Paul Deschanel
11th President of the French Republic (1855–1922)
Paul Eugène Louis Deschanel (French: [pɔl deʃanɛl]; 13 February 1855 – 28 April 1922) was a French politician who served as President of France from 18 February to 21 September 1920. Seven months into his presidency, he was ousted due to mental illness and was succeeded by his prime minister, Alexandre Millerand.
Early life and career
Paul Deschanel, the son of Émile Deschanel (1819–1904), professor at the Collège de France and senator, was born in Brussels, where his father was living in exile (1851–1859), owing to his opposition to Napoleon III. He is one of only two French Presidents (the other is Valéry Giscard d'Estaing) who were born outside France (Deschanel in Belgium; Giscard in Koblenz, Germany).
Education
Paul Deschanel was schooled at the Collège Sainte-Barbe-des-Champs in Fontenay-aux-Roses, then at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and the Lycée Condorcet in Paris. The family left Paris for several months in 1870–1871, due to the Siege of Paris. Deschanel completed his military service in the infantry in Paris in 1873, then studied at the École Libre des Sciences Politiques and the Faculty of Law of Paris, graduating with a baccalaureate in law in 1874 and a licentiate in law in 1875.
Early career in politics
He began his career as secretary to Deshayes de Marcère (1876) and then to Jules Simon (1876–1877). In October 1885, he was elected deputy for Eure-et-Loir. From the first, he was an important figure in the Chamber of Deputies, being one of the most notable orators of the Progressist Republican group. In January 1896, he was elected vice-president of the Chamber, and henceforth devoted himself to the struggle against the Left, not only in parliament, but also in public meetings throughout France.
“Paul Deschanel” enters the record as 11th President of the French Republic (1855–1922). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Paul, Deschanel and 11th can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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