René Viviani

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René Raphaël Viviani (November 8, 1863 – September 7, 1925) was a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I. He was born in Sidi Bel Abbès, in French North Africa. When in France he protected the rights of socialists and trade union workers.

His parliamentary career began in 1893, when he was elected deputy of the fifth ward in Paris. He retained this office until 1902, when he failed to be reelected, but four years later he was elected deputy of the Department of Creuse. In the same year he entered the cabinet of M. Clémenceau. At an early age he associated himself with the Socialist party, soon becoming one of its most brilliant orators and prominent leaders. When the party was reorganized in 1904 into the Unified Socialist party, Viviani, like fellow Socialist Aristide Briand, stayed outside, and thenceforth called himself an Independent Socialist. He served as Minister of Public Instruction in the ministry of M. Doumergue. In the spring of 1914 an exceptionally radical chamber was elected, and for a while it seemed that they would be unable to agree upon any one for Premier, but finally, he was appointed Prime Minister on July 13, 1914, by President Poincaré. He received a vote of confidence of 370 to 137. The chief issues were the maintenance of the law requiring three years' service in the army and provision for a loan of 1,800,000,000 francs ($360,000,000) for military preparations. Viviani supported both of these measures. During the July Crisis, he was largely dominated by the President, Raymond Poincaré. Shortly, the war with Germany commenced, and in August, 1914, Viviani reorganized his cabinet on a war basis. His tenure leading France during the war was undistinguished. He retained the premiership for over a year, but resigned on October 27, 1915, being succeeded by Briand.

[edit] Viviani's First Government, June 13 - August 26, 1914

• René Viviani - President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Adolphe Messimy - Minister of War
• Louis Malvy - Minister of the Interior
• Joseph Noullens - Minister of Finance
• Maurice Couyba - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
• Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin - Minister of Justice
• Armand Gauthier de l'Aude - Minister of Marine
• Victor Augagneur - Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts.
• Fernand David - Minister of Agriculture
• Maurice Raynaud - Minister of Colonies
• René Renoult - Minister of Public Works
• Gaston Thomson - Minister of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs

Changes

• 3 August 1914 - Gaston Doumergue succeeds Viviani as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Victor Augagneur succeeds l'Aude as Minister of Marine. Albert Sarraut succeeds Augagneur as Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts.

[edit] Viviani's Second Ministry, August 26, 1914 - October 29, 1915

• René Viviani - President of the Council
• Théophile Delcassé - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Alexandre Millerand - Minister of War
• Louis Malvy - Minister of the Interior
• Alexandre Ribot - Minister of Finance
• Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu-Martin - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
• Aristide Briand - Minister of Justice
• Victor Augagneur - Minister of Marine
• Albert Sarraut - Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts
• Fernand David - Minister of Agriculture
• Gaston Doumergue - Minister of Colonies
• Marcel Sembat - Minister of Public Works
• Gaston Thomson - Minister of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs
• Jules Guesde - Minister without Portfolio

Changes

• October 13, 1915 - Viviani succeeds Delcassé as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Gaston Doumergue	Minister of Labour and Social Security 1906–1910	Succeeded by Louis Lafferre
Preceded by Louis Barthou	Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1913–1914	Succeeded by Arthur Dessoyes
Preceded by Alexandre Ribot	Prime Minister of France 1914–1915	Succeeded by Aristide Briand
Preceded by Léon Bourgeois	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1914	Succeeded by Gaston Doumergue
Preceded by Théophile Delcassé	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1915	Succeeded by Aristide Briand
Preceded by Aristide Briand	Minister of Justice 1915–1917	Succeeded by Raoul Péret
Preceded by Paul Painlevé	Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts 1916–1917	Succeeded by Théodore Steeg

Heads of Government of France since 1871

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• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.