Ailleret, Charles, 1907-1968

Charles Ailleret (26 March 1907 – 9 March 1968) was a general of the French Army and chief of staff of the French Armed Forces. He joined the French Army in 1928 and was mustered out in 1942 following the defeat of the Army in 1940. During the Second World War he was a resistance fighter and a deportee, returning to army service in 1945. Rising quickly through the upper ranks, he was a strong supporter of French president Charles de Gaulle, supporting de Gaulle during the Algerian War and opposing the rebellious OAS. He was also seen as the architect of chemical weapons in the Algerian War. He was Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces from 1962 to 1968, during which time he oversaw the French withdrawal from the NATO integrated command structure, while negotiating military cooperation contingency agreements. Ailleret was instrumental in the development of the French nuclear weapons program, overseeing the first French nuclear test in 1960, and authoring many articles outlining a French nuclear national defense strategy. He was killed along with family members in an airplane crash at La Réunion during a tour of French territories and allies in 1968.