Les Chantiers de la Jeunesse

  • The Chantiers
Identifier
366
Type of Entity
Corporate Body

Dates of Existence

Founded in 1940-07

History

Les Chantiers de la Jeunesse was founded in 1940-07 and headed by General Joseph de La Porte du Theil, who had been an active figure in the Boy Scout movement and who used the Boy Scout motto, ‘be prepared’. This organization was originally intended as an emergency measure to find work for six months for men who had been demobilized or were of draft age. Over 92,000 had been called up for military service in 1940-05, but the war ended before they were a part of a military unit. In a sense the Chantiers replaced conscription. The Chantiers became a mandatory body under the authority of the Secrétariat Général a la Jeunesse, and a substitute for military service, for which it provided training.

Sources

  • Verdict on Vichy : Power and prejudice in the Vichy France Regime / M. Curtis. – London, 2002. – p. 99