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Paul ReynaudFrench politician and lawyer.
Date of Birth: 15.10.1878
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Paul Reynaud
Early Life and Political CareerPaul Reynaud was a French politician and lawyer who lived during the period between the two World Wars. He was a supporter of economic liberalism and a fierce opponent of Germany. Reynaud served as the penultimate Prime Minister of France during the period of the Third Republic and as the Vice President of the Democratic Alliance, a center-right party. He was born into a wealthy family, as his father was a successful textile industrialist. Reynaud had the opportunity to study law at the Sorbonne University due to his family's wealth. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1919 to 1924, representing the Lower Alps, and was re-elected in 1928 from Paris. While initially elected from the conservative bloc known as the "Blue Horizon," Reynaud later joined the right-center Democratic Alliance and eventually became the vice-president of the party. In the 1920s, Reynaud gained a reputation as a supporter of softer reparation conditions for Germany, diverging from the majority of French politicians who demanded harsh conditions. However, in the 1930s, especially after the Nazis came to power, Reynaud adopted a tougher stance towards Germany. He advocated for a strong alliance with Great Britain and, unlike most French right-wing politicians, for improved relations with the Soviet Union as a counterbalance to Hitler's Germany. Reynaud held various government positions in the early 1930s but broke with his party in 1932 over French defense and foreign policy issues and did not hold government posts until 1938. Like Winston Churchill, Reynaud appeared as a dissenter within his party and often found himself alone when calling for rearmament and warning about the threat of Germany. He supported Charles de Gaulle's theory of mechanized warfare as opposed to the popular doctrine of static defense, which was influenced by the experience of World War I and materialized in the construction of the Maginot Line. Reynaud was also opposed to appeasement policies towards German aggression. He disagreed with the leadership of his party on economic policy as well, advocating for the devaluation of the franc to overcome the economic crisis. Pierre Etienne Flandin, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, agreed with several of Reynaud's economic proposals, particularly the demand for liberal economic policies. In 1938, Reynaud was appointed as the Minister of Justice in the Daladier government. The Sudeten Crisis, which erupted shortly after his appointment, revealed disagreements between Reynaud and other politicians of the Democratic Alliance. While Reynaud disagreed with the coercion of Czechoslovakia into making concessions to Germany, the leader of the party, Flandin, believed that stimulating Germany's expansion to the east would lead to a conflict between the two states and weaken both of them. As a result of this conflict, Reynaud left the party and became an independent politician, but he still maintained the support of Daladier, whose policy of "closed diplomacy" aligned closely with Reynaud's views.
Minister of Finance and Economic Reforms
Despite clashes with leading politicians, Reynaud dreamed of becoming the Minister of Finance. He supported a radically liberal economic policy, which, in his opinion, would allow the French economy to overcome stagnation. He proposed abandoning excessive state regulation, including the 40-hour workweek. The concept of "deregulation" was highly popular among French entrepreneurs, and Reynaud believed that it was the best way for France to regain the trust of investors. The government of Leon Blum fell in 1938 as a result of his attempts to expand government regulatory powers, and in France, there was broad support for alternative approaches similar to the one Reynaud advocated for. Paul Marchandeau, whom Daladier initially appointed as Minister of Finance, proposed a moderate program of economic reforms that did not satisfy Daladier. Reynaud and Daladier exchanged ministerial portfolios, allowing Reynaud to successfully implement his radical liberal economic reforms. Thanks to the success of these reforms, the government endured a brief, intense confrontation with the opposition. Reynaud directly addressed the business community of France, stating, "We live in a capitalist system. In order for it to function, we must abide by the laws. There are laws of profit, individual risk, free markets, and growth through competition."
Reynaud's reforms proved to be exceptionally successful. A strict austerity program was implemented (although defense spending was not reduced), resulting in French reserves increasing from 37 billion francs in September 1938 to 48 billion francs a year later, on the eve of the war. More importantly, French industrial production jumped from 76% to 100% (using the 1929 level as a benchmark) between October 1938 and May 1939. However, by the start of the war, Reynaud did not seek to achieve economic growth at any cost, as he believed that excessive pre-war spending would have a detrimental effect on the French economy. French right-wing politicians held a dual position regarding the war in the late 1939 to early 1940 period, considering the Soviet Union as the greater threat. The Winter War between the USSR and Finland largely resolved this issue. Daladier refused to send aid to the Finns, while the war with Germany continued. The news of the Soviet-Finnish armistice in March 1940 forced Flandin and Laval to hold secret sessions of the legislative body, which denounced Daladier's actions, leading to the government's collapse on March 19. Two days later, Reynaud was appointed as the Prime Minister of France. Although Reynaud gained increasing popularity, the Chamber of Deputies elected him as Prime Minister by only one vote, with the majority of deputies from his party abstaining. More than half of Reynaud's votes came from socialists. With broad support from the left and opposition from the right, Reynaud's government proved to be unstable. Many critics from the right demanded that Reynaud engage in war against the Soviet Union instead of Germany. The Chamber of Deputies also imposed Daladier, whom Reynaud held personally responsible for France's weakness, as the Minister of Defense. One of the first steps of Reynaud's government was a joint declaration with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain that neither country would conclude a separate peace with the enemy.
Reynaud rejected any proposals based on the "strategy of prolonged war," in which France hoped to wear down the opponent. On the contrary, Reynaud believed that the war should be expanded to the Balkans and Northern Europe. He managed to organize the Allies' campaign in Norway, although it ended in defeat. The British decision to retreat on April 26 prompted Reynaud's personal trip to Britain, where he argued for the need to defend Norway until the end.
Downfall and Post-War Years
The Battle of France began less than two months after Reynaud took office. On May 15, five days after Germany's attack, Reynaud contacted his British counterpart and informed him, "We have been defeated...; the front has been breached near Sedan." Meanwhile, Charles de Gaulle, whom Reynaud had long supported and who was one of the few successful generals during the 1940 campaign, was promoted to brigadier general and appointed as the Deputy Minister of Defense.
Due to the constant deterioration of the military situation in France, Reynaud was forced to agree to the appointment of Philippe Petain as the State Minister. Shortly after the occupation of France, Petain and his supporters pressured Reynaud to sign a separate peace with the Germans. However, Reynaud refused to participate in such an act, and on June 16, he resigned. Petain formed a new government and signed an armistice on June 22. Under Petain's orders, Reynaud was arrested, but instead of organizing a trial, Petain handed him over to the Germans, who held him in a concentration camp until the end of the war. Reynaud was liberated by the Allies near Wörgl, Austria, on May 7, 1945. After the war, Reynaud was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1946. He held various ministerial positions and continued to play an important role in French politics, although his attempts to form a government in 1952 and 1953 were unsuccessful. Reynaud supported the idea of a United States of Europe and served as the chairman of the advisory committee that drafted the constitution of the Fifth Republic. In 1962, Reynaud opposed his old friend de Gaulle's attempt to abandon the system of electoral college in favor of direct voting and subsequently retired from politics.
In 1949, Reynaud remarried at the age of 71 and became the father of three children. He passed away on September 21, 1966, in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
