In June 1940, after the signature of the Franco-German Armistice, the famous Saint-Cyr and Saint-Maixent French Cadet Officers Academies were transferred to Aix-en-Provence (Southern France) where they remained under the supervision of the Vichy French Governement. Following the Anglo-American landings in French North Africa (November 8th, 1942), the Germans invaded the whole of France. All the Cadet Officers Academies located in metropolitan France were dissolved. On the other hand, at the same time, in Algeria and Morocco, the French Armée d'Afrique freed itself and joined the Allies against the Axis forces.
In December 1942, in order to provide French Forces with officers, the French Headquarters in Algiers decided to create a Cadet Officers Academy in French North Africa. Colonel Jean Callies was designated to form the Cherchell-Mediouna French Cadet Officers Academy (Cherchell-Mediouna E.E.A.) and to command its first class between December 1942 and May 1943. Most of the officers from the Cherchell-Mediouna E.E.A. were trained in Cherchell (Algeria). The Mediouna camp, near Casablanca (Morocco), accomodated cadet officers only between January and May 1943 (Weygand class). From January 1943 to June 1945, about 5000 officers divided into five classes were trained in the Cherchell-Mediouna E.E.A..
Although the Cherchell-Mediouna Cadet Officers Academy was the only military academy to train french officers between 1943 and 1945, it is not well-known. Today, the E.S.M. and the E.M.I.A. French Military Academies, which are now both located in Coëtquidan, are directly descended from Cherchell E.E.A.. Indeed, the Cherchell Academy was renamed E.M.I.A. and tranferred back to France (to the Coëtquidan camp) in 1945.
The Cherchell-Mediouna Academy accomodated as cadet officers N.C.O.s from the Armée d'Afrique, but also many students coming from most of French civilian and military Hautes Ecoles : Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole Centrale, H.E.C. (Bussiness School), Grande Ecole for Teacher's training, etc.
Officers coming from Cherchell-Mediouna Academy fought everywhere French Army was involved between 1943 and 1962 (Corsica, Italy, France, Germany, Indochina, Korea, Algeria...). Many of them became general officers. Those who decided to go back to civilian life after 1945 often had brilliant careers : Ministers, ambassadors, historians, writers, journalists, actors, businessmen… Two of them were awarded Nobel Prizes (Gerard Debreu, Nobel Prize for Economics, and General Liron, Nobel Prize for peace - for the F.I.N.U.L.) !! What other military academy can boast of such a result ?
After fifty years of unfair oblivion, a book relates for the first time the E.E.A. history and reminds us of its capital importance in French military history.
Who were the cadet officers ? Where did they come from ? How were they trained ? How did they live at the academy ? Who were their officers and instructors ? What did these men become after the war ?
The history of the Cherchell-Mediouna French Cadet Officers Academy was the subject of a PhD carried out by Eric Labayle at the Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier III, (France) between 1991 and 1995. A book (in french) adapted from this four year research work is now available.
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For more information, do not hesitate to contact Dr Eric Labayle. |
Member of the French Military History Commission, Eric Labayle studied at the University of
Montpellier (France), graduating with a PhD in military history.
His research interests include the French Army, the first and second World Wars,
cavalry, militaria and tactics.
web site:
http://perso.club-internet.fr/scandel/
e-mail:
scandel@club-internet.fr
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