Édouard Daladier
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| Édouard Daladier | |
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105th Prime Minister of France
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| In office January 31, 1933 – October 26, 1933 |
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| President | Albert Lebrun |
| Preceded by | Joseph Paul-Boncour |
| Succeeded by | Albert Sarraut |
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108th Prime Minister of France
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| In office January 30, 1934 – February 9, 1934 |
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| President | Albert Lebrun |
| Preceded by | Camille Chautemps |
| Succeeded by | Gaston Doumergue |
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117th Prime Minister of France
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| In office April 10, 1938 – March 21, 1940 |
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| President | Albert Lebrun |
| Preceded by | Léon Blum |
| Succeeded by | Paul Reynaud |
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| Born | June 18, 1884 |
| Died | October 10, 1970 |
| Political party | Radical |
Édouard Daladier (18 June 1884 - 10 October 1970) was a French Radical-Socialist politician, and Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War.
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[edit] Career
Daladier was born in Carpentras, Vaucluse (later, he would become known to many as "the bull of Vaucluse" because of his thick neck and large shoulders and determined look, although cynics also quipped that his horns were like those of a snail). During the First World War he rose from private to captain and company commander.
A government minister in various posts during the coalition governments between 1924 and 1928, he was instrumental in the Radical-Socialist Party's break with the socialist SFIO in 1926 (the first Cartel des gauches - "Left-wing Coalition"), and with the conservative Raymond Poincaré in November 1928.
Daladier became a leading member of the Radicals. He first became Prime Minister during 1933, and then again in 1934 for a few weeks when the Stavisky Affair led to far right 6 February 1934 riots and the second Cartel des gauches ' fall from power.
Daladier became Minister of War for the Popular Front coalition in 1936, and became Prime Minister again on 10 April 1938 after the fall of the Popular Front.
His term in power saw the Munich Agreement, when France backed out of its obligations to defend Czechoslovakia against Nazi Germany. He was pushed into negotiating by Britain's Neville Chamberlain, without which war would have been inevitable at that time. Unlike Chamberlain, Daladier was under no illusions about Hitler's ultimate goals. In fact, he told the British in a late April 1938 meeting that Hitler's real aim was to eventually secure "a domination of the Continent in comparison with which the ambitions of Napoleon were feeble." He went on to say "Today it is the turn of Czechoslovakia. Tomorrow it will be the turn of Poland and Romania. When Germany has obtained the oil and wheat it needs, she will turn on the West. Certainly we must multiply our efforts to avoid war. But that will not be obtained unless Great Britain and France stick together, intervening in Prague for new concessions but declaring at the same time that they will safeguard the independence of Czechoslovakia. If, on the contrary, the Western Powers capitulate again they will only precipitate the war they wish to avoid." [1].
Nevertheless, perhaps discouraged by the pessimistic and defeatist attitudes of both military and civilian members of the French government as well as traumatized by France's blood bath in the first World War that he was personally a witness to, Daladier ultimately let Chamberlain have his way. On his return to Paris, Daladier, who was expecting a hostile crowd, was acclaimed. He then told his aide, Alexis Léger: "Ah, les cons (the fools) !"»[2].
When the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, Daladier responded to the public outcry by outlawing the French Communist Party, which had refused to condemn Joseph Stalin's actions. In 1939, after the German invasion of Poland he was reluctant to go to war, but did so on 4 September 1939 - inaugurating the Phony War. On October 6 of that year, Hitler offered France as well as Great Britain a peace proposal. There were more than a few in the French government prepared to take Hitler up on his offer, but Daladier declared in a nationwide broadcast the next day "We took up arms against aggression. We shall not put them down until we have guarantees for a real peace and security, a security which is not threatened every six months."[3].
In March 1940 he resigned as Prime Minister in France, due to his failure to aid Finland's defense during the Winter War, and was replaced with Paul Reynaud. His antipathy to Paul Reynaud prevented Reynaud from replacing the aged Maurice Gamelin as Supreme Commander of all French armed forces. As a result, Gamelin resigned on 9 May 1940, the day before the Germans began their invasion campaign on 10 May. Daladier fled with other members of the government to Morocco, under the impression that the government would continue in North Africa, but was arrested and tried for treason by the Vichy government during the "Riom Trial". He was kept in prison from 1940 to 1943, after which he was handed out to the Germans and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp until the end of World War II.
After the conflict ended, Daladier was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and an opponent of Charles de Gaulle. He was also Lord Mayor of Avignon from 1953 until 1958. He died in Paris and is buried in the famous cemetery of Père-Lachaise.
[edit] Daladier's First Government, 31 January - 26 October 1933
- Édouard Daladier - President of the Council and Minister of War
- Eugène Penancier - Vice President of the Council and Minister of Justice
- Joseph Paul-Boncour - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Camille Chautemps - Minister of the Interior
- Georges Bonnet - Minister of Finance
- Lucien Lamoureux - Minister of Budget
- François Albert - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
- Georges Leygues - Minister of Marine
- Eugène Frot - Minister of Merchant Marine
- Pierre Cot - Minister of Air
- Anatole de Monzie - Minister of National Education
- Edmond Miellet - Minister of Pensions
- Henri Queuille - Minister of Agriculture
- Albert Sarraut - Minister of Colonies
- Joseph Paganon - Minister of Public Works
- Charles Daniélou - Minister of Public Health
- Laurent Eynac - Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
- Louis Serre - Minister of Commerce and Industry
Changes
- 6 September 1933 - Albert Sarraut succeeds Leygues (d. 2 September) as Minister of Marine. Albert Dalimier succeeds Sarraut as Minister of Colonies.
[edit] Daladier's Second Ministry, 30 January - 9 February 1934
- Édouard Daladier - President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Eugène Penancier - Vice President of the Council and Minister of Justice
- Jean Fabry - Minister of National Defense and War
- Eugène Frot - Minister of the Interior
- François Piétri - Minister of Finance
- Jean Valadier - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
- Louis de Chappedelaine - Minister of Military Marine
- Guy La Chambre - Minister of Merchant Marine
- Pierre Cot - Minister of Air
- Aimé Berthod - Minister of National Education
- Hippolyte Ducos - Minister of Pensions
- Henri Queuille - Minister of Agriculture
- Henry de Jouvenel - Minister of Overseas France
- Joseph Paganon - Minister of Public Works
- Émile Lisbonne - Minister of Public Health
- Paul Bernier - Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
- Jean Mistler - Minister of Commerce and Industry
Changes
- 4 February 1934 - Joseph Paul-Boncour succeeds Fabry as Minister of National Defense and War. Paul Marchandeau succeeds Piétri as Minister of Finance.
[edit] Daladier's Third Ministry, 10 April 1938 - 21 March 1940
- Édouard Daladier - President of the Council and Minister of National Defense and War
- Camille Chautemps - Vice President of the Council
- Georges Bonnet - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Albert Sarraut - Minister of the Interior
- Paul Marchandeau - Minister of Finance
- Raymond Patenôtre - Minister of National Economy
- Paul Ramadier - Minister of Labour
- Paul Reynaud - Minister of Justice
- César Campinchi - Minister of Military Marine
- Louis de Chappedelaine - Minister of Merchant Marine
- Guy La Chambre - Minister of Air
- Jean Zay - Minister of National Education
- Auguste Champetier de Ribes - Minister of Veterans and Pensioners
- Henri Queuille - Minister of Agriculture
- Georges Mandel - Minister of Colonies
- Ludovic-Oscar Frossard - Minister of Public Works
- Marc Rucart - Minister of Public Health
- Alfred Jules-Julien - Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
- Fernand Gentin - Minister of Commerce
Changes
- 23 August 1938 - Charles Pomaret succeeds Ramadier as Minister of Labour. Anatole de Monzie succeeds Frossard as Minister of Public Works.
- 1 November 1938 - Paul Reynaud succeeds Paul Marchandeau as Minister of Finance. Marchandeau succeeds Reynaud as Minister of Justice.
- 13 September 1939 - Georges Bonnet succeeds Marchandeau as Minister of Justice. Daladier succeeds Bonnet as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remaining also Minister of National Defense and War. Raymond Patenôtre leaves the Cabinet and the Position of Minister of National Economy is abolished. Alphonse Rio succeeds Chappedelaine as Minister of Merchant Marine. Yvon Delbos succeeds Zay as Minister of National Education. René Besse succeeds Champetier as Minister of Veterans and Pensioners. Raoul Dautry enters the Cabinet as Minister of Armaments. Georges Pernot enters the Cabinet as Minister of Blockade.
| Preceded by Jean Fabry |
Minister of Colonies 1924–1925 |
Succeeded by Orly André-Hesse |
| Preceded by Paul Painlevé |
Minister of War 1925 |
Succeeded by Paul Painlevé |
| Preceded by Yvon Delbos |
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1925–1926 |
Succeeded by Lucien Lamoureux |
| Preceded by Bertrand Nogaro |
Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1926 |
Succeeded by Édouard Herriot |
| Preceded by Georges Pernot |
Minister of Public Works 1930 |
Succeeded by Georges Pernot |
| Preceded by Georges Pernot |
Minister of Public Works 1930–1931 |
Succeeded by Maurice Deligne |
| Preceded by Charles Guernier |
Minister of Public Works 1932 |
Succeeded by Georges Bonnet |
| Preceded by Joseph Paul-Boncour |
Minister of War 1932–1934 |
Succeeded by Jean Fabry |
| Preceded by Joseph Paul-Boncour |
President of the Council 1933 |
Succeeded by Albert Sarraut |
| Preceded by Camille Chautemps |
President of the Council 1934 |
Succeeded by Gaston Doumergue |
| Preceded by Joseph Paul-Boncour |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1934 |
Succeeded by Louis Barthou |
| Preceded by — |
Vice President of the Council 1936–1937 |
Succeeded by Léon Blum |
| Preceded by Louis Maurin |
Minister of National Defense and War 1936–1940 |
Succeeded by Paul Reynaud |
| Preceded by Léon Blum |
Vice President of the Council 1938 |
Succeeded by Camille Chautemps |
| Preceded by Léon Blum |
President of the Council 1938–1940 |
Succeeded by Paul Reynaud |
| Preceded by Georges Bonnet |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1939–1940 |
Succeeded by Paul Reynaud |
| Preceded by Paul Reynaud |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1940 |
Succeeded by Paul Reynaud |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Endnotes
- ^ Shirer, William The Collapse Of The Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940, 1969, De Capo Press, pages 339-340.
- ^ Jean-Paul Sartre, Le Sursis
- ^ Shirer, William The Collapse Of The Third Republic: An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940, 1969, De Capo Press, page 529.
[edit] Reference
- Adamthwaite, Anthony France and the Coming of the Second World War 1936-1939, Frank Cass, London, United Kingdom, 1977.
- Cairns, John C. "Reflections on France, Britain and the Winter War Problem" pages 269-295 from The French Defeat of 1940 Reassessments edited by Joel Blatt Berghahn Books, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, 1998, , ISBN 1-57181-109-5.
- Imlay, Talbot "France and the Phoney War, 1939-1940" pages 261-282 from French Foreign and Defence Policy, 1918-1940 The Decline and Fall of A Great Power edited by Robert Boyce, London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0-415-15039-6.
- Irvine, William "Domestic Politics and the Fall of France in 1940" pages 85-99 from The French Defeat of 1940 Reassessments edited by Joel Blatt Berghahn Books, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, 1998, , ISBN 1-57181-109-5.
- Jackson, Peter "Intelligence and the End of Appeasement" pges 234-260 from French Foreign and Defence Policy, 1918-1940 The Decline and Fall of A Great Power edited by Robert Boyce, London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0-415-15039-6.
- Lacaze, Yvon “Daladier, Bonnet and the Decision-Making Process During the Munich Crisis, 1938” pages 215-233 from French Foreign and Defence Policy, 1918-1940 The Decline and Fall of A Great Power edited by Robert Boyce, London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1998, ISBN 0-415-15039-6.
- Réau, Elisabeth du "Edouard Daladier: The Conduct of the War and the Beginnings of Defeat" pages 100-126 from The French Defeat of 1940 Reassessments edited by Joel Blatt Berghahn Books, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, 1998, , ISBN 1-57181-109-5.
- Shirer, William L. The Collapse of the Third Republic An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940, Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, United States of America, 1969.
- Thomas, Martin "France and the Czechoslovak Crisis" pages 122-159 from The Munich Crisis 1938 Prelude to World War II edited by Igor Lukes and Erik Goldstein, Frank Cass, London, United Kingdom, 1999.
