” Finally ! “: such was the first word of the mayor of Soulac Xavier Pintat last Tuesday during the reception reserved for Serge Michel Dumartin, author of “Georges Mandel – mayor of Soulac-sur-Mer (1919-1940) – Political prisoner of the French State (1940-1944)”, for the official launch of his book (1).
political legitimacy…
” Finally ! “: such was the first word of the mayor of Soulac Xavier Pintat last Tuesday during the reception reserved for Serge Michel Dumartin, author of “Georges Mandel – mayor of Soulac-sur-Mer (1919-1940) – Political prisoner of the French State (1940-1944)”, for the official launch of his book (1).
Political legitimacy
The national historical dimension and the iniquitous execution of Georges Mandel by the Militia in 1944 have already been the subject of several biographies, documentaries and fictions. His achievements in favor of the development of the Médoc, his visionary spirit, his legendary stormy electoral campaigns are still frequently recalled by local political leaders. However, his political legitimacy, which finds its genesis in Soulac, of which he was mayor for 21 years, from 1919 to 1940, had not yet found a written echo. Serge Michel Dumartin has just repaired this local ingratitude.
The Éditions du Foyer communal verdonnais offered him the opportunity to publish the book under its section “In the footsteps of Lafayette” led by former deputy Gérard Barbé. The author had already published “Lafayette and the American Monument” with the same Editions.
Why Lafayette? Because freedom and the Pointe de Grave site constitute a link between Mandel and Lafayette. “Several memorials erected at La Pointe remind us of this,” explains Gérard Barbé.
Lafayette set out from the Pointe de Grave to rally the American insurgents and help them win their freedom. At the same time, Georges Mandel was one of the 27 parliamentarians embarked at the Verdon on the Massilia on June 21, 1940 to carry the Resistance to North Africa after the Armistice signed by Pétain with Hitler.
A chronological search
Serge Michel Dumartin’s book chronologically explores the local work of Louis Rothschild dit Georges Mandel (named after his mother) from his election as municipal councilor on November 30, 1919 and then mayor of Soulac on December 10. At the age of 34, relying on political and journalistic networks and on his closeness to Georges Clemenceau, he became deputy for Gironde. Born June 5, 1885 in Chatou (Yvelines) he has no connection with the Médoc. In the process, he was elected general councilor of the canton of Lesparre on December 14, 1919, then president of the general council of the Gironde.
He was elected general councilor of the canton of Lesparre, without having any connection with the Médoc.
He who was Minister of the PTT (Posts and Telecommunications), Minister of the Colonies, Minister of the Interior, Clemenceau’s chief of staff, present and decision-maker for all the major municipal projects as well as on the files of opening up of the Médoc, lived essentially in Paris. Strongly criticized in this respect, he delegates to his first deputy the task of directing the deliberations of the municipal council.
The reception for the launch of the author’s book by Xavier Pintat took place in the honor hall of the Soulac Town Hall in which Georges Mandel’s office is installed, on which are framed three authentic letters including a letter of apology signed by the hand of Philippe Pétain.
(1) at the Maison de la Presse, Corinne’s Bookstore, L’Oncle Tome’s Bookstore.
2023-07-19 05:53:35
#Georges #Mandel #Médoc #history
