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Gaston DoumergueFrench statesman and politician, President of France
Date of Birth: 01.08.1863
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Gaston Doumergue
Gaston Doumergue was a French statesman and political figure who served as the President of France from 1924 to 1931 during the Third Republic. He began his career as a radical and later became a conservative without a defined party affiliation.
Early Political Career
Doumergue's political journey started with his appointment as Minister of Colonies in 1902. He then served as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 1913 to June 1914. During the early months of World War I, Doumergue once again led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1914 to 1917, he served as Minister of Colonies. In February 1917, Doumergue headed the French delegation at the Petrograd Conference of Allied States.
Senate and Presidency
Doumergue served as the Chairman of the Senate from 1923 to 1924. After the resignation of Alexandre Millerand, he was elected as the President of the Republic and held the position for a full seven-year term. Although he did not run for a second term, Doumergue remained involved in politics even after leaving the Élysée Palace. He served as Prime Minister once more from February to November 1934, leading a conservative "government of national unity." This period was marked by growing fascist sentiments in France and the formation of a left-wing anti-fascist front.
Later Years
In October 1934, while Doumergue's government was in power, Louis Barthou, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was assassinated in Marseille by Croatian nationalists known as the Ustaše. After resigning from his cabinet, Doumergue retired from politics and passed away in his hometown of Eguzon, France.
Legacy
Doumergue held the distinction of being the only Protestant president of France and the only head of French state since Clovis who did not belong to the Catholic Church, aside from Henry IV who converted to Catholicism. He was also a Freemason and a member of the Echo Lodge of the Grand Orient of France.
Furthermore, Doumergue became one of two presidents, alongside Nicolas Sarkozy, to marry while in office. Just 12 days before his term expired, the 68-year-old president, who had previously been unmarried, wed 55-year-old Jeanne-Marie Gossart. Their marriage was officiated by the mayor of the 8th arrondissement, who specially came to the Élysée Palace for the ceremony.
