Léon was born on 1 February 1915 in Bourges.[1] He studied classics and became a professor of history.[2]
During World War II, he worked along with Paul Marion, General Secretary for Information in the government of Philippe Pétain. Gaultier was a columnist for Radio-Vichy and one of the founders of the Milice.
Gaultier fought for Germany in the Waffen-SS with the rank of Untersturmführer.[3] He commanded a French unit on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1944 and was seriously wounded in Galicia. He was sentenced to forced labor in 1946 and released on 2 June 1948, he eventually worked for the advertising agency Havas.
During the presidential campaign of far-right candidate Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour in 1965, Gaultier was responsible for propaganda and worked alongside former Cagoulard turned resistance fighter Serge Jeanneret.[4]
He later co-founded with Jean-Marie Le Pen the publishing house SERP ("Société d'études et de relations publiques"),[5] which specialized in editing historical recordings like political speeches and military songs.
In 1972, he was among the founders of the National Council of the National Front.[5] Gaultier wrote in Rivarol and was gradually moved away from the circle of Jean-Marie Le Pen in early 1980s. Thereafter, he concentrated on writing his memoir.