Camille Chautemps (1 February 1885 – 1 July 1963) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic, three times President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister). He was the father-in-law of U.S. politician and statesman Howard J. Samuels.

Early life

Born into a family of Radical politicians, Camille Chautemps was a lawyer by training and a noted amateur rugby-player in his youth, playing for Tours Rugby and Stade Français. He was inducted into the

Grand Orient of France The Grand Orient de France (GODF) is the oldest and largest of several Freemasonic organizations based in France and is the oldest in Continental Europe (as it was formed out of an older Grand Lodge of France in 1773, and briefly absorbed the r ...

(1906, master 1908), quitting the Freemasons in August 1940 as anti-masonic regulation is adopted by Pétain.

Early career

He entered local politics in the fiefdom of his parliamentarian uncle, Alphonse Chautemps, and followed a political career path typical of many Radical-Socialists: first elected town councillor for Tours (1912), then mayor (1919–25), parliamentary deputy (1919–34) and senator (1934–40). Chautemps was considered one of the chief figures of the 'right' (anti-socialist and pro-liberal) wing of the centre-left Radical-Socialist Party. Between 1924 and 1926, he served in the centre-left coalition governments of

Édouard Herriot Édouard Marie Herriot (; 5 July 1872 – 26 March 1957) was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic who served three times as Prime Minister (1924–1925; 1926; 1932) and twice as President of the Chamber of Deputies. He led the f ...

, Paul Painlevé and

Aristide Briand Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...

Twice prime minister

Renowned as a skilful negotiator with friends from across the party divide, he was called upon on several occasions to attempt to build support for a coalition of the centre-left. He first became President of the Council for a short-lived government in 1930. After the electoral victory of the left in 1934, he served as Interior Minister and became head of government once more in November 1933. The revelations of the Stavisky Affair, a corruption scandal, tarnished two of his ministers, sparking violent protests by the

far-right leagues The far-right leagues (french: ligues d'extrême droite) were several French far-right movements opposed to parliamentarism, which mainly dedicated themselves to military parades, street brawls, demonstrations and riots. The term ''ligue'' was ...

. He resigned his posts on 27 January 1934, when the opposition press attributed Stavisky's suicide to a government cover-up.

Deputy Prime minister and last premiership

In Léon Blum's

Popular Front A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault". More generally, it is "a coalition ...

government of 1936, Chautemps represented the Radical-Socialist Party as a

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

and succeeded Blum at the head of the government from June 1937 to March 1938. The franc was devalued, but government finances remained in difficulty. Pursuing the program of the Popular Front, he proceeded in the nationalisation of the railroads to create the SNCF. However, in January 1938, he formed a new government consisting solely of ministers from the nonsocialist republican centre- left. In February, he granted married women financial and legal independence (until then, wives had been dependent on their husbands to take action involving family finances) and allowed them to go to university and to open bank accounts. His government also repealed Article 213 of the code: "the husband owes protection to his wife, the wife obedience to the husband". However, the husband remained "head of the household" with "the right to choose the household’s place of residence". His government fell on 10 March.

Runup to World War II

Chautemps subsequently served from April 1938 to May 1940 as deputy prime minister in the governments of

Édouard Daladier Édouard Daladier (; 18 June 1884 – 10 October 1970) was a French Radical-Socialist (centre-left) politician, and the Prime Minister of France who signed the Munich Agreement before the outbreak of World War II. Daladier was born in Carpe ...

and

Paul Reynaud Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

. After the latter resigned, as he was again deputy prime minister, now to Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of Worl ...

World War II

France declared war on Germany in September 1939, and in May 1940, the German Army invaded and swept aside all opposition. With the fall of Dunkirk on 5 June and the defeat of the French Army imminent, Chautemps, dined with Paul Baudouin on the 8th, and declared that the war must be ended and that Pétain saw his position most clearly. On the 11th, during a Cabinet meeting, Chautemps suggested for Churchill to be invited back to France to discuss the hopeless situation; he attended a conference at Tours on 13 June. The Cabinet met again on the 15th and was almost evenly split on the question of an armistice with Germany. Chautemps now suggested that to break the deadlock, that they should get a neutral authority to enquire what the German terms would be, which if honourable, the Cabinet could agree to study. If not, the Cabinet would agree to fight on. The Chautemps proposal passed by 13 to 6. On 16 June, Charles de Gaulle, now in London, telephoned Reynaud to give him the British government's offer of joint nationality for French and British in a Franco-British union. A delighted Reynaud put it to a stormy Cabinet meeting and was supported by five of his ministers. Most of the others were persuaded against him by the arguments of Pétain, Chautemps and Jean Ybarnégaray, the last two seeing the offer as a device to make France subservient to Britain as an extra dominion.

Georges Mandel Georges Mandel (5 June 1885 – 7 July 1944) was a French journalist, politician, and French Resistance leader. Early life Born Louis George Rothschild in Chatou, Yvelines, he was the son of a tailor and his wife. His family was Jewish, originally ...

, who had a Jewish background, was flinging accusations of cowardice around the room, and Chautemps and others replied in kind. Reynaud clearly would not accept Chautemps's proposal and later resigned.

Later life

Chautemps broke with Pétain's government after he had arrived in the United States on an official mission and lived there for much of the rest of his life. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, a French court convicted him ''in absentia'' for collaborating with the enemy;Encyclopædia Britannica
/ref> he was amnestied in 1954. After his death in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

, he was laid to rest in the

Rock Creek Cemetery Rock Creek Cemetery is an cemetery with a natural and rolling landscape located at Rock Creek Church Road, NW, and Webster Street, NW, off Hawaii Avenue, NE, in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States. It is across the stre ...

Chautemps's First Ministry, 21 February – 2 March 1930

*Camille Chautemps ( Radical) – President of the Council and Minister of the Interior *

( PRS) – Minister of Foreign Affairs *

René Besnard René Henry Besnard (12 April 1879 – 12 March 1952) was a French politician who was a deputy for Indre-et-Loire from 1906 to 1919 and senator from 1920 to 1941. He was briefly Minister of the Colonies and then Minister of Labor and Social Welf ...

( Radical) – Minister of War * Charles Dumont ( AD) – Minister of Finance *

Maurice Palmade Maurice Palmade (6 October 1886, Rochefort, Charente-Maritime – 3 January 1955, Bordeaux) was a French politician. He belonged to the Radical Party. Before World War II, he had been a Member of Parliament. He has been 3 times the Budget minist ...

( Radical) – Minister of Budget * Louis Loucheur ( RI) – Minister of Labour, Hygiene, Welfare Work, and Social Security Provisions *

Théodore Steeg Théodore Steeg () (19 December 1868 – 19 December 1950) was a lawyer and professor of philosophy who became Premier of the French Third Republic. Steeg entered French politics in 1904 as a radical socialist, although his views were generally m ...

( Radical) – Minister of Justice *

Albert Sarraut Albert-Pierre Sarraut (; 28 July 1872 – 26 November 1962) was a French Radical politician, twice Prime Minister during the Third Republic. Biography Sarraut was born on 28 July 1872 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. On 14 March 1907 Sarraut ...

( Radical) – Minister of Marine * Charles Daniélou ( RI) – Minister of Merchant Marine * Laurent Eynac ( RI) – Minister of Air *

Jean Durand Jean Durand (1882–1946) was a French screenwriter and film director of the silent era.Rège p.349 He was extremely prolific, working on well over two hundred films. He was married to the actress Berthe Dagmar. Selected filmography * ''Tarnished ...

( Radical) – Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts * Claudius Gallet – Minister of Pensions * Henri Queuille ( Radical) – Minister of Agriculture *

Lucien Lamoureux Lucien Lamoureux, (August 3, 1920 – July 16, 1998) was a Canadian politician and Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada from 1966 to 1974. He is the second longest-serving occupant of that office. After graduating with a law degree f ...

( Radical) – Minister of Colonies *

( Radical) – Minister of Public Works * Julien Durand ( Radical) – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones * Georges Bonnet ( Radical) – Minister of Commerce and Industry

Chautemps's Second Ministry, 26 November 1933 – 30 January 1934

*Camille Chautemps – President of the Council and Minister of the Interior – Radical Socialist Party * Joseph Paul-Boncour – Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of War * Georges Bonnet – Minister of Finance * Paul Marchandeau – Minister of Budget *

– Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions * Eugène Raynaldy – Minister of Justice *

– Minister of Marine * Eugène Frot – Minister of Merchant Marine *

Pierre Cot Pierre Jules Cot (20 November 1895, in Grenoble – 21 August 1977, Paris), was a French politician and leading figure in the Popular Front government of the 1930s. Born in Grenoble into a conservative Catholic family, he entered politics as a ...

– Minister of Air * Anatole de Monzie – Minister of National Education * Hippolyte Ducos – Minister of Pensions * Henri Queuille – Minister of Agriculture * Albert Dalimier – Minister of Colonies * Joseph Paganon – Minister of Public Works * Alexandre Israël – Minister of Public Health * Jean Mistler – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones * Laurent Eynac – Minister of Commerce and Industry Changes *9 January 1934 –

succeeds Dalimier as Minister of Colonies. Eugène Frot succeeds Lamoureux as Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions. William Bertrand succeeds Frot as Minister of Merchant Marine.

Chautemps's Third Ministry, 22 June 1937 – 18 January 1938

*Camille Chautemps – President of the Council – Radical Socialist Party * Léon Blum – Vice President of the Council – French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) *

Yvon Delbos Yvon Delbos (7 May 1885 – 15 November 1956) was a French Radical-Socialist Party politician and minister. Delbos was born in Thonac, Dordogne, and entered a career as a journalist, and became a member of the Radical-Socialist Party. He sub ...

– Minister of Foreign Affairs – Radical Socialist Party *

– Minister of National Defense and War – Radical Socialist Party * Marx Dormoy – Minister of the Interior – SFIO * Georges Bonnet – Minister of Finance – Radical Socialist Party * André Février – Minister of Labour – SFIO *

Vincent Auriol Vincent Jules Auriol (; 27 August 1884 – 1 January 1966) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1947 to 1954. Early life and politics Auriol was born in Revel, Haute-Garonne, as the only child of Jacques Antoine Aurio ...

– Minister of Justice – SFIO * César Campinchi – Minister of Marine – Radical Socialist Party *

– Minister of Air – Radical Socialist Party * Jean Zay – Minister of National Education – Radical Socialist Party * Albert Rivière – Minister of Pensions – SFIO * Georges Monnet – Minister of Agriculture – Radical Socialist Party * Marius Moutet – Minister of Colonies – SFIO * Henri Queuille – Minister of Public Works – Radical Socialist Party * Marc Rucart – Minister of Public Health – Radical Socialist Party * Jean-Baptiste Lebas – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones – SFIO * Fernand Chapsal – Minister of Commerce * Paul Faure – Minister of State – SFIO *

Maurice Viollette Maurice Viollette (3 September 1870 in Janville, Eure-et-Loir – 9 September 1960 in Dreux) was a French politician, statesman. He was chief-of-staff for Alexandre Millerand in the Waldeck-Rousseau government in 1898, and was elected as a ' ...

– Minister of State – usr *

– Minister of State – Radical Socialist Party * Léo Lagrange – Under-Secretary of State for the Sports, the Leisure activities and the Physical Education -i.e. acting like Minister for the Sports- – SFIO

Chautemps's Fourth Ministry, 18 January – 13 March 1938

*Camille Chautemps – President of the Council – Radical Socialist Party *

– Vice President of the Council and Minister of National Defense and War *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of the Interior * Paul Marchandeau – Minister of Finance *

Paul Ramadier Paul Ramadier (17 March 1888 in La Rochelle – 14 October 1961 in Rodez) was a French statesman. Biography The son of a psychiatrist, Ramadier graduated in law from the University of Toulouse and started his profession as a lawyer in Par ...

– Minister of Labour * César Campinchi – Minister of Justice * William Bertrand – Minister of Military Marine * Paul Elbel – Minister of Merchant Marine * Guy La Chambre – Minister of Air * Jean Zay – Minister of National Education * Robert Lassalle – Minister of Pensions * Fernand Chapsal – Minister of Agriculture *

– Minister of Colonies * Henri Queuille – Minister of Public Works * Marc Rucart – Minister of Public Health * Fernand Gentin – Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones *

– Minister of Commerce * Georges Bonnet – Minister of State * Ludovic-Oscar Frossard – Minister of State in charge of the Services of the Presidency of the Council

References

External links

Camille Chautemps papers
20 feet housed at Stanford University Libraries * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chautemps, Camille 1885 births 1963 deaths Politicians from Paris Radical Party (France) politicians Prime Ministers of France Transport ministers of France French interior ministers Government ministers of France Members of the 12th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 13th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 14th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 15th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic French Senators of the Third Republic Senators of Loir-et-Cher Mayors of places in Centre-Val de Loire French Freemasons