Henri Brisson Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Henri Brisson


Prime Minister of France
In office 28 June 1898 – 1 November 1898
President	Félix Faure
Preceded by	Jules Méline
Succeeded by	Charles Dupuy
In office 6 April 1885 – 7 January 1886
President	Jules Grévy
Preceded by	Jules Ferry
Succeeded by	Charles de Freycinet

Personal details
Born	31 July 1835 Bourges, Kingdom of France
Died	14 April 1912(1912-04-14) (aged 76) Paris, France
Political party	Radical

Eugène Henri Brisson (31 July 1835 – 14 April 1912) was an important French politician. He served as the Prime Minister of France twice. His first time was from 1885 to 1886, and his second time was in 1898.

Henri Brisson's Life and Career
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Henri Brisson's Life and Career

Henri Brisson was born in Bourges, France. He followed his father's path and became a lawyer. He became well-known for speaking out against the government during the last years of the French Empire.

Early Political Steps

After the government was overthrown, Brisson was chosen as the deputy-mayor of Paris. In February 1871, he was elected to the Assembly, which is like a parliament. He was part of the "extreme Left," meaning he had very progressive political ideas.

Even though he didn't agree with the Paris Commune (a revolutionary government that took control of Paris), he was the first to suggest forgiving those who had been punished for it. However, his idea was not accepted at the time.

Key Beliefs and Roles

Brisson strongly believed that all children should have to go to primary school. He also firmly believed in keeping the government separate from the church. This idea is called being "anti-clerical."

From 1881 to 1885, he was the president of the chamber. This meant he was in charge of the main legislative body in France. He took over this role from Léon Gambetta, another famous French politician.

Becoming Prime Minister

In March 1885, Henri Brisson became Prime Minister after Jules Ferry resigned. However, his time as Prime Minister was short. He resigned when he barely won a vote to fund a military expedition to a place called Tongking.

Later Influence and the Dreyfus Affair

Brisson remained a very important public figure. He played a big part in revealing the Panama scandals, which were a series of corruption cases. He was also a strong candidate to become president after President Carnot was killed in 1894.

He became president of the chamber again from 1894 to 1898. In June 1898, he formed another government when France was very upset about the Dreyfus affair. This was a major political scandal involving a Jewish army officer who was wrongly accused of treason. Brisson's strong and honest leadership during this time earned him respect. However, his government fell in October due to a close vote on a very emotional issue related to the affair.

As a leader of the Radical Party, Brisson actively supported other governments. He especially backed laws about religious groups and the separation of church and state. In 1895, he tried to become president but lost to Félix Faure. In May 1906, he was elected president of the chamber of deputies again with a large majority of votes.