Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau
|
|
|---|---|
Waldeck-Rousseau, photographed by Nadar
|
|
| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 22 June 1899 – 7 June 1902 |
|
| President | Émile Loubet |
| Preceded by | Charles Dupuy |
| Succeeded by | Émile Combes |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 December 1846 Nantes, France |
| Died | 10 August 1904 (aged 57) Corbeil-Essonnes, France |
| Political party | Moderate Republicans Democratic Republican Alliance |
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau (born December 2, 1846 – died August 10, 1904) was an important French politician. He was a Republican, meaning he supported a government where citizens elect their leaders. He is best known for serving as the Prime Minister of France.
Waldeck-Rousseau was born in Nantes. He studied law and became involved in politics, partly because his father was also a well-known Republican. He worked on laws about workers' rights, helping to make trade unions legal in 1884. He also served twice as the Minister of the Interior, a role that manages internal affairs and security.
After a break to work as a lawyer, he returned to politics as a senator. In 1899, he became Prime Minister. He led a special government called the "Republican Defense" cabinet. His main goals were to bring back stability, keep order, and protect France's republican government. One of his most important laws was the Associations Bill of 1901. This law aimed to control religious groups to make sure the government had the most power. Even with strong opposition, his group won the 1902 election. Waldeck-Rousseau resigned in June 1902, leaving behind a legacy as a very strong leader.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau was born in Nantes, a city in Brittany, France. His father, René Waldeck-Rousseau, was a lawyer in Nantes. He was also a leader of the local Republican party. His father was elected to the Constituent Assembly during the 1848 revolution.
Pierre studied law in Poitiers and Paris. He earned his law degree in January 1869. Because of his father's reputation, he was welcomed into important Republican groups. A famous politician named Jules Grévy helped him join the Parisian group for lawyers. After a short time in Paris, he returned home. He joined the group of lawyers in St Nazaire in early 1870.
In September 1870, despite being young, he became secretary for the city's temporary government. He helped organize the city's defense during a time of war. He even marched with his group, but they didn't fight because they ran out of ammunition.
Political Career Begins
In 1873, after the Third Republic was formed, Waldeck-Rousseau moved to work as a lawyer in Rennes. Six years later, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. This was like being elected to the French parliament. In his election promises, he said he would protect all freedoms. However, he would not allow groups that plotted against the government or taught young people to hate society.
In the Chamber, he joined a group called the Republican Union. He supported the ideas of Léon Gambetta, another important politician. Even though his family was Catholic, Waldeck-Rousseau supported the Jules Ferry laws. These laws, passed in 1881–1882, made public education free, non-religious, and required for all children. He also voted for laws that allowed divorce and required military service for some religious students. He became well-known for a report he wrote in 1880 about the French justice system.
Improving Worker Rights
Waldeck-Rousseau was very interested in the relationship between businesses and workers. He played a big part in making sure trade unions were officially recognized in 1884. Trade unions are groups that protect workers' rights. He became Minister of the Interior again from 1883 to 1885. During this time, he showed strong leadership skills. He tried to stop the system where local politicians helped people get government jobs. He also made it clear that local officials had to follow the central government's rules.
Return to Law and Politics
In 1886, Waldeck-Rousseau started working as a lawyer in Paris. In 1889, he decided not to run for re-election to the Chamber. He focused on his legal work instead. One of his most famous cases was defending Gustave Eiffel (who built the Eiffel Tower) during the Panama scandals of 1893.
In 1894, he returned to politics as a senator for the Loire region. The next year, he ran for president against Félix Faure and Henri Brisson. He received many votes but stepped aside to allow Faure to win. During the political problems of the next few years, he was seen as a strong leader. In 1899, when the government was in crisis, President Émile Loubet asked him to form a new government.
Leading a Coalition Government
Waldeck-Rousseau successfully formed a special government called the "Republican Defense" cabinet. This group included politicians from different parties, even a Socialist named Alexandre Millerand and a general named Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet. Waldeck-Rousseau returned to his old job as Minister of the Interior. He worked to calm the country, which was full of unrest. He aimed to stop groups that were working against the republican government. He also wanted to make sure the courts were independent.
He asked all republicans to put aside their differences to face common dangers. This helped the government handle the Alfred Dreyfus affair. Dreyfus was a Jewish army officer wrongly accused of treason. Waldeck-Rousseau's government allowed the court to make its own decision. Then, they pardoned Dreyfus to help end the conflict. Waldeck-Rousseau also helped resolve strikes at Le Creusot in October.
By January 1900, the worst of the danger was over. Waldeck-Rousseau kept order in Paris without using too much force. The Senate strongly supported him. In the Chamber, he was very clever at gaining support from different groups. He worked hard to pass the Amnesty Bill on December 19. This law helped to smooth over the harsh feelings from previous years. To help the wine industry and discourage drinking too much alcohol, the government removed taxes on wine, cider, and beer. This law started in 1901. Also, in 1900, laws were passed to create seats for female clerks.
The Associations Bill of 1901
The most important law passed during Waldeck-Rousseau's time as Prime Minister was the Associations Bill of 1901. He believed that for the republic to be stable, religious groups needed to be regulated. Previous attempts to pass such a law had failed. In his speech, Waldeck-Rousseau reminded everyone that he had tried to pass this bill before. He stated that religious groups would now follow the same rules as all other groups. The goal was to ensure the government had the most power, not religious organizations. The government also made sure that high-ranking military officers were loyal to the republic. His speeches on this topic were published in 1901.
All conservative parties were against Waldeck-Rousseau's policies. They especially opposed the closing of many church schools, seeing it as an attack on religion. He led the anti-religious group on the left. The main opposition came from the pro-Catholic Action libérale populaire (ALP). This group had more public support and money, but fewer seats in parliament.
As the general election of 1902 approached, all opposing groups joined forces. Waldeck-Rousseau's name became a rallying cry for his supporters and a target for his opponents. The election resulted in a clear victory for the left. Waldeck-Rousseau felt his work was done. So, on June 3, 1902, he resigned. He was seen as the "strongest personality in French politics" since Gambetta.
He later spoke out in the Senate against how Émile Combes interpreted his Associations Bill. Combes had refused to officially recognize many teaching and preaching religious groups.
Death
In January 1904, Waldeck-Rousseau announced he was suffering from a liver condition. He passed away on August 10, 1904.
Publications
His speeches were published in several books, including Discours parlementaires (1889) and Pour la République, 1883–1903 (1904).
Honours
Norway: Order of St. Olav – July 1902 – received during a lunch with King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway.
Waldeck-Rousseau's Government (1899–1902)
Here are some of the key people in Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau's government:
- Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau – Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior
- Théophile Delcassé – Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Marquis de Gallifet – Minister of War (later replaced by Louis André)
- Joseph Caillaux – Minister of Finance
- Ernest Monis – Minister of Justice
- Jean-Marie de Lanessan – Minister of the Navy
- Georges Leygues – Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts
- Jean Dupuy – Minister of Agriculture
- Albert Decrais – Minister of Colonies
- Pierre Baudin – Minister of Transport
- Alexandre Millerand – Minister of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs
