 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury, in 1958 | |
| Prime Minister of France[a] | |
| In office 13 June 1957 – 6 November 1957 | |
| President | René Coty |
| Preceded by | Guy Mollet |
| Succeeded by | Félix Gaillard |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 6 November 1957 – 15 April 1958 | |
| President | René Coty |
| Preceded by | Jean Gilbert-Jules |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Faure |
| Minister of National Defence | |
| In office 1 February 1956 – 21 May 1957 | |
| President | René Coty |
| Preceded by | Pierre Billotte |
| Succeeded by | André Morice |
| Member of the French National Assembly | |
| In office 11 June 1946 – 5 December 1958 | |
| Constituency | Haute-Garonne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maurice Jean-Marie Bourgès 19 August 1914 Luisant,Eure-et-Loir, France |
| Died | 10 February 1993(1993-02-10) (aged 78) 8th arrondissement of Paris, France |
| Political party | Radical Party |
| Education | École Polytechnique University of Paris Sciences Po |
| Profession | Military officer Civil servant Business executive |
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury (French:[mɔʁisbuʁʒmonuʁi]; 19 August 1914 – 10 February 1993) was a Frenchstatesman and a member of theCompanions of the Liberation. He served as President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) under theFourth French Republic.
Maurice Jean-Marie Bourgès was born in Luisant,Eure-et-Loir. His father, Georges Bourgès, was a maritime engineering executive, and his mother, Geneviève Maunoury, belonged to a family with a notable political legacy. His maternal grandfather,Maurice Maunoury, was a minister during theFrench Third Republic, and his great-grandfather,Pol Maunoury, served as a deputy for Eure-et-Loir.[1]
Bourgès-Maunoury attended the prestigiousÉcole Polytechnique (class of 1935), obtained a law degree, and graduated fromSciences Po.
Before World War II, Bourgès-Maunoury aligned with theYoung Turk faction within theRadical Socialist Party, which represented the left wing of the party. From 1935 to 1940, he served as an artillery officer.
During the war, Bourgès-Maunoury joined theFrench Resistance, working with theX-Libre network alongside figures likeJacques Chaban-Delmas andFélix Gaillard. On 2 September 1944, he was wounded during a strafing attack on his train in Broye. For his service, he was awarded theCompanion of the Liberation by GeneralCharles de Gaulle. In 1945, he was appointedCommissioner of the Republic inBordeaux.
Bourgès-Maunoury held numerous government positions during the Fourth Republic. These included Minister of National Defence (1956–1957), where he supported a military solution to theAlgerian War and opposed the withdrawal fromPort Said following theSuez Crisis. As Minister of the Interior (1957–1958), he faced significant unrest, including protests by police officers outside thePalais Bourbon in March 1958.
As President of the Council of Ministers from June to November 1957, Bourgès-Maunoury secured the ratification of theTreaty of Rome, establishing theEuropean Economic Community.
Bourgès-Maunoury played a key role in fostering cooperation between France and Israel during the 1950s. Working withShimon Peres, then Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Defense, he facilitated the acquisition of the firstDimona nuclear reactor and military equipment, including theDassault Mystère IV fighter jet.[2]
Bourgès-Maunoury opposed the return of General de Gaulle to power and campaigned against theConstitution of the Fifth Republic. He unsuccessfully ran for the National Assembly forLandes in 1973.
Bourgès-Maunoury married twice. His first marriage to Madeleine Giraud resulted in two sons, Jacques and Marc. His second marriage to Jacqueline Lacoste produced a daughter, Florence-Emmanuelle.[3]