Gabriel Ramanantsoa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gabriel Ramanantsoa
Gabriel Ramanantsoa in 1961.
2nd President of Madagascar
In office 11 October 1972 – 5 February 1975
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Philibert Tsiranana
Succeeded by	Richard Ratsimandrava
8th Prime Minister of Madagascar
In office 18 May 1972 – 5 February 1975
President	Philibert Tsiranana (May–October 1972) Himself (October 1972-1975)
Preceded by	Office Reestablished
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
Personal details
Born	13 April 1906 Antananarivo, Madagascar
Died	9 May 1979 (aged 73) Paris, France
Spouse	Marcelle Larguier (m. 1934–1979; his death)

Gabriel Ramanantsoa (born April 13, 1906, in Antananarivo, Madagascar – died May 9, 1979, in Paris, France) was an important leader in Madagascar. He served as both the President and Prime Minister of the country from 1972 to 1975.

Who Was Gabriel Ramanantsoa?

Gabriel Ramanantsoa came from the Merina ethnic group in Madagascar. His family was quite wealthy. He studied at a famous military school in France called Saint-Cyr, graduating in 1931.

Early Life and Military Career

He spent many years as an officer in the French army. After Madagascar became an independent country, he joined the Madagascar military. He rose through the ranks and became a Major General. This is a very high position in the army.

Becoming President and Prime Minister

In May 1972, there were many big protests happening in Madagascar. Because of these protests, Gabriel Ramanantsoa became the country's Prime Minister. He had some support from France. The President at the time, Philibert Tsiranana, gave him all the power to run the country.

Later that year, on October 11, 1972, President Tsiranana resigned. This happened after a public vote agreed to let the military lead the country for five years. With this change, Ramanantsoa also became the President. He tried to bring different groups of people together in the country.

Challenges and Resignation

Over time, people started to like him less. There were rumors about him and his wife. In December 1974, there was almost an attempt to take over his government. Important people, like Richard Ratsimandrava and Didier Ratsiraka, stopped supporting him.

On February 5, 1975, he had to step down from power. This was because of disagreements between different groups of people in the country.

Family Connection

Gabriel Ramanantsoa had a nephew named Bernard Ramanantsoa. Bernard later became the dean of a well-known French business school called HEC Paris. He held this position from 1996 to 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Gabriel Ramanantsoa para niños