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Georges Clemenceau, 1841 - 1929
Georges Clemenceau
1841 - 1929
 

They called him The Tiger.

Le Tigre was French, energetic, and eloquent. Georges Clemenceau 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


When Georges Clemenceau 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 his views. Georges felt the same way and, in 1848, was arrested for making his opinion known. Clemenceau Senior was equally lucky and spent some jail time in 1858.

Georges Clemenceau 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.

For a while, Georges Clemenceau worked as a teacher in Connecticut. 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.

In July 1870, Emperor Napoleon III declared war on Germany. This was to become the Franco-German War 1870 - 1871. France lost the war and the Third Republic was declared. The opponents of monarchy had a field day. Among them, of course, Le Tigre.

Georges Clemenceau moved on in politics and held a few jobs for the French government. The German peace terms at the end of the Franco-German War were frustrating to him, but there was not much he could do about it at the moment. His time would come.

Meanwhile Georges Clemenceau 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 a number of enemies himself. This closed most doors for possibly getting 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.

After having been premier twice, Georges had his hands full with the composing of acceptable peace terms after World War I.

Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau


In 1920, Georges Clemenceau was hoping to become president. After all his hard work for his country, he certainly deserved consideration. 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 in true tiger style, there was no thought of slowing down. Georges Clemenceau went on a trip to India and Singapore - tiger hunting - and he visited Woodrow Wilson in the US.

Georges Clemenceau died in Paris.

 

Georges Clemenceau wrote many many things.

Among them a play (!) Some of it is still available. For example:

In the evening of my thought

Grandeur and misery of victory

The surprises of life

American Reconstruction, 1865-1870

Demosthenes

South America to-day;: A study of conditions, social, political and commercial in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil

The veil of happiness: A play in one act

Claude Monet

At the foot of Sinai

France facing Germany;: Speeches and articles

The strongest: (Les plus fort)

Georges Clemenceau


 


 

 

 


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