1942 Murder of Francois Darlan

75 years ago, on December 24, 1942, François Darlan, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Vichy government, was killed in Algiers, who had previously ordered the French troops to stop resisting the Anglo-American landing and for this was left by the allies at the head of the French administration in North Africa.

Darlan's killer was 20-year-old French monarchist Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle, who belonged to the supporters of Charles de Gaulle's "Free France". For the latter, Darlan's death was very beneficial - it eliminated a dangerous competitor with whom the Western allies could cooperate. De La Chapelle was guillotined on 26 December. In 1945, the de Gaulle government rehabilitated him.