(associate of philosophy, son of Jean Guiraud, editor-in-chief of La Croix ) relaunched Francisme. Paul Guiraud attempted to give the movement a more "socialist" look. Similarly, Bucard defended the General Confederation of Labour (dissolved during the occupation) and criticized the Labor Charter elaborated by the Vichy regime, which he considered not socialist enough. Like the other collaboration movements, the movement failed to become a mass movement. At its peak (summer 1943), according to historian duo Lambert-Le Marec it had some 5,500 members (4,000 in the provinces and 1,500 in the Paris region) or, according to other sources, reach a maximum of 8,000 members. The newspaper Le Franciste reached a maximum circulation during the war of 20,000 copies. In 1943, it participated in a collaborationist front, dominated by the National Popular Rally, in an attempt to unify with other fascist movements. Like the other parties, the Franciste Movement was heavily collaborationist (creation of the Task Forces to fight against resistance was one such example). Many of its members participated in anti-Semitic and anti-communist operations as well as its members joining the Milice which actively targeted the French Resistance. Particularly well established in the departments of Seine-et-Oise and Morbihan, where locals were involved in incidents of violence. On July 4, 1944, a policeman was killed and another injured by the bodyguards of Bucard during an altercation. Bucard was then imprisoned but released on July 29, just in time to flee to Germany on August 12 with the other Francists as the Allies launch Operation Overlord. Bucard was finally arrested, tried and sentenced to death on February 21, 1946, shot on March 19 at Fort Chatillon, near Paris. Facing the pole, he refused to wear a headband and, once attached, shouted, "Qui vive? La France!" before the salvo struck him dead. His family were denied a request that his body is deposited in the family vault, and Marcel Bucard was buried in the Parisian cemetery of Thiais, in the current department of Val-de-Marne. References John Bingham Defining French fascism, finding fascists in France Canadian Journal of History (Dec. 1994) Stanley Payne A history of fascism, London, University College of London Press, 1995, pp. 400-401. Political parties established in 1933 1933 establishments in France Political parties disestablished in 1945 1945 disestablishments in France French far right leagues Fascist parties in France Political parties of the Vichy regime Fascist parties Banned far-right parties Clothing in