The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Giraud, Henri Honoré
(äNr´ nôr´ zhr´) (KEY) , 1879–1949, French general. He served in World War I and in the campaign in Morocco (1925–26). A commander in World War II, he was captured by the Germans in May, 1940, but made a dramatic escape (1942) to unoccupied France and from there to Gibraltar. He took part in the Allied landing in North Africa, where he was given command of all French armed forces. On the assassination (Dec., 1942) of Admiral Darlan, Giraud succeeded as high commissioner of French North and West Africa. His conservatism earned him the opposition of the Free French Committee of General de Gaulle. He and de Gaulle met fruitlessly at the Casablanca Conference, but in June, 1943, a semblance of union was effected by the formation at Algiers of the French Committee of National Liberation, with the two generals as co-presidents. Despite strong backing by the United States, Giraud was soon removed (November) from the co-presidency. In Apr., 1944, he was virtually forced by de Gaulle to retire as commander in chief.
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