(, ''The Times'') was one of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

's most important

daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

s from 25 April 1861 to 30 November 1942. It was a serious paper of record. Founded in 1861 by

Edmund Chojecki Edmund Franciszek Maurycy Chojecki (; Wiski, Podlasie, 15 October 1822 – 1 December 1899, Paris) was a Polish journalist, playwright, novelist, poet and translator.''Encyklopedia Polski'' (Encyclopedia of Poland): "Chojecki, Edmund"; p. 98, ib ...

(writing under the

pen name A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...

"Charles Edmond") and Auguste Nefftzer, was under Nefftzer's direction for ten years, when took his place, and for nearly 45 years directed the newspaper with an iron hand until his death in 1914. He was succeeded by his sons Émile (1914), and Adrien Jr. (1925) and by Louis Mills (1929). Soon after Mills's death in 1931, became a public limited company. Adrien Hébrard and his successors left substantial freedom to the editorial room and the newspaper had the reputation of keeping its journalists for a long time. always remained moderate politically. The early issues of the newspaper reflected Nefftzer's liberal philosophy and had considerable trouble achieving readership. He frequently had to turn to friends in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

who were able to help support financially. Eventually, circulation began to grow, from scarcely 3,000 in 1861, to 11,000 in 1869, 22,000 in 1880, 30,000 in 1884, 35,000 in 1904. During the interwar period, it varied between 50,000 and 80,000. Publication of the Paris edition of was suspended by the

Paris Commune The Paris Commune (, ) was a French revolutionary government that seized power in Paris on 18 March 1871 and controlled parts of the city until 28 May 1871. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard (France), Nation ...

, and so there were no issues from 7 May to 19 May 1871. The St. Germain edition, however, ran continuously for 81 years. Despite its comparatively modest circulation, soon became the most important newspaper of the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, particularly among the French political and economic elite. The political and diplomatic information and commentaries of the paper, "serious to the point of boredom", also carried considerable clout elsewhere in Europe. Journalists and correspondents included , and Adolphe Cohn in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. On 28 November 1942, following the German invasion of the ''

Zone libre The ''zone libre'' (, ''free zone'') was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered b ...

'', Jacques Chastenet and Émile Mireaux, the co-directors of at the time, jettisoned the newspaper. At

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

's request, was founded on 19 December 1944 to replace as the

newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large newspaper circulation, circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and i ...

, with the new newspaper borrowing the layout and typeface of .

References

External links

digital archives from 1861 to 1940
in Gallica, the digital library of the BnF 1861 establishments in France 1942 disestablishments in France Newspapers established in 1861 Newspapers disestablished in 1942 Defunct newspapers published in France Second French Empire French Third Republic Contemporary French history Paris Commune Newspapers published in Paris Daily newspapers published in France {{france-newspaper-stub

See also

References

External links