France after Libération (1944–1946)
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Between 1944 and 1946 France was ruled by the Provisional Government of the French Republic (Gouvernement provisoire de la République française). On June 2, 1944 the French Committee of National Liberation (Comité français de la Libération nationale; CFLN) declared itself to be the French provisional government. After the liberation of France during the summer of 1944, this government gained rule over the country and was led by Charles de Gaulle. The provisional government consisted of communists, socialists, and Gaullists, who had taken part in the Résistance against the German occupation. The provisional government nullified all acts by the Vichy government, declaring the Vichy government illegal. It continued to fight the war and organised political rebuilding that was necessary. On October 21, 1945 it formed a constituent assembly, tasked with reforming the institutions. On January 20, 1946, Charles de Gaulle resigned after persistent disagreement with the communist ministers.
Template:The 4th Republic
See detailed article: The 4th Republic
The first constitutional bill was rejected by referendum on May 5, 1946. A new constituent assembly was elected on June 2 and the constitution was definitively adopted by referendum on October 13, 1946.
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The 4th Republic led France's reconstruction efforts, after it had been very badly affected by four years of occupation. Amongst the important historical decisions taken were:
- - to give women the vote (ruling of October 5, 1944). Women would vote for the first time in 1945.
- - to create the École National d'Administration
- - to introduce social security and family benefit
- - to sign the Treaty of Rome, which represented the first step towards the European Union
- - to reconstruct the country; in particular the cities which had been heavily bombed (Le Havre, Brest, Rouen, Caen) as well as the economic and transport infrastructures.
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However, the 4th Republic was characterised by governmental instability (on average a new government every six months). Successive governments were unable to collect enough support in Parliament.
One of the causes of this instability was the Constitution where proportional representation did not allow the emergence of a clear and stable majority (like, at present, in countries like Israel for example).
The two Presidents of the 4th Republic were Vincent Auriol, a former Socialist minister from the Front Populaire, and René Coty, from the centre-right.
See detailed article: The 1950s in France
[edit] Decolonistation and the constitution of the 5th Republic (1954-1962)
The 4th Republic was notable for the two major wars of decolonisation fought by France: the Indochine War and the Algerian War.
See detailed article: Chronology of France under the 5th Republic
[edit] The Algerian War and its consequences
The political crisis provoked by the Algerian War led to Charles de Gaulle being recalled to power, returning from what some had called his walk across the desert. On May 31, 1958, Pierre Pflimlin, President of the Council, resigned and on June 1 the French Parliament voted in Général de Gaulle's government by 329 votes to 224.
He organised institutional change and won approval by referendum, on September 28, of the constitution for the 5th Republic. He was later elected President of France on December 21 of the same year.
De Gaulle soon realised that it was not going to be possible to win the Algerian War, and supported Algerian independence. This position provoked great resistance from certain nationalistic groups, in particular terrorist acts by the Organisation armée secrète.
The war ended in July, 1962, with the signing of the Évian agreement on March 18, 1962, which was approved by referendum on April 8, 1962.
[edit] De Gaulle's impression (1962 - 1969)
See detailed article: France in the 1960s
[edit] Domestic policy: a strong power
De Gaulle introduced different economic measures to reinvigorate the country, including the introduction of a new franc.
[edit] Foreign policy: "A certain idea of France"
On the international stage, De Gaulle constructed an independent France with its own nuclear deterrent, refusing to be dominated by either the USA or the USSR. He blocked Great Britain's entry in to the common market (EEC), and condemned the war in Vietnam, as well as the Israeli offensive during the Six Day's War, and in 1967 France withdrew from NATO, whilst remaining a member of the Atlantic alliance. In Africa, whilst officially maintaining a policy of decolonisation, De Gaulle gave Jacques Focard the task of laying the foundations of French Neocolonialism, which was upheld by all the Presidents of the 5th Republic, coined as "Françafrique" by François-Xavier Verschave.
[edit] May 1968 and its consequences
See also: May 1968
The protests in 1968 were larger than expected and took De Gaulle off guard. He withdrew from the political scene for some hours to take advice, which led to fears of a power vacuum.
De Gaulle was ready to accept some of the protesters' demands, but Georges Pompidou persuaded him to dissolve the French Parliament. The June 1968 elections were a great success for the gaullists who won 293 of the 487 seats. Georges Pompidou was replaced by Maurice Couve de Murville in July.
After the failure of his referendum on the transfer of certain powers to the regions, in to which De Gaulle had invested all of his political capital, he resigned on April 28, 1969.
[edit] Post De Gaulle (1969-present day)
See detailed article: France in the 1970s
[edit] Presidency of Georges Pompidou (1969-1974)
Georges Pompidou, who presented himself as the natural successor to De Gaulle, won the Presidential elections in 1969. Jacques Chaban-Delmas was named as Prime Minister.
- - 1970: The Gauche Prolétarienne was banned
- - June 1971: François Mitterand took control of the Parti Socialiste at the Epinay congress.
- - July 1972: Pierre Messmer was named Prime Minister
- - 1973: The Ligue Communiste was banned.
[edit] Presidency of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1974-1981)
At 48 years old in 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was the youngest President of the French Republic. He named Jacques Chirac as Prime Minister. The oil crisis of 1973 and the international economic situation prevented the normal workings of government and provoked an increase in disputes: it was the end of the Thirty Glorious Years. In 1976, after Jacques Chirac resigned, Raymond Barre, an Economics professor, was named Prime Minister and implemented tough policies to check inflation which led to a sharp fall in growth. During his seven year term, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing introduced the following major reforms:
- - The legalisation of divorce by mutual consent
- - The legalisation of abortion introduced by Simone Veil (November 28, 1974) which *would be followed by the legalisation of the "pill" and the refunding of its cost by Social *Security.
- - The voting age was reduced from 21 years old to 18 years old (July 5, 1974)
- - The introduction of summer time so as to save energy.
- - The promotion of European democracy (under his initiative European members of parliament were elected by direct vote) and of economic advances (introduction of the European Monetary System, which foresaw the Euro)
- - The promotion of mixed school classes
- - The promotion of Public Television and the dismantling of the State monopoly (ORTF) into seven companies
- - The abolition of censure
- - The extension of social security to non-salaried workers (an important measure for retailers and the self-employed)
- - The election of the Mayor of Paris by direct vote
- - March 1975: strike by high school students
- - Spring 1976: Student strike
- - July 1977: anti-Nuclear riot at Creys-Malville
- - March 1978: the Right win the parliamentary elections
- - 1979: creation of the Action Directe group
- - May 1980: student strike dominated by the extreme-left
[edit] Presidencies of François Mitterand (1981-1995)
[edit] References
- This article is based on a translation of a French Wikipedia article.
