Vincent Auriol President of the French Republic Date of Birth: 27.08.1884 Country: France

Biography of Vincent Auriol

Vincent Auriol was born on August 27, 1884, in Reveil, Upper Garonne. He studied at the University of Toulouse, where he obtained a law degree. During his student years, Auriol became a member of the Socialist Party and later became the publisher of the newspaper "Socialist South" in 1909.

In 1914, Auriol was elected as a deputy to the parliament from the city of Mure. He served as a deputy for several terms and also became the mayor of Mure and a councilor for Upper Garonne. From 1919 to 1936, Auriol served as the secretary of the Socialist faction in the Chamber of Deputies and briefly replaced Léon Blum as the leader of the French socialists.

Auriol was considered an authoritative expert in economics and finance. In 1924, he participated in the London conference on German reparations, and in 1925, he was a member of the delegation led by Jules Cayo, which discussed the issue of military debts.

During World War II, Auriol was one of the 80 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies who voted against granting Marshal Petain full powers after France's defeat in 1940. He was imprisoned in Pellevoisin but later released due to his deteriorating health and interned.

On October 17, 1943, Auriol left France and offered his services to General de Gaulle. He later became a member of the Consultative Assembly and the Chairman of the Committee on Internal Affairs in Algeria, where the French government was in exile at that time. In November 1944, he returned to Paris.

In October 1945, Auriol was elected as the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Constituent Assembly. In November 1945, he became a "minister without portfolio" in the provisional government of France led by General de Gaulle.

At the end of World War II, after the restoration of the electoral system, Auriol became the Chairman of the 1st and 2nd Constituent Assemblies. In 1946, he represented France at the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations.

On December 1946, Auriol became the President of the National Assembly after the first elections under the new French constitution. On January 16, 1947, he was elected as the President of the French Republic for a seven-year term.

In 1951, Auriol made official visits to the United States and Canada, becoming the first French president to do so. He was succeeded by René Coty on January 16, 1954.

In 1959, after more than 50 years in the Socialist Party, Auriol left its ranks and opposed the party's leader, Guy Mollet.

Auriol was also the author of the book "Hier - Demain" (Yesterday and Tomorrow, 1945) and other literary works. He passed away in Paris on January 1, 1966.