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an old black and white photo of a bunch of letters and picturesseveral old papers are stacked on top of each other on a white surfaceseveral old letters are stacked on top of each other on a white surfaceseveral old handwritten letters are stacked on top of each othera close up of a piece of paper with writing on itseveral old letters and papers are stacked on top of each otheran old book opened to a page with a handwritten titlean open book with a piece of paper on top of it and a piece of paper on the bottom of it
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157 - Bernard Ménétrel (1906–1947), private physician and confidan…
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Estimate €1,000 - €2,000
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Description
Bernard Ménétrel (1906–1947), private physician and confidant of Marshal Pétain A collection of correspondence, documents and photographs FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE An extremely rare collection of 35 letters (sent and received, including postcards), 1941–1945, addressed to René Benjamin, including: Typewritten letter, Vichy, 1 October 1943, on the national and international political situation My dear friend, rumours are rife. Everyone has the impression that, on the international stage, sensational events are imminent. And everyone, according to their preferences, or the information—from reliable sources, of course—that they possess, devises their own little campaign plan, directing Russian, German or British troops here and there, fights decisive battles, forges alliances – and, above all, breaks them – and signs an advantageous peace treaty in London, Berlin, Moscow, Geneva, New York or, quite simply, in Paris. Of course, I too have my own little scheme, which I shall be careful not to reveal to you. For having been so well-informed, I no longer have faith in any system, and the only conviction I retain—though it is a very firm one—is that we are embroiled, along with the whole of Europe, in the most absurd conflict, the one most contrary to our collective and individual interests, that one could possibly imagine. That said, and since you are interested, let us review the scenarios currently regarded in Vichy circles as the most likely. Firstly, it should be noted that the general feeling amongst well-informed people, whether they belong to the government or to foreign diplomatic missions, is that if Germany were to continue the fight against its current adversaries in Europe, even with the declared or covert support of other European powers, the tide of war would turn against it. It is added that it would be surprising if it were able to continue the fight beyond the autumn of 1944. This explains the talks which are being reported on, though little is known about them, and which are undoubtedly taking place in several European capitals. ( ) There is much talk of this German-Russian truce. There is so much talk of it that this is perhaps precisely what, in the end, would lead me to doubt it. ‘It is clear,’ you might say, ‘what such an event would mean for Germany. But what advantages would it bring to Russia?’ ( ) It is a curious sort of liberation that the Anglo-Saxons are proposing to us. We are well informed about what is happening in North Africa. And this is by no means German propaganda, believe me. Senior officials, who had remained in their posts until just a few weeks ago, have voluntarily left Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco and have travelled via Spain to sound the alarm to the government. ( ) That our people, sadly complacent, still imagine that others will win the war for them is distressing for us all and hardly worthy of our reputation for intelligence. In our distress, whatever course events may take, we do, however, have one asset on our side, just one, always the same: the MARSHAL. He alone holds the legitimacy of power. Should he be gone, everything collapses. Our homeland, our empire, would then be at the mercy of satraps vying for its ruins, under the self-serving gaze of foreign powers whose approval would be bought everywhere at the cost of the definitive abandonment of our independence. He alone, in the event of a German defeat, can effectively compel our allies to honour the treaties and make the voice of France heard throughout the world. My dear FRIEND, I had firmly resolved not to write anything more, but nevertheless, since I undertook, when you left France, to keep you informed of what I knew so that you might stay on the right path, I shall try, as briefly as possible, to give you some insights into what appears to be, amongst our friends, the true line of thought, based on what we know. Please excuse the rambling nature of my letter; you know that I type this myself, and my thoughts will come as they come. During a trip to Vichy, I met up again with a few friends who are still holding interesting posts, but it is very difficult to get them to reveal their true thoughts. They did, however, confirm what I had learnt here and there. All is not well amongst the people of Algiers ( ) ...” FIND THE FULL AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS LOT IN OUR ONLINE AUCTION CATALOGUE
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About the sale René Benjamin, the 20th-century Balzac scholar
Auction location
Auction time 10/06/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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