Georges Bonnet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Georges-Étienne Bonnet (July 22/23, 1889 - June 18, 1973) was a French politician and leading figure in the Radical-Socialist Party.
Bonnet studied law and political science at the Sorbonne. He launched a political career after marrying the niece of a prominent politician. Bonnet served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1924-28 and again from 1929-40. He was appointed undersecretary of state in 1925, the first in a series of high ministerial positions throughout the 1920s and 1930s. After a tour as ambassador to the United States in 1936, Camille Chautemps appointed him finance minister in 1937. This was followed in April 1938 by an appointment as Foreign Minister under Édouard Daladier. Bonnet was a staunch supporter of the Munich Agreement in 1938 and was firmly opposed to taking military action against Nazi expansion, preferring to follow a course of appeasment instead. He was demoted to minister of justice with the coming of war in September 1939.
Bonnet supported the Vichy government and served on the National Council from 1941 to 1942, but he left France before the Allies invaded. After the war, proceedings were begun against him but eventually dropped, though he was expelled from the Radical Party in 1944. Readmitted in 1952, he was once again expelled in 1955 for refusing to support Pierre Mendès-France. Nevertheless, he was once again elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1956 and continued to serve in that body until 1968.
| Preceded by — |
Minister of Budget 1925 |
Succeeded by — |
| Preceded by Paul Jourdain |
Minister of Pensions 1926 |
Succeeded by Louis Marin |
| Preceded by Pierre Étienne Flandin |
Minister of Commerce and Industry 1930 |
Succeeded by Pierre Étienne Flandin |
| Preceded by André Mallarmé |
Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telegrams 1930–1931 |
Succeeded by Charles Guernier |
| Preceded by Édouard Daladier |
Minister of Public Works 1932–1933 |
Succeeded by Joseph Paganon |
| Preceded by Henry Chéron |
Minister of Finance 1933–1934 |
Succeeded by François Piétri |
| Preceded by Laurent Eynac |
Minister of Commerce and Industry 1935–1936 |
Succeeded by Paul Bastid |
| Preceded by Vincent Auriol |
Minister of Finance 1937–1938 |
Succeeded by Paul Marchandeau |
| Preceded by Paul Faure, Maurice Violette, Albert Sarraut |
Minister of State 1938 |
Succeeded by Paul Faure, Théodore Steeg, Maurice Viollette |
| Preceded by Joseph Paul-Boncour |
Minister of Foreign Affairs 1938–1939 |
Succeeded by Édouard Daladier |
| Preceded by Paul Marchandeau |
Minister of Justice 1939–1940 |
Succeeded by Albert Sérol |
