René Viviani
| René Viviani | |
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| In office June 13, 1914 – October 29, 1915 |
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| Preceded by | Alexandre Ribot |
| Succeeded by | Aristide Briand |
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| Born | November 8 1863 |
| Died | September 7 1925 |
| Political party | None |
Jean Raphaël Adrien René Viviani (November 8 1863 – September 7 1925) was a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I. He was born in Sidi Bel Abbès, in French North Africa. When in France he protected the rights of socialists and trade union workers.
His parliamentary career began in 1893, when he was elected deputy of the fifth ward in Paris. He retained this office until 1902, when he failed to be reelected, but four years later he was elected deputy of the Department of Creuse. In the same year he entered the cabinet of M. Clémenceau. At an early age he associated himself with the Socialist party, soon becoming one of its most brilliant orators and prominent leaders. When the party was reorganized in 1904 into the Unified Socialist party, Viviani, like fellow Socialist Aristide Briand, stayed outside, and thenceforth called himself an Independent Socialist. He served as Minister of Public Instruction in the ministry of M. Doumergue. In the spring of 1914 an exceptionally radical chamber was elected, and for a while it seemed that they would be unable to agree upon any one for Premier, but finally, he was appointed Prime Minister on July 13, 1914, by President Poincaré. He received a vote of confidence of 370 to 137. The chief issues were the maintenance of the law requiring three years' service in the army and provision for a loan of 1,800,000,000 francs ($360,000,000) for military preparations. Viviani supported both of these measures. During the July Crisis, he was largely dominated by the President, Raymond Poincaré. Shortly, the war with Germany commenced, and in August, 1914, Viviani reorganized his cabinet on a war basis. His tenure leading France during the war was undistinguished. He retained the premiership for over a year, but resigned on October 27, 1915, being succeeded by Aristide Briand.
Viviani's First Government, June 13 - August 26 1914
- René Viviani - President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Adolphe Messimy - Minister of War
- Louis Malvy - Minister of the Interior
- Joseph Noullens - Minister of Finance
- Maurice Couyba - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
- Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin - Minister of Justice
- Armand Gauthier de l'Aude - Minister of Marine
- Victor Augagneur - Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts.
- Fernand David - Minister of Agriculture
- Maurice Raynaud - Minister of Colonies
- René Renoult - Minister of Public Works
- Gaston Thomson - Minister of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs
Changes
- 3 August 1914 - Gaston Doumergue succeeds Viviani as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Victor Augagneur succeeds l'Aude as Minister of Marine. Albert Sarraut succeeds Augagneur as Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts.
Viviani's Second Ministry, August 26 1914 - October 29 1915
- René Viviani - President of the Council
- Théophile Delcassé - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Alexandre Millerand - Minister of War
- Louis Malvy - Minister of the Interior
- Alexandre Ribot - Minister of Finance
- Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
- Aristide Briand - Minister of Justice
- Victor Augagneur - Minister of Marine
- Albert Sarraut - Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
- Fernand David - Minister of Agriculture
- Gaston Doumergue - Minister of Colonies
- Marcel Sembat - Minister of Public Works
- Gaston Thomson - Minister of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs
- Jules Guesde - Minister without Portfolio
Changes
- October 13 1915 - Viviani succeeds Delcassé as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
External links
| Preceded by Gaston Doumergue |
Minister of
Labour and Social Security 1906–1910 |
Succeeded by Louis Lafferre |
| Preceded by Louis Barthou |
Minister of
Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1913–1914 |
Succeeded by Arthur Dessoyes |
| Preceded by Alexandre Ribot |
Prime Minister of
France 1914–1915 |
Succeeded by Aristide Briand |
| Preceded by Léon Bourgeois |
Minister of
Foreign Affairs 1914 |
Succeeded by Gaston Doumergue |
| Preceded by Théophile Delcassé |
Minister of
Foreign Affairs 1915 |
Succeeded by Aristide Briand |
| Preceded by Aristide Briand |
Minister of
Justice 1915–1917 |
Succeeded by Raoul Péret |
| Preceded by Paul Painlevé |
Minister of
Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1916–1917 |
Succeeded by Théodore Steeg |
- This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.
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