Draft:Rallying of New Caledonia
| Rallying of New Caledonia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Free France Australia |
 Vichy France | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | None | ||||||
The rallying of New Caledonia to Free France (French: ralliement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie à la France libre) was the defection of the French colony of New Caledonia during World War II from the Nazi collaborationist Vichy regime to the Free French movement led by Charles de Gaulle.
Following the fall of France in June 1940, the actions of pro-Vichy colonial governor Georges-Marc Pélicier brought him into conflict with the local Caldoche population. Following an assassination attempt on Pélicier, the Vichy government despatched the warship Dumont d'Urville and replaced him with military governor Maurice Denis. By that time, de Gaulle had appointed Henri Sautot as Free French governor and the Allies had . In September 1940, the Australian government despatched HMAS Adelaide to install Sautot in the capital of Nouméa. The Vichy warship stood down and evacuated pro-Vichy officials to French Indochina.
Background
[edit]News of the fall of France and German occupation reached New Caledonia in June 1940 via Australian radio broadcasts. Georges-Marc Pélicier, the Governor of New Caledonia, was a career civil servant who governed with limited input from the General Council, a consultative body chosen from the Caldoche population of French settlers.[1] The Caldoches largely opposed the occupation and the establishment of the collaborationist Vichy government, although there were some Vichy sympathisers in the capital of Nouméa. Opposition to the Vichy government was in part driven by concerns over the impact of the regime change on relations with Australia, which was a major market for the New Caledonian nickel industry.[2]
On 24 June 1940, the General Council proclaimed its opposition to the armistice of 22 June and support for British forces. Pélicier supported the General Council's proclamation, but soon aligned himself with the Vichy government. At the same time he opposed moves by the General Council for greater autonomy, with his arrest of autonomist leader Michel Vergès and cancellation of Bastille Day celebrations sparking street demonstrations. On 29 July, following a cable from Vichyist leader Philippe Pétain, Pélicier promulgated the new Vichy constitutional laws.[1]
Pélicier's support for the Vichy constitution and news of General Charles de Gaulle's appeal of 18 June prompted the General Council to contact Free French government-in-exile, "seeking his support in establishing a Gaullist government and in maintaining access to Australian markets".[2] On 18 August, a bomb was thrown at Pélicier's official residence.[3]
Australian intervention
[edit]The situation in New Caledonia was discussed by the Australian War Cabinet on 18 June, which identified the colony as of strategic importance in a potential war against Japan, both for its geographical location and for its nickel industry. The following month, the Australian government negotiated with the Société le Nickel to purchase additional nickel matte, in order to head off Japanese buyers.[4] In the same month, Bertram Ballard was appointed as Australia's official representative in Nouméa, only Australia's fourth official diplomatic posting.[5]
Confrontation
[edit]Ouster of Pélicier
[edit]On 28 August 1940, the General Council passed a resolution calling on the Vichy government to recall Pélicier. He was quickly removed and the following Maurice Denis, the commander of the local French garrison, was appointed as acting governor.[6] Pélicier and his family left New Caledonia on 5 September.[7]
On 8 September, Ballard reported to Canberra that the local population would support the ouster of the Vichy administration in New Caledonia.[8]
Installation of Sautot
[edit]
On 10 August 1940, de Gaulle wrote to Henri Sautot, the French resident commissioner in the New Hebrides, asking him to replace Pélicier as the French governor of New Caledonia.[5] Sautot had shifted his support to de Gaulle the previous month, with the New Hebrides one of the first colonies to rally to the Free French cause. On 28 August, de Gaulle made a formal request via the British government for a warship to be sent to escort Sautot to New Caledonia. The Australian government subsequently agreed to make HMAS Adelaide available.[6]
Following Pélicier's request, the Vichy government despatched Dumont d'Urville, commanded by Toussaint de Quièvrecourt
HMAS Adelaide commanded by Henry Showers
- assessed as coup d'etate
- assessed as gunboat diplomacy
HMAS Adelaide left Port Vila on 16 September, with Sautot carried aboard the Norwegian tanker MT Norden in accordance with de Gaulle's instructions that he should not be carried on a military vessel. They reached Nouméa on 19 September and found Dumont d'Urville in the harbour with its guns aimed. Shore batteries had also been given orders to fire on Adelaide, which were not carried out. Showers ordered Sautot transferred from Norden to Adelaide for his own safety. After several hours, a Sautot was transferred to a Gaullist boat and sailed to the governor's residence.[9]
Significance and analysis
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The installation of Sautot has been described as a coup d'état.
According to Fisher (2010), the incident "represented the first time that the Australian government appreciated the strategic importance of effective French administration of its near neighbour, New Caledonia, as a direct element in its own security".[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Fisher 2010, p. 20.
- ^ a b Fisher 2010, p. 21.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 22.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 23.
- ^ a b Fisher 2010, p. 24.
- ^ a b Fisher 2010, p. 25.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 26.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 27.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 28.
- ^ Fisher 2010, p. 31.
Sources
[edit]- Fisher, Denise (2010). "Supporting the Free French in New Caledonia: First Steps in Australian Diplomacy" (PDF). Explorations: A Journal of French-Australian Connections. 49 (1): 18–37.
- Munholland, Kim (2005). Rock of Contention: Free French and Americans at War in New Caledonia, 1940-1945. Berghahn Books. doi:10.3167/9781571816825. ISBN 9781571816825.
- Simington, Margot (1976). "Australia and the New Caledonia coup d'etat of 1940". Australian Outlook. 30 (1): 73–92. doi:10.1080/10357717608444558.