Henri Dentz

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Henri Fernand Dentz (born 16 Dec 1881, Roanne, Loire, France; died 13 Dec 1945, Fresnes, Val-de-Marne) was a Vichy French general during World War II. As High Commissioner of the Levant, he was in charge of the defence of the French Mandates of Syria and the Lebanon. Dentz commanded the "Army of the Levant" (Armée du Levant), an army of approximately 45,000 men.

After Vichy authorities allowed aircraft from the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) to refuel in the mandates, the Allies planned an invasion. On June 8, 1941, a force of approximately 20,000 Australian, Indian, Free French, and British troops, under the command of Sir Henry M. Wilson, invaded Syria and Lebanon from British Mandate of Palestine and Iraq. Fierce fighting ensued and Dentz and the Vichy forces were methodically surrounded over a 13-day period, causing them to abandon Damascus, the capital of Syria, on June 21.

Fighting continued in Lebanon and Dentz ordered ships and aircraft under his command to go to Turkey, where they were interned. He reached agreement on a surrender to the Allies, which came into effect on July 14.

In January 1945, Dentz was sentenced to death for aiding the Axis powers, but Charles de Gaulle commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.

[edit] Command history

1934 to 1937 Commanding Officer, 54th Brigade
1937 to 1939 Deputy Chief, General Staff Army
1939 Assistant Chief General Staff, Army
1939 General Officer Commanding, XV Corps
1939 to 1940 General Officer Commanding, XII Corps
1940 General Officer Commanding, Paris Military region
1940 General Officer Commanding, 15th Military Region
1940 General Officer Commanding, 15th Military Division
1940 to 1941 General Officer Commander in Chief, Levant
1941 High Commissioner of Levant
1941 to 1942 High Commissioner of Levant supervising repatriation of the Forces of Levant
1942 to 1943 President of the Commission of Conferment of Awards of 1939-1940
1945 Arrested
1945 Condemned to death as collaborationist
1945 Sentence changed to life imprisonment
1945 Died in prison