Paul Deschanel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Deschanel
Deschanel in 1920
President of France
In office 18 February 1920 – 21 September 1920
Prime Minister	Alexandre Millerand
Preceded by	Raymond Poincaré
Succeeded by	Alexandre Millerand
Member of the Senate
In office 10 January 1921 – 28 April 1922
Constituency	Eure-et-Loir
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 23 May 1912 – 10 February 1920
Preceded by	Henri Brisson
Succeeded by	Raoul Péret
In office 9 June 1898 – 31 May 1902
Preceded by	Henri Brisson
Succeeded by	Léon Bourgeois
Member of the Chamber of Deputies
In office 10 November 1885 – 18 February 1920
Constituency	Eure-et-Loir
Personal details
Born	13 February 1855 Schaerbeek, Belgium
Died	28 April 1922 (aged 67) Paris, France
Political party	Democratic Republican Alliance
Alma mater	University of Paris

Paul Eugène Louis Deschanel (born 13 February 1855 in Schaerbeek, Belgium; died 28 April 1922) was a French politician. He served as the President of France from February 18 to September 21, 1920. His time as president was quite short.

Paul Deschanel's Early Life and Career

Paul Deschanel was born in Brussels, Belgium. His father, Émile Deschanel, was a professor and senator. At the time of Paul's birth, his father was living in exile because he was against Napoléon III. Paul Deschanel is one of only two French presidents born outside France.

Education and Early Steps in Politics

Paul Deschanel went to school at Collège Sainte-Barbe-des-Champs. He also studied at two famous high schools in Paris: Lycée Louis-le-Grand and Lycée Condorcet. During the Siege of Paris in 1870–1871, his family left the city for a few months.

After his military service in 1873, he continued his studies. He attended the École Libre des Sciences Politiques and the Faculty of Law of Paris. He earned his law degrees in 1874 and 1875.

He started his career working as a secretary for important politicians. In October 1885, he was elected as a "deputy" for Eure-et-Loir. A deputy is like a representative in the government. He quickly became known as a great speaker in the Progressist Republican group.

Rising Through the Ranks

In January 1896, Paul Deschanel was elected as the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies. This is one of the main parts of the French parliament. He worked hard to oppose the Left-wing political groups. He gave many speeches across France, explaining the goals of his Progressist party.

In June 1898, he became the president of the Chamber of Deputies. He was re-elected in 1901 but lost in 1902. However, he continued to be an important figure. He strongly supported the law about the separation of church and state in 1904 and 1905. He also joined the Committee of Foreign Affairs. He led this committee when an important treaty between France and Germany was discussed in 1911.

He was re-elected as a deputy in 1910. On May 23, 1912, he was again chosen to be the President of the Chamber. During World War I, he played a big role as a national speaker. He gave many speeches to inspire the country. He held this position until he was elected President of France on January 17, 1920. He won by a large number of votes.

Paul Deschanel's Presidency

As president, Paul Deschanel wanted to be more active than previous presidents. However, he faced health challenges that made it difficult for him to carry out his plans.

During his presidency, he sometimes behaved in unusual ways. For example, after some schoolgirls gave him flowers, he threw them back. One night, on May 24, 1920, he accidentally fell out of a train window. He was found wandering in his nightshirt by a railway worker. Another time, he walked into a lake while fully dressed during a meeting.

Because of his health, he resigned from his position on September 21, 1920. He then went to a special care facility for three months. After he was released, he was elected to the Senate in January 1921. He served there until he passed away from pneumonia.

Paul Deschanel was against the death penalty. During his time as president, no one was executed in France. This was a unique fact until the death penalty was removed in 1981.

See also

In Spanish: Paul Deschanel para niños