Cécile Rol-Tanguy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cécile Rol-Tanguy
Cécile Rol-Tanguy and her husband, Henri Rol-Tanguy
Born	Cécile Le Bihan (1919-04-10)10 April 1919 Royan, Saintonge, France
Died	8 May 2020(2020-05-08) (aged 101) Monteaux (Loir-et-Cher)
Citizenship	French
Political party	French Communist Party
Spouse(s)	Henri Rol-Tanguy

Cécile Rol-Tanguy (born 10 April 1919 – died 8 May 2020) was a brave French woman. She was a Resistance fighter during World War II. She played a key role in freeing Paris from Nazi control. Cécile worked secretly, passing important messages and helping to organize things.

Early Life and Family

Cécile Le Bihan was born on 10 April 1919 in Royan, France. Her father, François Le Bihan, was an electrician. He was also an important member of a big workers' union. Cécile grew up in a family that cared a lot about politics. Her father even helped start the French Communist Party. He often hosted people who had to leave their own countries because of their political beliefs.

In 1936, Cécile joined a group that helped the Spanish Republic. There, she met Henri Tanguy. He was 11 years older and also a communist. Henri went to fight in the Spanish Civil War soon after they met.

Cécile and Henri had four children who survived. Hélène and Jean were born during the war. Claire and Francis were born after the war ended. Later, Cécile and Henri moved from Paris to live near the Loire river.

Cécile's Work

Starting Her Career

Before she turned 18, Cécile worked as a typist. She joined a youth group for young communist women. Through this group, she became part of the committee helping the Spanish Republic, where she met Henri. In 1938, she joined the Communist Party. She got engaged to Henri when he came back from Spain. They got married in 1939.

Their first child, Françoise, was born in November 1939. Sadly, she became very sick and died on 12 June 1940. This was just two days before German soldiers entered Paris. Cécile remembered the sad time, saying she wondered if the smoke over Paris made her baby ill. Around the same time, her father was arrested for his political actions.

During the War

When Paris was taken over by German forces, Cécile was asked to start working again for her old union. This union was now banned. Cécile felt she had nothing to lose after her daughter's death and her father's arrest. So, she agreed. She began typing secret political papers.

She worked closely with her husband, Henri. He had joined the French Forces of the Interior (FFI). Cécile became a very important part of the FFI. She worked as a liaison officer, carrying secret messages. She also worked as a secretary, helping to organize things.

Cécile and Henri had to keep their identities and their marriage a secret. This was because they were part of the Resistance. Cécile used different code names like Jeanne or Yvette. She sometimes changed her hair to look different. After their second child was born, Henri suggested Cécile work elsewhere. He wanted her to leave their daughter with her mother to keep them both safe. But Cécile refused. She continued her work, sometimes hiding guns or secret newspapers in her children's strollers. In 1942, her father was arrested again. He was sent to Auschwitz, where he died soon after.

Freeing Paris

Cécile and her husband played a big part in freeing Paris. In May 1944, Henri became a leader of the FFI. For several weeks, he worked to plan the liberation of the French capital. Cécile worked with Henri and his team. They set up a secret command center underground in Place Denfert-Rochereau. From this hidden spot, they shared information and orders for the Resistance.

On 19 August 1944, Cécile and Henri published a message. It called on people in Paris to take up arms and join the fight. This was the start of the end for the Nazi occupation. Paris was finally freed on August 25 by General Leclerc's army.

Later Life

After Paris was freed in 1945, Cécile received the Resistance Medal. This was for her important work in the fight for freedom. Her husband, Henri, became an officer in the French Army. Cécile and Henri promised each other they would stay members of the French Communist Party. They did this to remember all the friends they lost during the war. Cécile also joined a women's group. This group worked to keep the memory of French Resistance fighters alive.

Henri Rol-Tanguy, her husband of 63 years, died on 8 September 2002.

In 2008, Cécile Rol-Tanguy became a Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur. This is a very high award in France. At first, she didn't want to accept it. But she decided to, in honor of all the women Resistance fighters. She felt these women were often forgotten by history.

Cécile Rol-Tanguy died at her home on 8 May 2020. She was 101 years old. This day was also the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, known as VE Day.

Her Legacy

Cécile Rol-Tanguy spent her later life making sure people remembered the Resistance. She wanted to keep the past alive to protect future generations. She said she did this "out of respect for all those who fell for freedom." After her husband died in 2002, Cécile worked even harder. She gave interviews and spoke in documentaries. She also spoke at many ceremonies and visited schools across France. In her talks, she always stressed how important it is to fight for freedom.

Cécile also worked to make sure women's roles in the Resistance were recognized. When she received the Légion d'honneur, she said she felt she represented "all the women who had nothing."

Rol-Tanguy also helped people learn about the Resistance. She successfully pushed for the Museum of the Liberation of Paris to reopen. It reopened in August 2019. The museum was moved to the exact spot where she and her husband launched the uprising that freed Paris in 1944.

Honours and Decorations

Honours and decorations
National honours
Ribbon bar	Name	Date	Source
	Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit	21 November 2017
	Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour	12 July 2013
	Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour	11 July 2008
	Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour	31 December 2002
	Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour	10 June 1984
Military decorations
Ribbon bar	Name		Source
	Resistance Medal		1945

See Also

• French Resistance
• German military administration in occupied France during World War II
• People in the French Resistance
• Women in the French Resistance
• Vichy France