Antoine Avinin

[1] He became an activist in the Ligue de la jeune République, a Christian democratic movement concerned with social action which succeeded Marc Sangnier's Le Sillon.

He remained a reserve officer and as such was mobilized at the outbreak of World War II, commanding a company as a lieutenant in the 6e bataillon de chasseurs alpins at Heyrieux, Isère.

[2][1] He founded the resistance network France-Liberté in November 1940 with Elie Péju, Auguste Pinton and Jean-Jacques Soudeille.

That year, he also became involved in active politics, becoming a deputy for the Seine region as part of the Union démocratique et socialiste de la Résistance.

The following year, he was elected a senator for the Rassemblement des gauches républicaines representing the French residing in Indochina and sat on the Conseil de la République from 1946 to 1952.