Pierre Georges

Pierre Georges (January 21, 1919 in Paris - December 27, 1944 in Habsheim), better known as Colonel Fabien, was one of the two members of the French Communist Party who perpetrated the first assassinations of German personnel during the Occupation of France during the Second World War.

Life

Born to a baker's family, Georges fought for the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War until the end of the International Brigades in 1939.

In 1940, he joined the French Resistance in the Franc Tireurs Partisans, at the time still largely operating by sabotageing German equipment in France. In 1943, he was captured and tortured but escaped.

Five days after the surrender of Paris Albert Ouzoulias ("Colonel André") of the national committee of Francs-tireurs et partisans français (FTPF) called a meeting at which Pierre Georges ("Colonel Fabien") was assigned the task of forming a battalion of resistance fighters.^[1] Colonel Fabien organized a Free French (FFI: Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur) column that left Paris soon after the uprising in that city early in September 1944. The Colonne Fabien was to form the nucleus of a Free French force in Lorraine, which would be joined by volunteers from Paris and the eastern regions of France as soon as possible. The French state would have to accept the fait accompli of the Free French army fighting on the front, which would become a "great people's army".^[2] Colonel Fabien was killed in a mine explosion at Habsheim, on the Alsace front, on 27 December 1944.^[1] Two other leaders died at the same time. This gave rise to various conspiracy rumors.^[2]

Honours

• The former Place du Combat in Paris was renamed Place du Colonel Fabien in honour of Pierre Georges.
• The Paris Métro station Combat was also renamed Colonel Fabien
• The French Communist Party headquarters, located at the Place du Colonel Fabien, is often so called.

Likewise, many streets in towns with communist mayors are named Colonel Fabien.

References

Sources