Everything about Edouard Daladier totally explained
Édouard Daladier (
18 June 1884 -
10 October 1970) was a
French Radical-Socialist politician, and
Prime Minister of France at the start of the
Second World War.
Career
Daladier was born in
Carpentras,
Vaucluse (later, he'd become known to many as "the bull of Vaucluse" because of his thick neck and large shoulders and determined look, although cynics also quipped that his horns were like those of a snail). During the First World War he rose from private to captain and company commander.
A government minister in various posts during the
coalition governments between 1924 and 1928, he was instrumental in the
Radical-Socialist Party's break with the
socialist SFIO in 1926 (the first
Cartel des gauches - "Left-wing Coalition"), and with the
conservative Raymond Poincaré in November 1928.
Daladier became a leading member of the Radicals. He first became Prime Minister during 1933, and then again in 1934 for a few weeks when the
Stavisky Affair led to
far right 6 February 1934 riots and the second
Cartel des gauches ' fall from power.
Daladier became Minister of War for the
Popular Front coalition in 1936, and became Prime Minister again on
10 April 1938 after the fall of the Popular Front.
His term in power saw the
Munich Agreement, when France backed out of its obligations to defend
Czechoslovakia against
Nazi Germany. He was pushed into negotiating by Britain's
Neville Chamberlain, without which war would have been impossible. Unlike Chamberlain, Daladier was under no illusions about Hitler's ultimate goals. In fact, he told the British in a late April 1938 meeting that Hitler's real aim was to eventually secure "a domination of the Continent in comparison with which the ambitions of Napoleon were feeble." He went on to say "Today it's the turn of Czechoslovakia. Tomorrow it'll be the turn of Poland and Romania. When Germany has obtained the oil and wheat it needs, she'll turn on the West. Certainly we must multiply our efforts to avoid war. But that won't be obtained unless Great Britain and France stick together, intervening in Prague for new concessions but declaring at the same time that that'll safeguard the independence of Czechoslovakia. If, on the contrary, the Western Powers capitulate again that'll only precipitate the war they wish to avoid." .
Nevertheless, perhaps discouraged by the pessimistic and defeatist attitudes of both military and civilian members of the French government as well as traumatized by France's blood bath in the first World War that he was personally a witness to, Daladier ultimately let Chamberlain have his way. On his return to Paris, Daladier, who was expecting a hostile crowd, was acclaimed. He then told his aide,
Alexis Léger: "Ah, les cons (
the fools) !"».
When the
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, Daladier responded to the public outcry by outlawing the
French Communist Party, which had refused to condemn
Joseph Stalin's actions. In 1939, after the
German invasion of Poland he was reluctant to go to war, but did so on
3 September 1939 - inaugurating the
Phony War. On October 6 of that year, Hitler offered France as well as Great Britain a peace proposal. There were more than a few in the French government prepared to take Hitler up on his offer, but Daladier declared in a nationwide broadcast the next day "We took up arms against aggression. We shan't put them down until we've guarantees for a real peace and security, a security which isn't threatened every six months.".
In March 1940 he resigned as Prime Minister in France, due to his failure to aid
Finland's defense during the
Winter War, and was replaced with
Paul Reynaud. His antipathy to Paul Reynaud prevented Reynaud from replacing the aged
Maurice Gamelin as Supreme Commander of all
French armed forces. As a result, Gamelin resigned on
9 May 1940, the day before the Germans began their
invasion campaign on
10 May. Daladier fled with other members of the government to
Morocco, under the impression that the government would continue in
North Africa, but was arrested and tried for treason by the
Vichy government during the "
Riom Trial". He was kept in prison from 1940 to 1943, after which he was handed out to the Germans and deported to
Buchenwald concentration camp until the end of
World War II.
After the conflict ended, Daladier was a member of the
Chamber of Deputies, and an opponent of
Charles de Gaulle. He was also
Lord Mayor of
Avignon from 1953 until 1958. He died in
Paris and is buried in the famous cemetery of
Père-Lachaise.
Changes
6 September 1933 - Albert Sarraut succeeds Leygues (d. 2 September) as Minister of Marine. Albert Dalimier succeeds Sarraut as Minister of Colonies.
Édouard Daladier - President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Eugène Penancier - Vice President of the Council and Minister of Justice
Jean Fabry - Minister of National Defense and War
Eugène Frot - Minister of the Interior
François Piétri - Minister of Finance
Jean Valadier - Minister of Labour and Social Security Provisions
Louis de Chappedelaine - Minister of Military Marine
Guy La Chambre - Minister of Merchant Marine
Pierre Cot - Minister of Air
Aimé Berthod - Minister of National Education
Hippolyte Ducos - Minister of Pensions
Henri Queuille - Minister of Agriculture
Henry de Jouvenel - Minister of Overseas France
Joseph Paganon - Minister of Public Works
Émile Lisbonne - Minister of Public Health
Paul Bernier - Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
Jean Mistler - Minister of Commerce and Industry
Changes
4 February 1934 - Joseph Paul-Boncour succeeds Fabry as Minister of National Defense and War. Paul Marchandeau succeeds Piétri as Minister of Finance.
Édouard Daladier - President of the Council and Minister of National Defense and War
Camille Chautemps - Vice President of the Council
Georges Bonnet - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Albert Sarraut - Minister of the Interior
Paul Marchandeau - Minister of Finance
Raymond Patenôtre - Minister of National Economy
Paul Ramadier - Minister of Labour
Paul Reynaud - Minister of Justice
César Campinchi - Minister of Military Marine
Louis de Chappedelaine - Minister of Merchant Marine
Guy La Chambre - Minister of Air
Jean Zay - Minister of National Education
Auguste Champetier de Ribes - Minister of Veterans and Pensioners
Henri Queuille - Minister of Agriculture
Georges Mandel - Minister of Colonies
Ludovic-Oscar Frossard - Minister of Public Works
Marc Rucart - Minister of Public Health
Alfred Jules-Julien - Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
Fernand Gentin - Minister of Commerce
Changes
23 August 1938 - Charles Pomaret succeeds Ramadier as Minister of Labour. Anatole de Monzie succeeds Frossard as Minister of Public Works.
1 November 1938 - Paul Reynaud succeeds Paul Marchandeau as Minister of Finance. Marchandeau succeeds Reynaud as Minister of Justice.
13 September 1939 - Georges Bonnet succeeds Marchandeau as Minister of Justice. Daladier succeeds Bonnet as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remaining also Minister of National Defense and War. Raymond Patenôtre leaves the Cabinet and the Position of Minister of National Economy is abolished. Alphonse Rio succeeds Chappedelaine as Minister of Merchant Marine. Yvon Delbos succeeds Zay as Minister of National Education. René Besse succeeds Champetier as Minister of Veterans and Pensioners. Raoul Dautry enters the Cabinet as Minister of Armaments. Georges Pernot enters the Cabinet as Minister of Blockade.Further Information
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