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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 theSenate | |
| 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 theChamber 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 |
| Signature |  |
Paul Eugène Louis Deschanel (French:[pɔldeʃanɛl]; 13 February 1855 – 28 April 1922) was a French politician[1] who served asPresident of France from 18 February to 21 September 1920.
Paul Deschanel, the son ofÉmile Deschanel (1819–1904), professor at theCollège de France and senator, was born inBrussels, where his father was living in exile (1851–1859), owing to his opposition toNapoleon III.[2] He is one of only two French Presidents (the other isValéry Giscard d'Estaing) who were born outside France (Deschanel in Belgium, Giscard inKoblenz, Germany).
Paul Deschanel was schooled at the Collège Sainte-Barbe-des-Champs inFontenay-aux-Roses, then at theLycée Louis-le-Grand and theLycée Condorcet in Paris. The family left Paris for several months in 1870–1871, due to theSiege of Paris. Deschanel completed his military service in the infantry in Paris in 1873, then studied at theÉcole Libre des Sciences Politiques and theFaculty of Law of Paris, graduating with abaccalaureate in law in 1874 and alicentiate in law in 1875.
He began his career as secretary toDeshayes de Marcère (1876) and toJules Simon (1876–1877). In October 1885, he was elected deputy forEure-et-Loir. From the first, he took an important place in the chamber, as one of the most notable orators of the Progressist Republican group. In January 1896, he was elected vice-president of the chamber, and henceforth devoted himself to the struggle against theLeft, not only in parliament, but also in public meetings throughout France.
His addresses atMarseille on 26 October 1896, atCarmaux on 27 December 1896, and atRoubaix on 10 April 1897, were triumphs of clear and eloquent exposition of the political and social aims of the Progressist party.[2]
In June 1898, he was elected president of the chamber, and was re-elected in 1901, but rejected in 1902. Nevertheless, he came forward brilliantly in 1904 and 1905 as a supporter of the law on theseparation of church and state.[2] He also gained a position on the Committee of Foreign Affairs, and was president of the committee when theFranco-German treaty of 1911 came before Parliament.[3]
He was re-elected deputy in 1910, and on 23 May 1912 was chosen to be the President of the Chamber. In this role he played a great part duringWorld War I as the national orator; he delivered orations more frequently than he made speeches. He served until he was electedPresident of France on 17 January 1920 by an overwhelming majority, having beatenGeorges Clemenceau in the preliminary party ballot.[3]
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Deschanel aspired to a much more active role as president than had beende rigueur under theThird Republic; and was a very promising leader for the first six months but, for reasons of his own mental health, was unable to put his ideas to the test.
As president, his eccentric behaviour caused some consternation; on one occasion, after a delegation of schoolgirls had presented him with a bouquet, he tossed the flowers back at them. On another occasion a few days later, he gave an interview to the Britishambassador wearing nothing but his decorations.[4]It all culminated when, late one night, 24 May 1920, he fell out of a large window of the presidential train nearMontargis after taking some sleeping pills and was found wandering in his nightshirt by aplatelayer, who took him to the nearest level-crossing keeper's cottage. His resignation was offered on 21 September 1920, and he was placed in asanatorium atRueil-Malmaison for three months. After his release he was elected to the senate in January 1921, serving until his death from pneumonia, one year later.
Until thedeath penalty was abolished in 1981, he was the only French head of state during whose term in office no persons in France were executed. Deschanel himself was a longtime death penalty opponent.[5]
Paul Deschanel was elected a member of theAcadémie française in 1899, his books being:
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Deschanel, Paul Eugène Louis".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 91. This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922)."Deschanel, Paul Eugène Louis".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 30 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. pp. 835–836.| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Chamber of Deputies 1898–1902 | Succeeded by |
| President of the Chamber of Deputies 1912–1920 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded by | President of France 1920 | Succeeded by |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by | Co-Prince of Andorra 1920 Served alongside: Justí Guitart i Vilardebó | Succeeded by |
