Jules Ferry

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Jules Ferry
Jules Ferry
In office
September 23, 1880 – November 14, 1881
Preceded by Charles de Freycinet
Succeeded by Léon Gambetta
In office
February 21, 1883 – April 6, 1885
Preceded by Armand Fallières
Succeeded by Henri Brisson
Born April 5, 1832
Died March 17, 1893
Political party None

Jules François Camille Ferry (April 5, 1832 – March 17, 1893) was a French statesman, and ardent imperialist[1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Born in Saint-Dié, in the Vosges département, France, he studied law, and was called to the bar at Paris, but soon went into politics, contributing to various newspapers, particularly to Le Temps. He attacked the Second French Empire with great violence, directing his opposition especially against Baron Haussmann, prefect of the Seine département. Elected republican deputy for Paris in 1869, he protested against the declaration of war with Germany, and on September 6, 1870 was appointed prefect of the Seine by the Government of National Defense.

In this position he had the difficult task of administering Paris during the siege, and after the Paris Commune was obliged to resign (June 5, 1871). From 1872 to 1873 he was sent by Adolphe Thiers as minister to Athens, but returned to the chamber as deputy for the Vosges, and became one of the leaders of the republican party. When the first republican ministry was formed under WH Waddington on February 4, 1879, he was one of its members, and continued in the ministry until March 30, 1885, except for two short interruptions (from November 10, 1881 to January 30, 1882, and from July 29, 1882 to February 21, 1883), first as minister of education and then as minister of foreign affairs. A leader of the Opportunist Republicans faction, he was twice premier (1880-1881 and 1883-1885).

[edit] Major works

Jules Ferry, by Nadar.
Jules Ferry, by Nadar.

Two important works are associated with his administration, the non-clerical organization of public education, and the beginning of the colonial expansion of France. Following the republican programme he proposed to destroy the influence of the clergy in the university and found his own system of republican schooling. He reorganized the committee of public education (law of February 27, 1880), and proposed a regulation for the conferring of university degrees, which, though rejected, aroused violent polemics because the 7th article took away from the unauthorized religious orders the right to teach. He finally succeeded in passing the eponym laws of June 16, 1881 and March 28, 1882, which made primary education in France free, non-clerical (laïque) and mandatory. In higher education, the number of professors, called the "hussards noirs de la République" ("Republic's black hussars") because of their Republican support, doubled under his ministry[citation needed].

The education policies establishing French language as the language of the Republic have been contested in the second half of the 20th century insofar as, if they played an important role in unifying the French nation-state and the Third Republic, they also nearly provoked the extinction of several regional languages [2].

After the military defeat of France by Germany in 1870, Ferry formed the idea of acquiring a great colonial empire, principally for the sake of economic exploitation. In a speech before the Chamber of Deputies on July 28, 1883, he declared that "the superior races have a right because they have a duty: it is their duty to civilize the inferior races." Ferry directed the negotiations which led to the establishment of a French protectorate in Tunis (1881), prepared the treaty of December 17, 1885 for the occupation of Madagascar; directed the exploration of the Congo and of the Niger region; and above all he organized the conquest of Annam and Tonkin in what became Indochina.

The last endeavor led to a war with China, whose Qing dynasty had a claim of suzerainty over the two provinces. The excitement caused at Paris by the sudden retreat of the French troops from Lang Son during this war led to the Tonkin Affair: his violent denunciation by Clemenceau and other radicals ,and his downfall on March 30, 1885). Although the treaty of peace with China (June 9, 1885), in which the Qing Dynasty ceded suzerainty of Annam and Tonkin to France, was the work of his ministry, he would never again serve as premier.

He still remained an influential member of the moderate republican party, and directed the opposition to General Boulanger. After the resignation of Jules Grévy (December 2, 1887), he was a candidate for the presidency of the republic, but the radicals refused to support him, and he withdrew in favour of Sadi Carnot.

The violent polemics aroused against him at this time caused a madman to attack him with a revolver, and he died from the wound, on the March 17, 1893. The chamber of deputies voted him a state funeral.

[edit] Ferry's 1st Ministry, 23 September 1880 - 14 November 1881

[edit] Ferry's 2nd Ministry, 21 February 1883 - 6 April 1885

  • Jules Ferry - President of the Council and Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
  • Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour - Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Jean Thibaudin - Minister of War
  • René Waldeck-Rousseau - Minister of the Interior
  • Pierre Tirard - Minister of Finance
  • Félix Martin-Feuilléee - Minister of Justice and Worship
  • Charles Brun - Minister of Marine and Colonies
  • Jules Méline - Minister of Agriculture
  • David Raynal - Minister of Public Works
  • Adolphe Cochery - Minister of Posts and Telegraphs
  • Anne Charles Hérisson - Minister of Commerce

Changes

  • 9 August 1883 - Alexandre Louis François Peyron succeeds Charles Brun as Minister of Marine and Colonies
  • 9 October 1883 - Jean-Baptiste Campenon succeeds Thibaudin as Minister of War.
  • 20 November 1883 - Jules Ferry succeeds Challemel-Lacour as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Armand Fallières succeeds Ferry as Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts.
  • 14 October 1884 - Maurice Rouvier succeeds Hérisson as Minister of Commerce
  • 3 January 1885 - Jules Louis Lewal succeeds Campenon as Minister of War.

[edit] References

  1. ^ A History of Western Society, Seventh Edition. John Buckler, Bennett D. Hill, John P. Mckay
  2. ^ 1998 report from Bernard Poignant, mayor of Quimper, to Lionel Jospin (French)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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Preceded by
Agénor Bardoux		 Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
1879–1881		 Succeeded by
Paul Bert
Preceded by
Charles de Freycinet		 Prime Minister of France
1880–1881		 Succeeded by
Léon Gambetta
Preceded by
Paul Bert		 Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
1882		 Succeeded by
Jules Duvaux
Preceded by
Armand Fallières		 Prime Minister of France
1883–1885		 Succeeded by
Henri Brisson
Preceded by
Jules Duvaux		 Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
1883		 Succeeded by
Armand Fallières
Preceded by
Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour		 Minister of Foreign Affairs
1883–1885		 Succeeded by
Charles de Freycinet
Preceded by
Philippe Le Royer		 President of the Senate
1893		 Succeeded by
Paul-Armand Challemel-Lacour