Paul Reynaud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud (1940)
Prime Minister of France
In office 21 March 1940 – 16 June 1940
President	Albert Lebrun
Deputy	Philippe Pétain
Preceded by	Édouard Daladier
Succeeded by	Philippe Pétain
Deputy Prime Minister of France
In office 28 June 1953 – 12 June 1954
Prime Minister	Joseph Laniel
Preceded by	Henri Queuille
Succeeded by	Guy Mollet
In office 20 February 1932 – 10 May 1932
Prime Minister	André Tardieu
Preceded by	Lucien Hubert
Succeeded by	Albert Dalimier
Minister responsible for Relations with Partner States and the Far East
In office 2 July 1950 – 4 July 1950
Prime Minister	Henri Queuille
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Jean Letourneau
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs
In office 26 July 1948 – 28 August 1948
Prime Minister	André Marie
Preceded by	René Mayer
Succeeded by	Christian Pineau
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 5 June 1940 – 16 June 1940
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Édouard Daladier
Succeeded by	Philippe Pétain
In office 21 March 1940 – 18 May 1940
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Édouard Daladier
Succeeded by	Édouard Daladier
Minister of National Defence and War
In office 18 May 1940 – 16 June 1940
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Édouard Daladier
Succeeded by	Maxime Weygand
Minister of Finance
In office 1 November 1938 – 21 March 1940
Prime Minister	Édouard Daladier
Preceded by	Paul Marchandeau
Succeeded by	Lucien Lamoureux
In office 2 March 1930 – 4 December 1930
Prime Minister	André Tardieu
Preceded by	Charles Dumont
Succeeded by	Louis Germain-Martin
Minister of Justice
In office 12 April 1938 – 1 November 1938
Prime Minister	Édouard Daladier
Preceded by	Marc Rucart
Succeeded by	Paul Marchandeau
In office 20 February 1932 – 3 June 1932
Prime Minister	André Tardieu
Preceded by	Léon Bérard
Succeeded by	René Renoult
Minister of the Colonies
In office 27 February 1931 – 6 February 1932
Prime Minister	Pierre Laval
Preceded by	Théodore Steeg
Succeeded by	Louis de Chappedelaine
Personal details
Born	Jean Paul Reynaud (1878-10-15)15 October 1878 Barcelonnette, Basses-Alpes, France
Died	21 September 1966(1966-09-21) (aged 87) Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Political party	Democratic Republican Alliance (1901–1949) National Centre of Independents and Peasants (1949–1966)
Spouses	Jeanne Henri-Robert (1912–1949) Christiane Mabire (1949–1966)
Children	Colette Serge Evelyne Alexandre
Alma mater	HEC Paris

Paul Reynaud (15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer. He was important in French politics between the two World Wars. He was known for his ideas on how the economy should work and for strongly opposing Nazi Germany.

Reynaud was against the Munich Agreement of September 1938. This agreement allowed France and the United Kingdom to give in to Hitler's demands to break up Czechoslovakia. After World War II began, Reynaud became the Prime Minister of France in March 1940. He was also a leader in the center-right political party called the Democratic Republican Alliance.

Reynaud was Prime Minister when Germany defeated France in May and June 1940. He refused to agree to a ceasefire (armistice) with Germany. He tried to save France from German occupation but was not successful. He resigned on June 16, 1940. After trying to leave France, he was arrested by Philippe Petain's government. In 1942, he was handed over to the Germans. He was held in prisons in Germany and Austria until he was freed in 1945. He was released after the Battle of Itter Castle, where a German officer, Major Josef Gangl, saved Reynaud's life by taking a sniper's bullet.

In 1946, Reynaud was elected to the French Parliament again. He became an important figure in French politics and served in several government jobs. He supported the idea of a United States of Europe. He also helped write the constitution for France's current government, the Fifth Republic. However, he resigned from the government in 1962. This was due to a disagreement with President de Gaulle about changes to the voting system.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Paul Reynaud was born in Barcelonnette, France. His father was wealthy from the textile industry. This allowed Reynaud to study law at the Sorbonne. He entered politics and was elected to the French Parliament from 1919 to 1924. He was elected again in 1928.

In the 1920s, Reynaud had a reputation for being flexible about Germany paying back war damages. This was at a time when many in the French government wanted Germany to face harsher rules. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Reynaud's views on Germany became much tougher. He supported a strong alliance with the United Kingdom. Unlike many others on the French Right, he also wanted better relations with the Soviet Union. He saw this as a way to balance Germany's power.

Reynaud held several government positions in the early 1930s. However, he disagreed with his party after 1932 over France's foreign and defense plans. He believed France needed to make its money, the franc, worth less. This would help the French economy. But public opinion at the time was against this idea.

He did not get another government job until 1938. Like Winston Churchill, Reynaud often had different ideas from his party. He frequently called for France to rearm and resist Germany's growing power. Reynaud supported Charles de Gaulle's ideas for modern, mechanized warfare. This was different from the defensive plans many others favored, like the Maginot Line. He strongly opposed trying to please Germany before World War II. He also disagreed with his party on economic policy. He believed making the franc worth less was the best way to fix France's economic problems. The franc was later devalued in 1936.

Returning to Government

Reynaud rejoined the government in 1938 as Minister of Justice. He served under Prime Minister Édouard Daladier. The Sudeten Crisis began soon after Reynaud became Justice Minister. This event showed the differences between Reynaud and his party. Reynaud strongly opposed giving up Czechoslovakia to Germany. His party leader, Flandin, thought letting Germany expand eastward would lead to a conflict with the Soviets. Reynaud spoke out publicly against this. He then left his party to become an independent politician. However, Daladier still supported Reynaud's firm approach to Germany.

Reynaud always wanted to be the Finance Minister. He supported very open economic policies to help France's economy grow. These ideas included removing many government rules, like the forty-hour work week. French business leaders liked the idea of fewer rules. Reynaud believed this would help France regain trust from investors and escape economic problems.

Reynaud became Minister of Finance. His reforms were put into action. The government faced a one-day strike in protest, but Reynaud pushed through his changes. He told French businesses that "We live in a capitalist system. For it to function we must obey its laws. These are the laws of profits, individual risk, free markets, and growth by competition." With Reynaud as Finance Minister, investors trusted France again, and the economy improved.

His reforms included a large program to cut government spending. However, military spending was not cut. When the war started, Reynaud was worried about France's economy. He felt that the huge increase in spending for the war would stop France's recovery.

In late 1939 and early 1940, some on the French Right were unsure about the war. They felt the Soviet Union was a bigger threat than Nazi Germany. Daladier saw the war with Germany as the main priority. He refused to send help to Finland, which was being attacked by the USSR. News that Finland had made peace in March 1940 led to Daladier's government falling. Reynaud was named Prime Minister of France two days later.

Prime Minister and Resignation

Becoming Prime Minister

Reynaud was becoming more popular, but the French Parliament elected him Prime Minister by only one vote. Most members of his own party did not vote for him. More than half of the votes for Reynaud came from a left-wing party. This made Reynaud's government very unstable. Many on the Right wanted Reynaud to attack the Soviet Union, not Germany. The Parliament also made Daladier, whom Reynaud blamed for France's weakness, Reynaud's Minister of National Defense and War.

One of Reynaud's first actions was to meet with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in London. They signed an agreement that neither country would make a separate peace with Germany. Reynaud stopped believing in a "long war strategy." He wanted to expand the war to other areas to distract Germany from France. He helped launch the Allied campaign in Norway, but it failed.

German Invasion and French Defeat

The Battle of France began less than two months after Reynaud became Prime Minister. France was badly damaged by the German attack in early May 1940. Paris was in danger. On May 15, Reynaud called Churchill and famously said, "We have been defeated... we are beaten; we have lost the battle.... The front is broken near Sedan."

On May 18, Reynaud replaced the commander-in-chief, Maurice Gamelin, with Maxime Weygand. On May 26, Reynaud met with Churchill in London. Reynaud said the French military situation was hopeless. He stated he would not sign a separate peace with Germany, but he might have to resign. He worried that others in the French government might sign such a treaty.

Debate Over Armistice

Reynaud wanted to keep fighting, but he could not convince enough of his colleagues. Italy entered the war on June 10. That same day, General Weygand demanded an armistice (ceasefire). Reynaud and Charles de Gaulle left Paris for Tours. The rest of the government followed. De Gaulle could not convince Reynaud to fire Weygand.

At a meeting with Churchill on June 11-12, Churchill urged the French to continue fighting. This could be in Brittany, North Africa, or through guerrilla warfare. But Deputy Prime Minister Marshal Pétain strongly resisted this idea. At a cabinet meeting on June 12, it was clear that many wanted an armistice. The government decided to move to Bordeaux.

At another meeting on June 13, Reynaud asked to be released from the agreement with Britain. This would allow France to seek an armistice. Churchill said he "understood" France's action but did not agree with it. At the cabinet meeting that evening, Pétain strongly supported Weygand's demand for an armistice. Pétain said he would stay in France to share the suffering of the French people. President Albert Lebrun refused Reynaud's resignation on June 13.

From June 13, Reynaud was under great stress. Some close advisors and associates were pushing him to seek an armistice with Germany. On June 15, the cabinet voted to inquire about armistice terms. Reynaud tried to resign, but Lebrun stopped him. Admiral Darlan, who had been against an armistice, now agreed. He only agreed if the French fleet was kept out of German hands.

On June 16, President Roosevelt's reply to Reynaud arrived. It stated he could do little without Congress's approval. Churchill's telegram also arrived, agreeing to an armistice if the French fleet moved to British ports. Darlan found this unacceptable. De Gaulle was in London that afternoon to discuss a plan for union between France and Britain. This was a desperate effort to keep France in the war. De Gaulle dictated the "Declaration of Union" to Reynaud over the phone. Reynaud planned to present it to his cabinet to prevent an armistice. However, General Weygand had tapped Reynaud's phone, so he knew about the plan beforehand.

When the French Cabinet met in Bordeaux, Reynaud presented the British union plan. He declared his determination to fight on. But it was too late. The British offer was not enough to convince those who wanted an armistice. Ten ministers wanted to fight, while seven favored an armistice. These included the two Deputy Prime Ministers, Pétain and Chautemps. Weygand also favored an armistice. Eight other ministers were undecided but eventually chose an armistice. This time, Lebrun sadly accepted Reynaud's resignation. The government then fell to Pétain and those who favored an armistice and working with Germany. De Gaulle later wrote that Reynaud was "a man of great worth unjustly crushed by events beyond measure."

After Resignation and Imprisonment

Reynaud later felt guilty for letting Pétain come to power. He hoped Pétain would resign if the armistice terms were too harsh. This was likely wishful thinking.

Jules Jeanneney and Édouard Herriot, leaders of the Senate and Parliament, urged Lebrun to reappoint Reynaud as Prime Minister. All four men wanted to continue the war from North Africa. But Lebrun felt he had to appoint Pétain, who already had a team ready. Pétain became the leader of the new government and signed the armistice on June 22. De Gaulle visited Reynaud, who still hoped to go to North Africa. Reynaud gave de Gaulle money from secret government funds. De Gaulle flew to London on June 17 and made his famous broadcast saying he would fight on.

Reynaud provisionally accepted Pétain's offer to be French Ambassador to the USA. But Lebrun refused to confirm the appointment. He admired Reynaud and wanted to save him from being associated with Pétain's government.

On June 22, 1940, after the French cabinet decided to seek an armistice, Weygand ordered French forces to stop fighting. Reynaud believed this was the day France lost its place among the Great Powers.

On June 28, Reynaud was driving with his companion, Hélène de Portes. Their car left the road and hit a tree near Sète. De Portes was killed, and Reynaud had minor head injuries. While in the hospital, Reynaud was arrested on Pétain's orders. He was imprisoned at Fort du Portalet. Pétain decided not to charge Reynaud during the Riom Trial of 1942. Instead, he handed him over to the Germans. Reynaud was held in Sachsenhausen concentration camp and later Itter Castle in Austria. He remained there with other high-profile French prisoners until Allied troops freed him on May 7, 1945. Major Josef Gangl, a German officer who had joined the anti-Nazi Austrian resistance, was killed by a sniper while trying to protect Reynaud during the Battle for Castle Itter.

Postwar Career and European Vision

After the war, Reynaud was elected to the French Parliament in 1946. He held several government positions and remained an important figure in French politics. He tried to form governments in 1952 and 1953, but these attempts were not successful.

Reynaud strongly supported the idea of a United States of Europe. He was a member of the Council of Europe for ten years, from 1949 to 1959. There, he worked with wartime allies like Churchill to build a united Europe. They hoped this would prevent future wars and terrible events like the Nazi atrocities.

Reynaud led the committee that wrote the constitution for France's current government, the Fifth Republic. In 1962, he criticized his old friend de Gaulle's decision to change the way the President was elected. Reynaud left office that same year.

Personal Life

Paul Reynaud was a small man. He had a sharp, nasal voice.

He married Jeanne Anne Henri-Robert in 1912. They had a daughter, Collette, born in 1914. Reynaud and his first wife separated in 1938 and divorced in 1949. Reynaud then married Christiane Mabire in 1949, when he was 71 years old. Christiane had been one of his office assistants and had joined him at Castle Itter in 1943. They had a son, Serge, in 1945, and two more children, Evelyne (1949) and Alexandre (1954).

Reynaud died on September 21, 1966, in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He left behind several writings.

Reynaud's Government (March – June 1940)

• Paul Reynaud – Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Camille Chautemps – Deputy Prime Minister
• Édouard Daladier – Minister of National Defense and War
• Raoul Dautry – Minister of Armaments
• Henri Roy – Minister of the Interior
• Lucien Lamoureux – Minister of Finance
• Charles Pomaret – Minister of Labour
• Albert Sérol – Minister of Justice
• César Campinchi – Minister of Military Marine
• Alphonse Rio – Minister of Merchant Marine
• Laurent Eynac – Minister of Air
• Albert Sarraut – Minister of National Education
• Albert Rivière – Minister of Veterans and Pensioners
• Paul Thellier – Minister of Agriculture
• Henri Queuille – Minister of Supply
• Georges Mandel – Minister of Colonies
• Anatole de Monzie – Minister of Public Works
• Marcel Héraud – Minister of Public Health
• Alfred Jules-Julien – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Transmissions
• Ludovic-Oscar Frossard – Minister of Information
• Louis Rollin – Minister of Commerce and Industry
• Georges Monnet – Minister of Blockade

Changes

• May 10, 1940 – Louis Marin and Jean Ybarnegaray joined the Cabinet as Ministers of State.
• May 18, 1940 – Philippe Pétain joined the Cabinet as Minister of State. Reynaud took over from Daladier as Minister of National Defense and War. Daladier took over from Reynaud as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Georges Mandel replaced Roy as Minister of the Interior. Louis Rollin replaced Mandel as Minister of Colonies. Léon Baréty replaced Rollin as Minister of Commerce and Industry.
• June 5, 1940 – Reynaud took over from Daladier as Minister of Foreign Affairs, while also remaining Minister of National Defense and War. Yves Bouthillier replaced Lamoureux as Minister of Finance. Yvon Delbos replaced Sarraut as Minister of National Education. Ludovic-Oscar Frossard replaced Monzie as Minister of Public Works. Jean Prouvost replaced Frossard as Minister of Information. Georges Pernot replaced Héraud as Health Minister. Albert Chichery replaced Baréty as Minister of Commerce and Industry.

See also

In Spanish: Paul Reynaud para niños

• Interwar France