the mutineers who joined the General Strike and subsequent uprising of the CGT on November 1919. He was distinguished during the French Civil War for his courage and his leading skills, allowing him to quickly rise in the inner circles of the newly created People's Army, mostly as a propagandist and political specialist. He is superior officer when the Civil War ends.

Political career

Remaining in the Army after Syndicalists achieved victory in 1920, Doriot was commissionned as military observer and adviser to the National Council of the Syndicalist Youth, quickly becoming deputy to its chairman Maurice Laporte. During this period, he is approached by the Sorelian wing of the CGT, most particularly by his former superior, Marcel Bucard. When the too turbulent Laporte is removed during the 1923 purges, Doriot replaces him as Chairman of the Syndicalist Youth. His status as a war hero protects him from anti-Sorelian elements, and the Youth quickly become one of the main tools of Syndicalization of France through the 1920s. Considered as a devout Syndicalist and a rising star of the Sorelian movement, Doriot eventually attains the rank of General in 1928, being elected to this post by his own soldiers, within whom he remains very popular. The same year, he is elected Chairman of Saint-Denis Labour Council at first round, as the Sorelian candidate. Within the Bourse Générale du Travail, he is quickly viewed as a competent politician, characterized by his violent speeches but also by his soaring and everlasting ambition, which hasn't prevented him from rivalry towards other members of the Sorelians and within the government. Some experts pretend that he was to be among the next victims of the last Pouget purge, which didn't occurred due to the latter's death by 1931: Pouget viewed Doriot as a competent leader but considered him as being too rightist for being a good Syndicalist. In October 1935, he succeeds his best breakthrough by now, being elected at fourth round to the very disputed position of Commander of Communal Ground Forces, defeating his rivals André Marty and Paul Le Gentilhomme. This victory makes him enter to the Comité de Salut Public, one of the most powerful men of the French military and also proves the rise of the bellicist and military Sorelians in French inner politics. As the heavy polarization of the People's Army were bring further by his election, Doriot was unable to make any decision since he was elected, but has delivered various angry speeches against Germany and capitalist countries. He is considered as the main Sorelian contender for the General Weaponry, Economic or Defence Affairs Delegations.