Jean Letourneau
| Jean Letourneau | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones | |
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In office 26 January 1946 – 16 December 1946 |
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| Preceded by | Eugène Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Eugène Thomas |
| Minister of Commerce | |
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In office 22 January 1947 – 11 August 1947 |
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| Preceded by | André Diethelm (Commissaire) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Lacoste |
| Minister of Reconstruction and Urban Development | |
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In office 9 May 1947 – 22 October 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Jules Moch |
| Succeeded by | René Coty |
| Minister of Overseas France | |
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In office 29 October 1949 – 2 July 1950 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Coste-Floret |
| Succeeded by | Paul Coste-Floret |
| Minister of Information | |
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In office 2 July 1950 – 12 July 1950 |
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| Preceded by | André Malraux |
| Succeeded by | Albert Gazier |
| Minister of State for Relations with Associated States | |
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In office 12 July 1950 – 28 June 1953 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Le Lude, Sarthe, France |
| Died | Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Jean Letourneau (18 September 1907 – 16 March 1986) was a French lawyer and politician. He was a lifelong Christian Democrat. During World War II (1939–45) he was active in the French Resistance. After the war he was a deputy in the national legislature from 1945 to 1956, and held various ministerial posts. His most important office was that of Minister, or Minister of State, for Relations with Associated States. He held office between 1950 and 1953. In this role he was responsible for policy in French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) during the struggle of the people of those countries for independence. He was strongly anti-communist and in favor of maintaining French authority in the region.
Jean Letourneau was born in Le Lude, Sarthe, on 18 September 1907. He studied law at the University of Paris. In 1929 he became vice-president of the Association catholique de la Jeunesse française (Catholic Association of French Youth). He obtained his law degree in 1931. He worked for several banks, then was appointed president of the Compagnie française des charbonnages de Dakar (French Coal Company of Dakar), a position he held until 1944.
In 1933 Letourneau joined the Parti Démocrate Populaire (PDP, Democratic People's Party), a small party that tried to combine Christian social democracy with politics. The party was in decline. In 1935 he became an executive of the PDP. From 1934 until the eve of World War II he contributed articles on international politics to the Petit Démocrate, La Croix and L'Aube. These were Christian Democratic journals. Le Petit démocrate was the PDP organ, and L'Aube was directed by Francisque Gay.
After the defeat of France in 1940 Letourneau joined the French Resistance. He worked in the Liberté movement in the southern zone from January 1941. He returned to the north zone in 1942 and worked with Georges Bidault, president of the Conseil national de la Résistance (CNR, National Council of the Resistance). He helped run Resistance newspapers. After the Liberation of France he was a member of the provisional government from September 1944 to November 1945 as director-general of the Press in the Ministry of Information. He also became a director of the new Christian democratic party, the Mouvement républicain populaire (MRP, Popular Republican Movement).
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