Croix de Feu
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| President | François de La Rocque |
| Founded | November 11, 1927 |
| Dissolved | January 10, 1936 |
| Succeeded by | French Social Party |
| Headquarters | Rue de Milan, Paris |
| Newspaper | Le Flambeau |
| Student wing | Groupes Universitaires |
| Youth wing | Fils et Filles de Croix-de-Feu |
| Paramilitary wing | Volontaires Nationaux |
| Woman wing | Sections Féminines |
| Membership (1937) | 700,000 |
| Ideology |
French nationalism Social corporatism Proto-fascism |
| Political position | Right-wing to Far-right |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| International affiliation | None |
| Colours | Black |
The Croix-de-Feu (English: Cross of Fire) was a nationalist French league of the Interwar period, led by Colonel François de la Rocque (1885–1946). After it was dissolved, as were all other leagues during the Popular Front period (1936–38), de la Rocque replaced it with the Parti social français (PSF).
The Croix-de-Feu were primarily a group of veterans of the First World War — those who had been awarded the Croix de guerre 1914-1918. It was founded on 26 November 1927 by Maurice d'Hartoy, who led it until 1929; the honorary presidency was awarded to writer Jacques Péricard. Also in 1929, the movement acquired its own newspaper, Le Flambeau. At its creation, the movement was subsidized by wealthy perfumer François Coty, who supported Mussolini, and hosted in Le Figaro's building.
It benefited from the Roman Catholic Church's 1926 proscription of the Action Française which prohibited practicing Catholics from supporting the latter. Many conservative Catholics became members of the Croix-de-Feu instead, including Jean Mermoz and the young François Mitterrand.
Under Lieutenant colonel François de La Rocque, who took over in 1930, the Croix-de-Feu took their independence from François Coty, leaving the Figaro's building for the rue de Milan (Milan Street) in Paris. It organized popular demonstrations in reaction to the Stavisky Affair, hoping to overthrow the Second Left-wing Coalition government. De la Rocque quickly became a hero of the far right, opposed to the influences of Socialism and "hidden Communism", but skeptical about becoming counterrevolutionary.
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