1952 in France

• President: Vincent Auriol
• President of the Council of Ministers:
  • until 20 January: René Pleven
  • 20 January-8 March: Edgar Faure
  • starting 8 March: Antoine Pinay

• 25 February – Battle of Hòa Bình ends in defeat for French forces by the Việt Minh in Vietnam.
• 1 October – Operation Bretagne begins in Vietnam.
• 19 October – Alain Bombard begins to sail from Canary Islands to Barbados in 65 days; he reaches them 23 December.
• 29 October – Operation Lorraine begins.
• October – Battle of Nà Sản begins.
• 8 November – Operation Lorraine ends with no decisive result.
• 2 December – Battle of Nà Sản ends in French victory.
• Luxury brand Givenchy is founded by fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy.

• 1 June – Roman Catholic Church bans books of André Gide.

• 25 June – Tour de France begins.
• 19 July – Tour de France ends, won by Fausto Coppi of Italy.

• 25 January – Sara Mandiano, singer and songwriter.
• 15 February – Dominique Mouillot, business leader.^[1]
• 26 March – Didier Pironi, motor racing driver (died 1987)
• 27 March – Maria Schneider, actress (died 2011)
• 1 April – Bernard Stiegler, philosopher (died 2020)
• 2 April – Thierry Le Luron, impersonator and humorist (died 1986)
• 23 April – Jean-Dominique Bauby, journalist, author and editor (died 1997)
• 11 May – Renaud, singer
• 31 May – Carole Achache, writer, photographer and actress (died 2016)^[2]
• 3 June – Dominique Laffin, actress (died 1985)
• 7 June – Hubert Auriol, motor racing driver (died 2021)
• 27 June – Lydia Schenardi, politician and Member of the European Parliament
• 16 July – Jean Paul Gaultier, fashion designer
• 31 August – Edwy Plenel, journalist and editor of Le Monde
• 23 October – Pierre Moerlen, drummer and percussionist (died 2005)
• 25 October – Florence Picaut, athlete
• October – François Ovide, guitarist (died 2002)
• 4 December – Farid Chopel, actor, comedian and singer (died 2008)

Full date unknown

• Didier Dubois, mathematician
• René Renou, wine expert (died 2006)
• Françoise Thébaud, historian, professor emeritus

• 11 January – Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, general, military hero of World War II (born 1889)
• 18 May – Henry Bérenger, diplomat (born 1867)
• 16 July – Jean Chantavoine, musicologist and biographer (born 1877)
• 3 November – Louis Verneuil, playwright and screenwriter (born 1893)
• 18 November – Paul Éluard, poet (born 1895)^[3]
• 19 November – Marcel Henriot, World War I flying ace (born 1896)
• 27 November – Abel Lefranc, literary historian (born 1863)
• 5 December – André Lefaur, actor (born 1879)
• Full date unknown
  • Gabrielle Petit (feminist), feminist activist, anticlerical, libertarian socialist, and newspaper editor (born 1860)

• List of French films of 1952