Edmond Michelet

Edmond Michelet (Paris, 8 October 1899 – 9 October 1970 in Brive) was a French politician.

On 17 June 1940, he distributed tracts calling to continue the war in all Brive-la-Gaillarde's mailboxes. It is considered to be the first act of resistance of World War II in France, one day before Charles de Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June.

He helped many victims of the Nazis in occupied France, including Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand. In 1943 he was arrested and incarcerated at the Dachau concentration camp where he assisted other prisoners during a typhus epidemic and was infected himself. When Dachau was liberated he was still aiding the sick and was the last to leave. (While a prisoner, he was helped by abbé Franz Stock.)

He was made minister of the Army by Charles de Gaulle in 1946.

He served as Minister of Justice from 1959 to 1961.

Michelet was the main collaborator of Abraham Vereide, the leader of the Family fundamentalist organisation, based in the United States.