Lably
Skip to content

Armand Fallières

President of France from 1906 to 1913

  • 3 min read
  • 4 chapters

Explore on Lably

ToursExplore Lably’s 3D tours

Clément Armand Fallières was a symbol of republicanism in the French Third Republic. He was born into a middle-class family in Lot-et-Garonne and became a lawyer and a Republican politician. He held various ministerial posts and was briefly prime minister in 1883. He had a moderate and sensitive approach to the religious problem, but was tough in dealing with labor unrest. In 1906, he became president of France, defeating Paul Doumer. According to David Bell, he had a talent for spotting political talent. His presidency was marked by his genial and reassuring manner, making him a popular figurehead. He was content with the procedural honors of a constitutional president and let his ministers make the decisions. His presidency emphasized the Senate's republicanism. He had the power, though not the honour, of presiding over the left-wing governing coalition known as the bloc des gauches ("left bloc").

Early life

He was born at Mézin in the département of Lot-et-Garonne, France, where his father was clerk of the peace. He studied law and became an advocate at Nérac, beginning his public career there as municipal councilor (1868), afterwards mayor (1871), and as councillor-general of the department of Lot-et-Garonne (1871). Being an ardent Republican, he lost this position in May 1873 upon the fall of Thiers, but in February 1876 was elected deputy for Nérac. In the Chamber he sat with the Opportunist Republican parliamentary group, Gauche républicaine, signed the protestation of 18 May 1877, and was re-elected five months later.

In 1880 he became under-secretary of state in the department of the interior in Jules Ferry's ministry (May 1880 to November 1881). From 7 August 1882 to 20 February 1883 he was Minister of the Interior, and for a month (from 29 January 1883) was Prime Minister. His ministry had to face the question of the expulsion of the pretenders to the throne of France, owing to the proclamation by Prince Napoléon (January 1883).

Sign in to keep reading

3 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Writers

William ShakespeareEnglish playwright and poet (1564–1616)HomerAncient Greek poetJohann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman writer and polymath (1749–1832)VoltaireFrench writer and philosopher (1694–1778)Virgil1st-century-BC Roman poetDante AlighieriItalian writer and philosopher (1265–1321)