Alain Peyrefitte (; 26 August 1925 – 27 November 1999) was a French scholar and politician. He was a confidant of

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

and had a long career in public service, serving as a diplomat in Germany and

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Peyrefitte is remembered for his support for partitioning

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

amid the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

. Peyrefitte served as

Minister of Information An information minister (also called minister of information) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with information matters; it is often linked with censorship and propaganda. Sometimes the position is given to ...

from 1962 to 1966, establishing the rules of presidential debates between the two electoral rounds; and as

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

from 1977 to 1981, being involved in the affair surrounding the mysterious death of

Robert Boulin Robert Boulin (20 July 1920 – 30 October 1979) was a French politician who served as Minister of Labour in the French Cabinet and was at the centre of a major real-estate scandal that ended only with his death in mysterious circumstances. At t ...

in 1979. He became a member of the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

in 1977. On 15 December 1986, he survived an assassination attempt by members of Action Directe (AD) in front of his house. The driver of his car was killed in the bomb attack. Upon his death in 1999 he was honored by burial in

Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, ...

which also houses the tomb of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

and other revered national leaders.

Books

He wrote ''

The Immobile Empire ''The Immobile Empire'' is the English translation of ''L'empire Immobile, Ou, Le Choc Des Mondes: Récit Historique'', a book of history published in French 1989 by the French politician and writer Alain Peyrefitte and translated into English in 1 ...

'' and '' Quand la Chine s'éveillera… le monde tremblera''. Outside France he is probably best known for his book ''Le Mal Français'' (translated as ''The Trouble with France''), which addresses the question of whether there is something unique to the French character that has caused some of the country's peculiar recurring problems. The book places his own observations and experiences as a journalist and government minister inside a panoramic view of French and European history from the medieval to the modern era.

Political career

Governmental functions * Secretary of State for Information : April–September 1962. * Minister of Returnees : September–November 1962. * Minister of Information : 1962–1966. * Minister of Scientific Research and Atomic Questions and Space : 1966–1967. * Minister of Education : 1967–1968. * Minister for Administrative Reforms : 1973–1974. * Minister of Cultural Affairs and the Environment : March–May 1974. * Keeper of the seals, Minister of Justice : 1977–1981. Electoral mandates ''National Assembly of France'' Member of the

National Assembly of France The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are know ...

for

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

: 1958–1962 (Became secretary of State in 1962) / Reelected in 1967, but he stays minister / 1968–1973 (Became minister in 1973) / 1974–1977 (Became minister in 1977) / Reelected in 1978, but he stays minister / 1981–1995 (Became senator in 1995). Elected in 1958, reelected in 1962, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993. ''Senate of France'' * Senator of

: 1995–1999 (He died in 1999). Elected in 1995. ''General Council'' * Vice-president of the General council of

: 1982–1988. * General councillor of

: 1964–1988. Reelected in 1970, 1976, 1982. ''Municipal Council'' * Mayor of

Provins Provins () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and importance throughout the Middle Ages as an economic center and a host of annu ...

: 1965–1997 (Resignation in 1997). Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995. * Municipal councillor of

: 1965–1999 (He died in 1999). Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.

Honours

* : Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit (November 1999) * : Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in September 1974Archives of the l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
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Works

Non-fiction, except when noted. * 1946: ''Rue d'Ulm, chroniques de la vie normalienne''. * 1947: ''Le Sentiment de confiance'' * 1948: ''Les Roseaux froissés'', novel * 1949: ''Le Mythe de Pénélope'' * 1961: ''Faut-il partager l'Algérie ?'' * 1973: ''Quand la Chine s'éveillera… le monde tremblera'' * 1976: ''Le Mal français'' (''The Trouble with France'') * 1981: ''Les Chevaux du lac Ladoga - la justice entre les extrêmes'' * 1983: ''Quand la rose se fanera'' * 1985: ''Encore un effort, Monsieur le Président'' * 1989: ''L'Empire immobile ou le choc des mondes'' (''

''), historic novel * 1990: ''La Tragédie chinoise'' * 1995: ''La Société de confiance'' * 1995: ''Du Miracle en économie'', lectures at

Collège de France The Collège de France (), formerly known as the ''Collège Royal'' or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment ('' grand établissement'') in France. It is located in Paris n ...

* 1997: ''La Chine s'est éveillée'' * 1994-2000: 'C'était de Gaulle''

References