10 Most Evil People In French History

Marcel “Bruno” Bigeard fought in World War II, as well as the First Indochina War and Algerian War, which France fought to maintain colonial control of Algeria. France was defeated, and Algeria declared independence in 1962. Bigeard became one of the decorated soldiers in France, but he was also accused of having overseen torture in Algeria. In an interview in the year 2000, he denied that he had personally tortured anyone, but acknowledged that the French had tortured certain so-called “savages”, and defended it as a “necessary evil”. Bigeard’s personal involvement in torture remains a matter of dispute.

Far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen also fought in the Algerian War, and has been accused of war crimes. However, he’s best known as the founder of the National Front, a political party whose principle platform is anti-immigration. Since the 1970s, he’s unsuccessfully run for President five times. But he’s nonetheless managed to become an influential voice. He has a history of comments that are widely regarded as xenophobic, particularly against Muslims, and antisemitic, including Holocaust denial. His daughter Marine has largely succeeded him, taking over his position as France’s most provocative presidential candidate.

This chilling serial killer terrorized late 19th century France, taking the lives of at least 11 people. Vacher’s first known murder came when he killed a woman who rejected his proposal of marriage. His other victims were mostly teenage shepherds. Some of the details of his crimes were beyond awful, and we can’t go into them here. Suffice to say, they involve horrific treatment of his victims’ bodies. The killer has even been described as a French version of the infamous Jack the Ripper. After he confessed, he was executed by guillotine in 1898.

#7: Paul Aussaresses

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This French Army General is another military figure accused of torture during the Algerian War. Like Marcel Bigeard, he fought in World War II and the First Indochina War as well. In the year 2000, Aussaresses admitted to having tortured Algerians, and advocated for torture in other conflicts. His repressive measures had also involved summary executions. After the public revelation, he was stripped of rank and membership in the Legion of Honour. A few years later, it was revealed that in the 1970s, he’d advised South American dictators in torture methods.

#6: The Bataclan Gunmen

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France suffered several terrorist attacks in 2015, beginning with the infamous Charlie Hebdo shooting in January by brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi. On the 13th of November in 2015, terrorists staged a series of attacks across Paris that left 130 people dead. 90 of these lives were lost at the Bataclan theater. Three French nationals of Algerian descent, Foued Mohamed-Aggad, Ismael Omar Mostefai, and Samy Amimour, burst into the theater during a concert and opened fire. In a standoff with police, they demanded France’s departure from Muslim regions. Ultimately, all three attackers died at the scene, which was described by a witness as looking like a battlefield. The militant Islamist group ISIL claimed responsibility for the attacks.

A military leader from the 15th century, Gilles de Rais was initially known as an ally of Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War. However, he withdrew from military life, and according to his later confession, abused and murdered numerous young victims. Again, we can’t go into the awful details, but descriptions of his crimes are the stuff of nightmares. The number of his victims is unknown, but estimates run all the way up to 200. There is some debate over his guilt, with a few writers arguing that he was framed. However, if eyewitness accounts can be believed, Gilles de Rais was a true monster.

In 1940, Nazi Germany occupied France and established a collaborationist government. Meanwhile, a French government-in-exile continued to fight, through the Free French Forces and French Resistance. Jean Leguay fell squarely into the category of collaborationist - participating in one of the darkest chapters in French history. As second-in-command of the French National Police, he followed Nazi orders in 1942 to round up Jews in Paris. The event was known as the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, and involved the mass arrest of over 13,000 Jews, who were deported to extermination camps. In 1979, Leguay was convicted of crimes against humanity for his role in the event.

The French Revolution was a complicated deconstruction of the monarchy, with figures like Maximilien Robespierre helping to chart a course for a new France in the late 18th century. Working as part of the Paris Commune, the revolutionary lawyer and statesmen campaigned for human rights … and yet was instrumental in the subsequent Reign of Terror. As a member of the ironically-titled Committee of Public Safety, he had a pivotal role in the execution of thousands by guillotine. He eventually lost support and fell victim to the same device that killed so many before him.

Philippe Pétain was a man of many contradictions in his 95 years on earth. The general gained prominence during the First World War, earning the nickname "The Lion of Verdun" for his efforts. He became Marshal of France, but didn't exactly follow that up with a commendable service record in the Second World War. With the Nazi occupation of the country, Pétain served as head of the collaborationist and authoritarian Vichy-regime. After the war, he was convicted of treason, and lived out the rest of his life in disgrace behind bars.

This serial killer brought to World War II new horrors. With accomplices, the doctor ran a scam promising to help people escape German-occupied France. He lured victims to his home, then injected them with cyanide. He may have used this method to kill dozens, or even hundreds of people. His victims included French Jews and Resistance fighters. After neighbors complained about the stretch, the remains of 23 victims were found in his basement. He went on the run, but was finally caught, and executed by guillotine in 1946.