Alexandre Millerand becomes French minister of war
- Category:
- Politics
- Date:
- 27 August 1914
- Author:
- Łukasz Skowroń
- Tags:
- France, Alexandre Millerand, René Viviani
On 27 August 1914 the French official gazette, the “Journal officiel”, announced the appointment of Alexandre Millerand as minister of war. The decree, signed by President Raymond Poincaré and Prime Minister René Viviani, was dated 26 August. Millerand replaced Adolphe Messimy, whose resignation was accepted the same day.
A government of national unity
The change at the War Ministry was part of a broader reconstruction of the government. France was living through its darkest days since the start of the war: its armies had lost the Battle of the Frontiers and were retreating, and the Germans were drawing near to Paris. Messimy, blamed for the defeats and for the army’s lack of preparation, had to go, as we describe in the article Dismissal of war minister Messimy.
Viviani then formed his second cabinet, a broad coalition of all parties. It was the governmental expression of the so-called sacred union (French: union sacrée), the suspension of political quarrels for the duration of the war. For the first time in history socialists entered the government: Jules Guesde as minister without portfolio and Marcel Sembat as minister of public works. Théophile Delcassé became foreign minister (see Delcassé becomes foreign minister), Alexandre Ribot took charge of finance, and Aristide Briand of justice.
The new minister
Millerand had a long career behind him. He began as a lawyer and socialist politician, and in 1899 he became the first socialist in France to join a government. Over time he moved to moderate positions. In 1912–1913 he had already been minister of war and was regarded as an advocate of strengthening the army.
As minister of war Millerand became known for his loyal support of the commander-in-chief, General Joseph Joffre, and for shielding him from parliamentary criticism. He devoted himself above all to the production of armaments, whose shortages soon made themselves felt. A few days after his appointment, at the beginning of September, the government and the minister moved from threatened Paris to Bordeaux. Millerand headed the ministry until the fall of the Viviani cabinet in October 1915. From 1920 to 1924 he was President of France.
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