# Jeannou Lacaze

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Jeannou Lacaze Born (1924-02-11)11 February 1924 Huế, French Indochina Died 1 August 2005(2005-08-01) (aged 81) Allegiance France Branch French Army French Foreign Legion Service years 1944–1985 Rank Général d'armée Commands 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP (1967) 11th Parachute Division 11e DP CEMA (1981–1985) Wars/Campaigns World War II First Indochina War Algerian War

**Jeannou Lacaze** (February 11, 1924 – August 1, 2005), was a French [Général d'armée](/source/G%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral_d'arm%C3%A9e) of the [French Army](/source/French_Army) and [Chef d'État-Major des armées](/source/Chief_of_the_Defence_Staff_(France)) (1981–1985), who also served in the [French Foreign Legion](/source/French_Foreign_Legion).

## Biography

### Preliminary years

Jeannou Lacaze was born in [French Indochina](/source/French_Indochina), the son of a colonial functionary and an annamite of Chinese origin. He studied in a French school in Bordeaux.

## Military career

### 1944 to 1950

At the age of twenty, in 1944, he joined the [French Forces of the Interior](/source/French_Forces_of_the_Interior) FFI and participated to the liberation. Received at [Saint-Cyr](/source/%C3%89cole_sp%C3%A9ciale_militaire_de_Saint-Cyr) in 1945, he pursued the infantry school application at Auvours where he graduated in 1947.

Detached at from his commencement, he was assigned to the [1st Foreign Infantry Regiment](/source/1st_Foreign_Regiment) at Kef in [Tunisia](/source/Tunisia), he then joined the [2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment](/source/2nd_Foreign_Infantry_Regiment) 2e REI in [Indochina](/source/Indochina_War), where he served until 1951. Section chief of the 3rd battalion, he was severely wounded at the head of his section during an assault on the village of [Ho Chi Minh](/source/Ho_Chi_Minh), on 5 January 1948. Repatriated sanitary, he returned to the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2e REI and was deployed for a second tour in [Indochina War](/source/Indochina_War).

### 1951 to 1979

Returned to [France](/source/France) in 1951, he was assigned to the Moroccan Tirailleurs Regiment ([French](/source/French_language): *[régiment de tirailleurs marocains](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/tirailleurs_marocains)*). Following an assignment at the technical section of the [French Army](/source/French_Army), he assumed command of the 129th Line Infantry Regiment in 1958 in [Algeria](/source/Algeria).

In 1959, he was assigned the [11e Régiment Parachutiste de Choc](/source/11e_r%C3%A9giment_parachutiste_de_choc) ([French](/source/French_language): *[11e Régiment Parachutiste de Choc](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/11e_r%C3%A9giment_parachutiste_de_choc)*).

Following a passage at the war school, he assumed command of the [2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment](/source/2nd_Foreign_Parachute_Regiment) 2e REP after [colonel](/source/Ranks_in_the_French_Army) [Paul Arnaud de Foïard](/source/Paul_Arnaud_de_Fo%C3%AFard) (regimental commander of the [2e REP](/source/2nd_Foreign_Parachute_Regiment) in 1965) on 18 July 1967. He led his regiment to [Tchad](/source/Tchad) during Opération Épervier ([French](/source/French_language): *[Opération Épervier](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ration_%C3%89pervier_(Tchad))*) in 1969. He operated equally in [Togo](/source/Togo) and in the [Ivory Coast](/source/Ivory_Coast), in order to ensure the permanence of the « pré carré » of France in [Africa](/source/Africa).

Having left the [French Foreign Legion](/source/French_Foreign_Legion), je joined the secret service before assuming command of the [11th Parachute Division](/source/11th_Parachute_Brigade_(France)) from 1977 to 1979. During his commandment, the [2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment](/source/2nd_Foreign_Parachute_Regiment) 2e REP intervened in [Kolwezi](/source/Kolwezi) in [Zaire](/source/Zaire), and the [French Army](/source/French_Army) launched exterior theatre operations in [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon) and [Mauritania](/source/Mauritania).

### 1980 to 1985

He won the confidence of the [President](/source/List_of_Presidents_of_France) of France [Valéry Giscard d'Estaing](/source/Val%C3%A9ry_Giscard_d'Estaing) who named him [Military governor of Paris](/source/Military_governor_of_Paris) in 1980, and [Chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies](/source/Chief_of_the_Defence_Staff_(France)) on 1 February 1981, a couple of months before the election of [François Mitterrand](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_Mitterrand). The new President maintained him in his post until his legal retiring age at retirement in 1985, while he totalized forty one years of service.

Titular of the [Volunteer combatant's cross](/source/Volunteer_combatant's_cross) and the [Combatant's Cross](/source/Combatant's_Cross), général Jeannou Lacaze is a Grand Officer of [Légion d'honneur](/source/L%C3%A9gion_d'honneur). He is decorated with the [Cross for Military Valour](/source/Cross_for_Military_Valour) with three stars and the [Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures](/source/Croix_de_guerre_des_th%C3%A9%C3%A2tres_d'op%C3%A9rations_ext%C3%A9rieures) with one palm and two stars.

### 1986 to 2005

In 1986, he became the special counselor near the [ministre français de la Défense](/source/Ministry_of_Defence_(France)) for the military relations with the [African](/source/Africa) countries having signed defense accords. He became the counselor of the several African Presidents : ([Mobutu Sese Seko](/source/Mobutu_Sese_Seko), [Denis Sassou Nguesso](/source/Denis_Sassou_Nguesso) and [Félix Houphouet-Boigny](/source/F%C3%A9lix_Houphouet-Boigny)) He went several times to [Iraq](/source/Iraq) before the [Invasion of Kuwait](/source/Invasion_of_Kuwait) in 1991 to sustain the promotion of French armament and French savoir-faire to the regime of [Saddam Hussein](/source/Saddam_Hussein).

He acted as a "character witness" during the trial of mercenary Bob Denard in 1999.[1]

In 1989, he launched himself into politics. He was a European deputy from ([French](/source/French_language): *[député européen](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/d%C3%A9put%C3%A9_europ%C3%A9en)*) from 1989 to 1994, under the etiquette of the [National Centre of Independents and Peasants](/source/National_Centre_of_Independents_and_Peasants) CNIP ([French](/source/French_language): *Centre national des indépendants et paysans*) before creating his own political party of the Independent Union ([French](/source/French_language): *Union des indépendants*) UDI. He exercised as well the honorary presidency association *Paris solidarité métro* (struggle against social exclusion). He was surnamed the « le sphinx », from the fact that barely rarely spoke and kept numerous intelligences from him. In 1995, he founded the Franco-Iraqi commercial Council, for armament promotion to Saddam Hussein.[2]

He died on Monday 1 August 2005 at the age of 81, his funeral procession took place on 4 August in the cours d'honneur at [Les Invalides](/source/Les_Invalides) in Paris.[3]

## Recognitions and Honors

- [Grand Officier](/source/Legion_of_Honour) of the [Légion d'Honneur](/source/Legion_of_Honour)

- Grand Officier de l'[ordre national du Mérite](/source/National_Order_of_Merit_(France))

- [Volunteer combatant's cross](/source/Volunteer_combatant's_cross)

- [Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures](/source/Croix_de_guerre_des_th%C3%A9%C3%A2tres_d'op%C3%A9rations_ext%C3%A9rieures)

- [Combatant's Cross](/source/Combatant's_Cross)

- [Croix de la Valeur Militaire](/source/Cross_for_Military_Valour)

- [Medaille d'Outre-Mer](/source/Overseas_Medal) (*clasps* « [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon) », « [Tchad](/source/Tchad) » )

- [Médaille commémorative de la campagne d'Indochine](/source/Indochina_Campaign_commemorative_medal)

- [Médaille commémorative des opérations de sécurité et de maintien de l'ordre en Afrique du Nord](/source/North_Africa_Security_and_Order_Operations_Commemorative_Medal)

Jeannou Lacaze was cited 6 times out of which one was at the orders of army. He is also the author of a book that appeared in 1991 "Le Président et le champignon" (The President and the "Mushroom"), where he exposed his conception of the defense of [France](/source/France), after the fall of communism.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Wauthier, Claude (2002). ["Jacques Foccart et les mauvais conseils de Félix Houphouët-Boigny"](http://journals.openedition.org/ccrh/512). *Les Cahiers du Centre de Recherches Historiques* (30). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4000/ccrh.512](https://doi.org/10.4000%2Fccrh.512).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** David Styan, *France and Iraq, Oil, Arms ans, French policy in the Middle-East*, ed I.B. Tauris, London, New-York, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Le général Lacaze est mort"](http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/culture/20050804.OBS5400/le-general-lacaze-est-mort.html). 9 August 2005.

v t e Military governors of Paris Governors of Paris under the Ancien Régime Louis I d'Anjou: 1356–1357 Jean de Berry: 1411 Waléran III de Luxembourg: 1411–1413 Jean II de Luxembourg: 1418–1420 Jean de La Baume: 1422–142. Jean de Villiers: 1429–14.. Philippe de Ternant: 14..–14.. Jacques de Villiers: 1461 Charles d'Artois: 1465 Charles de Melun: 1465–1467 Charles I d'Amboise: 1467–1470 Charles de Gaucourt: 14..–1472 Antoine de Chabannes: 1472–147. Guillaume de Poitiers: 1478–14.. Louis d'Orléans: 1483–1485 Antoine de Chabannes: 1485–1488 Gilbert de Montpensier: 14..–1494 Charles II d'Amboise: 1493–1496 Antoine de La Rochefoucauld: 15..–15.. Paul de Thermes: 1559–1562 Charles de Cossé: 1562–1563 François de Montmorency: 15..–1572 René de Villequier: 1580 François d'O: 158.–1589 Charles-Emmanuel de Savoie: 1589–1590 Jean-Francois de Faudoas: 1590–1594 Charles II de Cossé: 1594 François d'O: 1594 Charles du Plessis: 1616 Hercule de Rohan: 1643–16.. François de L'Hospital: 1648–1657 Ambroise-François de Bournonville: 1657–1662 Antoine d'Aumont: 1662–1669 Gabriel de Rochechouart: 1669–1675 Charles III de Créquy: 1676–1687 Léon Potier: 1687–1704 Duc de Tresmes: 1704–1739 Bernard Potier: 1739–1757 Charles Louis d'Albert: 1757–1771 Jean de Cossé-Brissac: 1771–1780 Louis de Cossé-Brissac: 1780–1791 General commanders of the Armed Forces in Paris Louis-Auguste-Augustin d'Affry: 1791–1792 Jacques-François de Menou: 1792–1794 Jean Thierry: 1794–1795 Jacques-François de Menou: 1795 Paul de Barras: 1795 Napoléon Bonaparte: 1795–1796 Jacques Maurice Hatry: 1796–1797 Pierre Augereau: 1797 Louis Lemoine: 1797 Jean-François Moulin: 1797–1798 Joseph Gilot: 1798–1799 Barthélemy Catherine Joubert: 1799 Jean-Antoine Marbot: 1799 François Joseph Lefebvre: 1799–1800 Édouard Mortier: 1800–1803 Jean-Andoche Junot: 1803–1804 Military governors of Paris after the French Revolution Joachim Murat: 1804–1805 Louis Bonaparte: 1805–1806 Joachim Murat: 1806 Jean-Andoche Junot: 1806–1807 Pierre-Augustin Hulin: 1807–1814 Louis de Rochechouart: 1814 Louis Sébastien Grundler: 1814–1815 Nicolas-Joseph Maison: 1815 Pierre-Augustin Hulin: 1815 André Masséna: July 1815 Nicolas-Joseph Maison: 1815 Hyacinthe Despinoy: 1815–1816 Catherine-Dominique de Pérignon: 1816–1818 Nicolas-Joseph Maison: 1819–1821 Auguste de Marmont: 1821–1830 Pierre-Claude Pajol: 1830–1842 Tiburce Sébastiani: 1842–1848 Nicolas Changarnier: 1848–1851 Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers: 1851 Bernard Pierre Magnan: 1851–1865 François Certain de Canrobert: 1865–1870 Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers: 1870 Louis-Jules Trochu: 1870–1871 Joseph Vinoy: 1871 Paul de Ladmirault: 1871–1878 Édouard Aymard: 1878–1880 Justin Clinchant: 1880–1881 Alphonse Lecointe: 1882–1884 Félix-Gustave Saussier: 1884–1898 Émile Zurlinden: 1898–1899 Joseph Brugère: 1899–1900 Georges-Auguste Florentin: 1900–1901 Paul-Vincent Faure-Biguet: 1901–1903 Jean Dessirier: 1903–1906 Jean-Baptiste Dalstein: 1906–1910 Michel-Joseph Maunoury: 1910–1912 Victor-Constant Michel: 1912–1914 Joseph Gallieni: 1914–1915 Michel-Joseph Maunoury: 1915–1916 Augustin Dubail: 1916–1918 Adolphe Guillaumat: 1918 Charles Emile Moinier: 1918–1919 Pierre Berdoulat: 1919–1923 Henri Gouraud: 1923–1937 Gaston Billotte: 1937–1939 Pierre Héring: 1939–1940 Henri Dentz: 1940 Military governors of Paris under the German occupation Otto von Stülpnagel Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel Dietrich von Choltitz Military governors of Paris since 1944 Philippe Leclerc: 1944 Marie-Pierre Kœnig: 1944–1945 Paul Legentilhomme: 1945–1947 René Chouteau: 1947–1953 Henri Zeller: 1953–1957 Louis-Constant Morlière: 1957–1958 Pierre Garbay: 1958–1959 Raoul Salan: 1959–1960 Maurice Gazin: 1960 André Demetz: 1960–1962 Louis Dodelier: 1962–1965 Philippe de Camas: 1965–1968 André Meltz: 1968–1971 Bernard Usureau: 1971–1974 Philippe Clave: 1974–1975 Jean Favreau: 1975–1977 Jacques de Barry: 1977–1980 Jeannou Lacaze: 1980–1981 Roger Périer: 1981–1982 Alban Barthez: 1982–1984 Michel Fennebresque: 1984–1987 Hervé Navereau: 1987–1991 Daniel Valéry: 1991–1992 Michel Guignon: 1992–1996 Michel Billot: 1996–2000 Pierre Costedoat: 2000–2002 Marcel Valentin: 2002–2005 Xavier de Zuchowicz: 2005–2007 Bruno Dary: 2007–2012 Hervé Charpentier: 2012–2015 Bruno Le Ray: 2015–2020 Christophe Abad: 2020–2024 Loïc Mizon: 2024

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jeannou Lacaze](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannou_Lacaze) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannou_Lacaze?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.