Edouard Herriot, (born July 5, 1872, Troyes, France—died March 26, 1957, Lyon), French statesman and writer, was the longtime leader of the Radical Party. He held positions in nine different cabinets and was Prime Minister of France three times (1924–25, 1926, 1932).
Youth and Education
The son of an army officer, Herriot was educated at the École Normale Supérieure, from which he graduated in 1894. He taught at the lycée in Nantes and then in Lyon, where he acquired a great reputation as a scholar and teacher. His fame was enhanced by his study of Madame Récamier et ses amis (1904) and by his keen literary criticism in his Précis de l'histoire des lettres françaises (1905).
Entry into Local Politics
He began his political career in local government. In 1904 he became a city councilor of Lyon and mayor of that city in 1905. He remained mayor of Lyon for the rest of his life, except for a brief interruption during World War II. Under his administration, this booming industrial city developed many municipal services and amenities, thus enhancing its local prestige.
In 1910 he became a member of the general council and in 1912 senator for the Rhône department. He remained loyal to the Radical Party throughout his political career.
National Political Ascension
In December 1916 he entered government for the first time, in the cabinet of Aristide Briand, where he demonstrated political acumen and administrative ability in reorganizing essential supply and transportation services during the war.
Herriot then became the leader of the opposition to the post-war right-wing electoral coalition, the Bloc National. In 1924 he led the Cartel des Gauches, a left-wing coalition including Radicals and Socialists, and his electoral victory allowed him to form his first government in June 1924. He also served as Foreign Minister. During his term, France accepted the Dawes Plan and agreed to withdraw troops from the Ruhr, sent by former Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré to force Germany to pay reparations. In April 1925 his government fell due to his financial policies, and in July 1926 his second government lasted only three days. He then joined Raymond Poincaré's cabinet as Minister of Education (1926–28).
Ministerial Career
In June 1932 Herriot returned to power as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. His government fell six months later when the Chamber of Deputies refused to pay the December instalment of France's war debts to the United States. He subsequently served as Deputy Prime Minister under Gaston Doumergue in 1934 and again under Pierre Étienne Flandin in 1934–35. In June 1936 he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies, a position he held until France's surrender to Germany in June 1940 during World War II.
War Period and Commitments
On July 10, 1940, in Vichy, when the National Assembly granted full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain, Herriot abstained from voting. In August 1942, when Pétain dissolved the permanent offices of the Chamber and the Senate, Herriot protested with Jules Jeanneney, President of the Senate. For this, he was arrested and then deported to Germany. In April 1945, he was released from his internment by Soviet troops. After being re-elected mayor of Lyon, he returned there to resume his duties. He also resumed his position as president of the Radical Party and was elected to the Constituent Assemblies of 1945 and 1946.
Post-War Contributions
In 1946 he was elected a member of the Académie Française. The following year he was elected president of the new National Assembly of the Fourth Republic, a position he held until his retirement in January 1954.
From 1948 onwards, Herriot was involved in the Council of Europe. From 1952 to 1954, however, he opposed the creation of a European Defence Community because he feared that it would lead to the rearmament of West Germany. Herriot remained faithful throughout his life to the liberal ideals of international cooperation. His intellectual gifts and honesty inspired respect and affection.