Georges Clemenceau

They called him The Tiger. Le Tigre was French, energetic, and eloquent. He lived 1841 - 1929 and was premier from 1906 - 1909 and again 1917 - 1920, which made solving World War I part of his job description.

When Georges was in his political heyday, the French were having their Third Republic. Let's see what that means in its context:

Monarchy (King Louis XIV) = 1643 - 1715
Monarchy (King Louis XV) = 1715 - 1774
Monarchy (King Louis XVI) = 1774 - 1792
(French Revolution = 1789 - 1799)
First Republic = 1792 - 1804
First Empire (Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte) = 1804 - 1814
Monarchy (King Louis XVIII) = 1814 - 1824
Monarchy (King Charles X) = 1824 - 1830
Monarchy (King Louis-Philippe) = 1830 - 1848
Second Republic = 1848 - 1852
Second Empire (Emperor Napoleon III) = 1852 - 1870
Third Republic = 1870 - 1940
Vichy France = 1940 - 1944
Provisional Government = 1944 - 1946
Fourth Republic = 1946 - 1959
Fifth Republic = 1959 - Still in effect

So the French had come a long way government wise. But let's start the Tiger's story from the top. When Georges was born, France still had an emperor.

A student of medicine, Georges was close to his father, who didn't like the empire and didn't have a problem voicing this opinion either. Georges felt the same way and, in 1848, was arrested for making his opinion known. His pop was equally lucky and spent some jail time in 1858.

Georges went to the States 1865 - 1869 where the American Civil War was quite the eye opener for him. People had a say in how the country was run. Brilliant.

However, Georges still needed to eat every now and then, so he picked up a job as a teacher in Connecticut for a wee while. Fife days after marrying one of his pupils in 1869, he packed knapsack and new wife and went back to France to be a doctor.

The lucky student, by the way, was Miss Mary Plummer, who was to have three little tiger kids soon after, and a separation from the big tiger seven years later.

July 1870: Emperor Napoleon III declared war on Germany. (Franco-German War 1870 - 1871) France lost. The Third Republic was declared. The opponents of monarchy had a field day. Among them, you guessed it, our Tiger.

Georges moved on in politics and held a few jobs for the French government. But something was bugging him and that was the German peace terms at the end of the Franco-German War. He could get pretty tense about it. Eaaasy tiger. Your time would come.

Meanwhile Georges was busy criticizing his country's government. For this, he founded his own newspaper, as he did several times earlier in his life. Ever the critic, George accumulated quite a number of enemies himself. This closed most doors for a job in politics, so he decided to become a journalist on the subject.

Finally, in April 1902, he was back in politics, this time as senator. Then, after having been premier twice, Georges had his hands full with the composing of acceptable peace terms after World War I.

Find here the BBC article The League of Nations and the United Nations. You will also find a fine photograph of David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson arriving at the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 with smashing top hats.

Georges was hoping to become president in 1920. After all his hard work for his country, he had a point. However, the people around him claimed they didn't like his solo performances in the past and didn't elect him. That was is for the Tiger - he quit.

Georges was now 80 years old and retired. But if you think he slowed down, no way. Not Tiger style. He went on a trip to India and Singapore - tiger hunting - and he visited Woodrow Wilson in the US. Georges died in Paris.

Georges wrote many many things. Among them a play (!) Some of it is still available. For example: In the evening of my thought, And: Grandeur and misery of victory And: The surprises of life And: American Reconstruction, 1865-1870 And: Demosthenes, And: South America to-day;: A study of conditions, social, political and commercial in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, And: The veil of happiness: A play in one act And: Claude Monet And: At the foot of Sinai ; And: France facing Germany;: Speeches and articles, And: The strongest: (Les plus fort) And: Georges Clemenceau, Take your pick!