He did his military service in 1929 with the 8th Régiment de Zouaves in Oran, Algeria; on his return, he became an activist with the local metal workers union.

[2][3][5] He was political commissar of the André Marty Battalion (made up of French and Belgian volunteers) which was part of the XIV International Brigade.

Alongside Free French general Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Tanguy accepted and signed the act of surrender on 25 August 1944.

[citation needed] After his army career, Rol-Tanguy joined the central committee of the French Communist Party where he remained until 1987.

[citation needed] Henri Rol-Tanguy died on 8 September 2002, and received a salutation in the Invalides from Jacques Chirac, the recently re-elected President of France.