François Duvalier facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids François Duvalier


34th President of Haiti
In office 22 October 1957 – 21 April 1971
Preceded by	Antonio Thrasybule Kébreau (as Chairman of the Military Council)
Succeeded by	Jean-Claude Duvalier
Minister of Public Health and Labor
In office 14 October 1949 – 10 May 1950
President	Dumarsais Estimé
Preceded by	Antonio Vieux (Public Health) Louis Bazin (Labor)
Succeeded by	Joseph Loubeau (Public Health) Emile Saint-Lot (Labor)
Under Secretary of Labor
In office 26 November 1948 – 14 October 1949
President	Dumarsais Estimé

Personal details
Born	(1907-04-14)14 April 1907 Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Died	21 April 1971(1971-04-21) (aged 64) Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Political party	National Unity Party
Spouse	Simone Ovide (m. 1939)
Children	4, including Jean-Claude
Alma mater	University of Haiti (MD)
Occupation	Physician
Nickname	Papa Doc

François Duvalier (born April 14, 1907 – died April 21, 1971), also known as Papa Doc, was a Haitian politician. He served as the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. He was first elected president in 1957. His rule quickly became very strict and controlling.

Duvalier created a secret government group called the Tonton Macoute. This group caused great fear among Haitians. People were afraid to speak out against him, even in private. Duvalier also used ideas from Haitian mythology to make people believe he had special powers.

Before becoming president, Duvalier was a doctor. He studied public health and helped people fight diseases. Because of his medical work, people started calling him "Papa Doc." In 1964, he declared himself "President for Life" after an election that was not fair. He stayed in power until he died in 1971. His son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Baby Doc," became president after him.

Early Life and Career
Political Journey
Presidency
Death and Succession
Books and Films
See also

Early Life and Career

Duvalier was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1907. His father was a judge, and his mother was a baker. He earned a medical degree from the State University of Haiti in 1934. He worked as a doctor in several hospitals.

In 1943, he joined a program to control tropical diseases in Haiti. He helped many poor people fight illnesses like typhus and malaria. His patients loved him and called him "Papa Doc." This nickname stayed with him throughout his life.

Duvalier was influenced by the United States occupation of Haiti (1915-1934). This period led to a rise in black nationalism in Haiti. He also saw the power of the poor black majority. They were unhappy with the small group of mixed-race (mulatto) leaders. Duvalier supported ideas that promoted African culture and identity. He also studied Haitian Vodou, which later helped him gain political power. In 1939, he married Simone Duvalier, and they had four children.

Political Journey

In 1946, Duvalier started working with President Dumarsais Estimé. He became the Director General of the National Public Health Service. In 1949, he was made Minister of Health and Labor. However, he left the government in 1950 after disagreeing with Paul Magloire's takeover.

Duvalier then went back to being a doctor. He helped prevent diseases like yaws. In 1954, he stopped practicing medicine and went into hiding from the Magloire government. In 1956, he announced he would run for president. He came out of hiding after an amnesty was given.

In the 1957 presidential election, Duvalier ran against Louis Déjoie. Duvalier promised to rebuild Haiti. Many people in the countryside and the military supported him. He appealed to the black majority, saying they should not be ruled by the mixed-race elite. François Duvalier won the election on September 22, 1957. However, there were reports of unfair voting and people being scared to vote.

Presidency

Taking Control

After becoming president in 1957, Duvalier sent many of Déjoie's supporters out of the country. He also introduced a new constitution.

Duvalier gave important jobs in the government and army to members of the black majority. In 1958, some exiled Haitian army officers and American fighters tried to overthrow Duvalier. They were all killed. This event made Duvalier distrust the army even more. He replaced army leaders with people loyal to him. He also created his own special group within the army called the Presidential Guard.

In 1959, Duvalier formed a rural militia called the Milice de Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale (MVSN). This group was commonly known as the Tonton Macoute. The name came from a Haitian Creole bogeyman. By 1961, the Macoute was twice as large as the regular army. It was more than just a secret police force. It helped Duvalier control the countryside.

Duvalier also had conflicts with the Catholic Church. He expelled almost all foreign-born bishops from Haiti. This action led to him being removed from the Catholic Church. However, in 1966, he convinced the Holy See (the Pope's government) to let him choose Haiti's Catholic leaders. This gave Duvalier even more power in Haiti.

Duvalier with journalists in front of the National Palace

Health and Power Struggles

On May 24, 1959, Duvalier had a serious heart attack. He had been a diabetic for a long time. During his recovery, he let Clément Barbot, the leader of the Tonton Macoute, take charge. When Duvalier returned, he accused Barbot of trying to take his place and put him in prison.

In 1963, Barbot was released and tried to kidnap Duvalier's children. The plan failed. Duvalier then ordered a search for Barbot. During the search, Duvalier was told that Barbot had turned into a black dog. Duvalier then ordered all black dogs in Haiti to be killed. The Tonton Macoute found and killed Barbot in July 1963.

Changing the Rules

In 1961, Duvalier started breaking the rules of the 1957 constitution. First, he changed the two-house legislature into one house. Then, he held a new presidential election where he was the only candidate. This was against the constitution, which said he could not be re-elected. The election was clearly unfair. The official results showed that almost everyone voted for Duvalier.

On June 14, 1964, another vote was held. This vote made Duvalier "President for life." This vote was also rigged, with almost 100% voting in favor. The new document gave Duvalier, also called Le Souverain (The Sovereign), total power. It also gave him the right to choose who would be president after him.

Relations with Other Countries

Duvalier's relationship with the United States was often difficult. The US government was concerned about his harsh rule. They also worried that he was misusing aid money. In 1962, the US stopped most of its financial help. Duvalier publicly said he did not want aid from Washington. He presented himself as a strong leader who stood up against powerful nations.

Duvalier took millions of dollars of international aid for himself. He also got loans from other countries. After the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the US eased its pressure on Duvalier. They saw him as a defense against communism.

Duvalier also had a tense relationship with Cuba. After Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, Duvalier worried that Cuba would help Haitians who opposed him. Duvalier tried to make friends with Castro at first, but it did not work. Castro supported anti-Duvalier groups. Duvalier angered Castro by voting against Cuba in international meetings. Cuba then broke off diplomatic relations with Haiti. Duvalier responded by starting a campaign to get rid of communists in Haiti.

His relationship with the neighboring Dominican Republic was also tense. In April 1963, relations almost led to war. The Dominican president, Juan Bosch, gave safety and support to Haitian exiles who were plotting against Duvalier. Duvalier's guards occupied the Dominican Embassy in Haiti. This made Bosch very angry, and he threatened to invade Haiti. However, the Dominican army did not support an invasion, so Bosch did not attack.

In 1966, Duvalier hosted Haile Selassie I, the emperor of Ethiopia. This was the only visit by a foreign leader to Haiti during Duvalier's rule. They discussed agreements between their countries.

Life in Haiti

Controlling the People

Duvalier's government was one of the most controlling in the Western Hemisphere. He killed or exiled many of his opponents. Some estimates say as many as 60,000 people were killed. Attacks against Duvalier from within the military were taken very seriously. In 1967, after bombs went off near the Presidential Palace, Duvalier had nineteen army officers executed. He later read their names aloud, saying "absent" after each, and then stated, "all were shot."

People suspected of being communists faced harsh treatment. On April 28, 1969, Duvalier started a campaign to remove all communists from Haiti. A new law made "Communist activities" a crime against the state. Those found guilty could be executed and have their property taken away.

Society and Economy

Duvalier used fear and rewards to replace the old mixed-race elite with his own supporters. Corruption was common. Government money was stolen, and businesses were forced to pay bribes. This made Duvalier's closest supporters rich.

Many educated people, like doctors and teachers, left Haiti. They moved to cities like New York, Miami, and Paris. This made the lack of skilled professionals in Haiti even worse.

The government also took land from farmers and gave it to members of the militia. These militia members did not have a salary and made money through crime. The farmers who lost their land moved to the poor areas of the capital. There, they struggled to find enough food. Hunger became a big problem.

Despite this, Duvalier had support from many black people in Haiti's countryside. They saw him as someone who would fight for their rights against the mixed-race elite. During his time in power, he helped create a black middle class, mostly through government jobs. Duvalier also started the development of the airport, now known as Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

Personality and Vodou

Duvalier created a strong "cult of personality." He claimed he was the living spirit of Haiti. He also brought back traditions of Haitian Vodou. He used Vodou to strengthen his power, claiming to be a Vodou priest himself.

To appear even more powerful, Duvalier copied the look of Baron Samedi. Baron Samedi is a spirit in Haitian Vodou. Duvalier often wore sunglasses to hide his eyes and spoke with a strong nasal voice, like the spirits. Government messages said that "Papa Doc was one with the spirits, Jesus Christ, and God himself." One famous image showed Jesus Christ with his hand on Duvalier's shoulder, saying, "I have chosen him." Duvalier also declared himself "the Haitian flag." In 1964, he published a prayer book that changed the Lord's Prayer to praise Duvalier instead of God.

Death and Succession

François Duvalier died on April 21, 1971, from heart disease and diabetes. He was 64 years old. His 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, nicknamed "Baby Doc," became president after him.

When the Duvalier government fell on February 8, 1986, a crowd attacked Duvalier's tomb. They threw rocks and broke it open. However, Duvalier's coffin was not inside. A rumor in the capital said that his son had removed his body the day before, when he fled the country.

Books and Films

Many books have been written about the Duvalier era in Haiti. One well-known novel is The Comedians by Graham Greene. This book was later made into a film. Greene himself was not allowed to enter Haiti after the book was published.

Alan Whicker interviewed Duvalier in a 1969 episode of Whicker's World. This documentary showed a lot about Duvalier's personality and what Haiti was like at the time.

The first important book about Duvalier was Papa Doc: Haiti and its Dictator by Al Burt and Bernard Diederich, published in 1969. Other books by Haitian scholars have also been written. One book, Fort-Dimanche: Dungeon of Death by Patrick Lemoine, focused on the victims of Fort Dimanche. This was a prison Duvalier used to torture and kill his political opponents.

In 2007, John Marquis wrote Papa Doc: Portrait of a Haitian Tyrant. This book used records from a 1968 spy trial in Haiti to describe many attempts to kill Duvalier.