Philippe Viannay

Philippe Viannay is a Résistant and Journaliste French, born the August 15th 1917, deceased the November 27th 1986.

It was the leading main thing of Défense of France, movement clandestine whose newspaper éponyme is at the direct origin of France-Evening . Then always with his partner Helene Viannay, it founded the Training center of the journalists and the school of veil Glénans.

Biography

A student of the seminar to Resistance

Born on August 15th, 1917 with Saint-Jean-with-Bournay in the Isere, Philippe Viannay completes his secondary studies with the college Holy-Cross-of-Neuilly. He keeps of his catholic education a great attachment with the religion at the point to carry out a passage to the seminar of Issy-les-Moulineaux. Catholic very practitioner, it is located “at the banks of the French Action” when it is registered in philosophy with the Sorbonne. But if it obtains there its, it is grabbed by the war when it prepares aggregation. Moroccan officer of Rifleman S until the Armistice (June 22nd, 1940), it turns over to the Sorbonne where it launches, in April 1941, the newspaper Défense of France on the model of Libre Belgique during the First World War. Imposing itself on the head of the movement of resistance of the same name - which gathers networks not Communiste S -, it initially posts an undeniable support for the marshal Pétain, nobody whom it believes able to ensure the release of the country, in particular by the intervention of the the United States of America. In 1942, it Marie with a coed in Russian Geography of origin which collaborates in the newspaper, Helene Mordkovitch, atheistic and of left. Choosing the General de Gaulle after having hesitated between him and the general Giraud, it is essential under the name of Indomnitus like one of the principal organizers of the clandestine press. Its newspaper draws to several hundreds from thousands from specimens (450 000 in January 1944) and it creates in 1944 with Claude Bourdet the Liberation movement main road.

From spring 1944, Philippe Viannay inflects his action of civil resistance towards the armed struggle. He takes up leading duties with the head of the maquis of the Seine-et-Oise. Frictions oppose it to this occasion with the future colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, chief of FFI of Ile-de-France. Wounded from seven balls in July 1944, it receives the Croix of the Release (in the name of the movement) and publishes the same year a book joining together its writings ( We all are of rebel ). In October 1944, it is named with the Consultative Assembly, but it gives its resignation at the end of a few months fault of having been able to carry out a political action and social to it.

Political course after the Release

In 1945, it founds with Jacques Richet the Training center international before transforming it the following year into Training center of the journalists (CFJ). In 1947, it loses the control of France-Evening , which came from a transformation of Défense of France . It then founds the nautical Center of Glénans. Starting from the Years 1950, it supports the newspaper of his/her friend Claude Bourdet, France Observer , of which it is, like many its organizers, member of the New left (1956) then of the Union of the socialist left (UGS). Elected with the political council of the latter as of its foundation (December 1957), it is renewed there in September 1958.

But it is not interested by PSU, preferring the Club Jean Moulin where it is activated in its last years. At this point in time in 1960, Claude Bourdet and Gilles Martinet ask him to take again in hand finances of France Observer.

A role-key with the Nouvel Observateur

Substitute Maurice Laval as administrator at the beginning of 1961, it “gives a little order, regularizes the shouting difficulties, sets up a treasury worthy of this name” and opens even more the newspaper with publicity. Then, it obtains from one of his friends, Rene Seydoux, a gift of 100 000 francs to reinflate the newspaper. Lastly, in front of the financial problems which increase, it creates in 1963 a company of the Friends of the Observer which, equipped with a capital of 150 000 francs (distributed between subscribers), is charged to reduce the weight of its debt and to reinforce the bonds with the assistantship.

Parallel to its administrative offices and financial, it becomes in 1962 Sub-editor and writes mainly articles of company. Favorable, with Hector de Galard, Walter Lewino, Olivier Todd or François Pipe cleaner, with a stamping from the newspaper compared to the PSU, it supports the idea that the improvement of its image passes by its presentation like “moral authority” having to offer to its readers a “vision of the world, moral and poetic policy” . Thus, in spite of its long friendship with Claude Bourdet, he does not hesitate to criticize his attitude in the quarrel which opposes it to Gilles Martinet in 1963.

After the departure of this last and in front of the aggravation of the financial position, it turns with benevolence to the proposals for a new formula put forth by Claude Perdriel and Jean Daniel. He judges whereas the Dépolitisation of the Express train creates a space with the development of a always committed but transformed Observateur in its form. Taking part in the negotiations with the Perdriel-Daniel team lasting the summer 1964, it is those which, like François Furet, push Gilles Martinet to accept the conditions of the new formula then which help it to convince the other journalists. It sits then at and the direction boards of directors of the Nouvel Observateur even if the fast marginalisation of the second limits his influence consequently.

On the other hand, he plays a considerable part at the sides of Claude Perdriel in his search of financing. He follows it in his policy of loans, not hesitating to guarantee them over personal goods like his apartment. But it becomes anxious in front of its daring methods of promotion and management. In 1966, it wishes even an intervention of the principal shareholders on this subject but the “plot” turns short. That does not prevent it from maintaining relationship friendly with the director of the newspaper which sometimes takes into account its opinions. It is thus of its support for the launching of the magazine the Savage in 1973. But its reports/ratios are more stormy with Jean Daniel who does not hide his desire to keep it away of the drafting.

Would not be this to publish articles, it must as a preliminary “render comprehensible with people of sensitivity different” from his the interest of its ideas. Thus, if it publishes some papers on the sail, the policy and the religion - in particular a document on “the secrecies of the council” on February 4th, 1965 -, it almost ceases writing there after 1968. It then holds especially a role as vice-president of the CFJ, an agreement (semi-official) having established that the newspaper would propose every two years a training course with the two majors of promotion, training courses which would be likely to lead to a contract of recruiting.

To side, it launches the international Foyers of education and exchanges with Michel Debré, Paul Delouvrier and Rene Seydoux, this last being a close relation like many owners of left (Seydoux, Fauroux…). Far from any ideological yoke, it supports the candidature of Chaban-Delmas in 1974, before inviting to vote Mitterrand with the second turn. Anticommunist falling under this Social democrat left accepting perfectly the Capitalism, it does not hide his criticisms towards the common Programme and rather prefers to activate himself within the club delorist Échange and Progrès. He takes part even in the creation of very the giscardien Institut Auguste-Count.

In 1975, it is one of the initiators of the Conservatoire littoral. In 1976, it is filled with enthusiasm for the launching of the Matin . Acceptor to sit at its board of directors, it has also a great facility of communication with its editor association. But, after 1981, it is more and more in dissension on “management as on an increasingly irresponsible drafting” . In 1984, it thus gives its resignation of the boards of directors of the newspapers before being withdrawn, the following year, of its functions of vice-president of the CFJ. He dies on November 27th, 1986.

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