Pierre Gabriel Adhéaume de Chevigné (16 June 1909 – 4 August 2004) was a French politician, who was the Minister of Defence in the Fourth Republic between 14 May and 1 June 1958.

Early life

Chevigné was born on 16 June 1909 in Toulon. He was a son of François Henri Marie Joseph Auguste de Chevigné and the former Gisèle Colas.

Career

Chevigné graduated from Saint Cyr and became a career officer. He was wounded on several occasions in 1940, managed to rejoin De Gaulle in London and was a colonel in the Free French Forces. After initial postings in Syria and Lebanon he was sent to Washington in 1942 as military attaché for the Free French. Upon his return to London he became chief of staff of the French Forces in Great-Britain. After the Liberation he was sent to Madagascar as High-Commissioner. A member of the Popular Republican Movement party, briefly served as the Minister of Defence in the Fourth Republic between 14 May and 1 June 1958 under Prime Minister Pierre Pflimlin. In 1954, he was wounded slightly by grenade fragments during a tour of the Indo-China fighting front while inspecting French troops that had landed in territory held by Communist Việt Minh rebels. Prime Minister Pflimlin served only briefly before the May 1958 crisis in France during the turmoil of the Algerian War of Independence which led to the collapse of the Fourth Republic and its replacement by the Fifth Republic led by Charles de Gaulle who returned to power after a twelve-year absence. He traveled to New York City in 1952.

Personal life

He was married to Hélène Rodocanachi (1911–1939), a daughter of Petros Rodocanachis and the former Chariklia Salvagou. Together, they had two daughters, including: After the death of his wife in 1939, he remarried to Anne d'Ormesson (c. 1915–2008). Pierre de Chevigné died in Biarritz on 4 April 2004.