The LAST LETTER Of The Iconic Resistance Leader Missak Manouchian To His Wife, The Morning Before His Execution
The true story of one of the most iconic leaders of French Resistance during World War 2! Have you ever heard the name, Missak Manouchian?
Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian) and Meliné Manouchian (Virginie Ledoyen)
Before we head into his last letter to his wife...
Who was Missak Manouchian?
An Orphan of the Armenian Genocide,
And one of the most renowned leaders of Anti-Fascist Resistance in France during World War 2.
Missak Manouchian was born on 1906 in Adıyaman (Ottoman Empire, the region of Historical Armenia) to an Armenian family. His parents perished in Armenian Genocide, he and his brother Karapet barely saved themselves from the massacres. After the years they spent in Syria and Lebanon they finally ended up in Marseilles, France as illegal immigrants on 1925. Missak was 19 years old.
Once again, the two quickly faced the difficulties of life in a new country. After a while, the circumstances force them to leave Marseilles for Paris where Karapet gets sick seriously, and Missak begins to work in Citroen factory to make ends meet and help his brother with his medicines' expenses.
Unfortunately, "the fate" plays its devastating game again and Missak loses his brother, Karabet, the last member of his family.
Missak starts to work in various jobs to keep himself alive, even does some modeling for artists (sculptors and painters).
Finally his deep love for literature, especially poetry, comes to surface and with his friend Kegam (Atmadjian) they start to publish 2 different literary journals. They publish articles on French Literature, and do some translations of Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Verlaine to Armenian Language. The two also enroll to the University Of Sorbonne and take some classes on literature, political sciences and philosophy.
The years pass and on 1934, Missak becomes a member of the "Communist Party", and "National Armenian Relief Committee", where he was finally introduced to his future wife, Meliné.
Then comes the September of 1939 and World War 2 begins. The Communist Party gets banned. Manouchian gets dropped out of work, though, he finds a new job in Rouen as a lathe machinist. He continues his anti-fascist actions after the ban of Communist Party and gets arrested as a result of an "anti-communist" wave but only to be released a few weeks later.
Soon after his release, he joins "Main-d’œuvre immigrée" (Immigrant Worker's Movement) and become the leader of its Armenian division. On 1942, he becomes a part of armed partisans led by Boris Holban. On March 17, 1943, he takes part in his first armed action against Nazi forces.
After the resignation of Boris Holban, his seat gets filled by Missak Manouchian. Manouchian and his group carry out close to 30 operations against Nazi forces, including the assasinations of high-ranked Nazi Officials to the extend that Nazi officials were afraid to wear their own uniforms.
"Manouchian Group" gets arrested on November 16, 1943, including the commander, Missak Manouchian. His wife Melinée manages to escape.
The famous L'AFFICHE ROUGE (RED POSTER)
During the interrogation, members of the Manouchian Group tortured to the extremes in the most barbaric conditions. Vichy authorities (Nazi Collaborative Government) launched a propaganda campaign to discredit Manouchian Group and gain some ground for their future barbaric executions. A poster (L'AFFICHE ROUGE) designed to depict the actions of these so called "criminals", mostly "foreigners", Jews, Armenians, Poles, Hungarians to the French Public.
Although the poster was created to discredit the Manouchian Group, just the opposite happened and Manouchian Group's supporters, a large percentage of the French population scribbled the words "MORTS POUR LA FRANCE (They died for France)" on the posters!
L'AFFICHE ROUGE (RED POSTER) - SOURCE
Missak Manouchian and his 21 friends shot to death on 21 February 1944 near Paris.
The letter you're about the read is written by Manouchian himself, the morning before his execution.
Missak Manouchian's Letter To His Wife,
The Morning Before His Execution
"My dear Melinée, my beloved little orphan,
In a few hours I will no longer be of this world. We are going to be executed today at 3:00. This is happening to me like an accident in my life; I don't believe it, but I nevertheless know that I will never see you again.
What can I write you? Everything inside me is confused, yet clear at the same time.
I joined the Army of Liberation as a volunteer, and I die within inches of victory and the final goal. I wish for happiness for all those who will survive and taste the sweetness of the freedom and peace of tomorrow. I'm sure that the French people, and all those who fight for freedom, will know how to honor our memory with dignity.
At the moment of death, I proclaim that I have no hatred for the German people, or for anyone at all; everyone will receive what he is due, as punishment and as reward. The German people, and all other people, will live in peace and brotherhood after the war, which will not last much longer. Happiness for all ... I have one profound regret, and that's of not having made you happy; I would so much have liked to have a child with you, as you always wished. So I'd absolutely like you to marry after the war, and, for my happiness, to have a child and, to fulfill my last wish, marry someone who will make you happy. All my goods and all my affairs, I leave them to you and to my nephews. After the war you can request your right to a war pension as my wife, for I die as a regular soldier in the French army of liberation.
With the help of friends who'd like to honor me, you should publish my poems and writings that are worth being read. If possible, you should take my memory to my parents in Armenia. I will soon die with 23 of my comrades, with the courage and the serenity of a man with a peaceful conscience; for, personally, I've done no one ill, and if I have, it was without hatred. Today is sunny. It's in looking at the sun and the beauties of nature that I loved so much that I will say farewell to life and to all of you, my beloved wife, and my beloved friends. I forgive all those who did me evil, or who wanted to do so, with the exception of he who betrayed us to redeem his skin, and those who sold us out. I ardently kiss you, as well as your sister and all those who know me, near and far; I hold you all against my heart. Farewell. Your friend, your comrade, your husband, Manouchian Michel P.S. I have 15,000 francs in the valise on the rue de Plaisance. If you can get it, pay off all my debts and give the rest to Armenia. MM"
the morning before his execution (20 February 1944) - Source
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"At the moment of death, I proclaim that I have no hatred for the German people, or for anyone at all; everyone will receive what he is due, as punishment and as reward. The German people, and all other people, will live in peace and brotherhood after the war, which will not last much longer. "