Background
Poincare was born at Bar-le-Duc, France on August 20, 1860. He was the son of a meteorologist and civil servant.
Poincare was born at Bar-le-Duc, France on August 20, 1860. He was the son of a meteorologist and civil servant.
Raymond was educated at the École Polytechnique. After studying law at the University of Paris, he was admitted to the bar in 1882.
Poincare practiced law in Paris, contributed to political journals, and served in the Department of Agriculture. In 1887 Poincare was elected deputy for the Meuse. Later observers were impressed by his unemotional and distant manner. Poincare became a member of the Budget Commissions of 1890-1891 and 1892, and he served during 1893 and 1894 in the Cabinets of Charles Dupuy, first as minister of education and then as minister of finance. Next he became minister of public instruction in the Ribot Cabinet. In 1895 he was chosen vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, and Poincare retained this position until 1897. In 1899 President Emile Loubet asked him to form a Cabinet, but he was unsuccessful because he would not accept a Socialist minister in his coalition. From this time until 1912, Poincaré refused to join any government except for a brief period between March and October 1906, when he was minister of finance in the Sarrien Cabinet. He emphasized his withdrawal from an active role by accepting a seat in the Senate. During this period Poincare devoted himself to his law practice, and he became one of the wealthiest and most successful lawyers in France.
Poincare's political ideas remained relatively constant throughout his career. In the reaction after the crisis at Agadir, Morocco, in January 1912, Poincare formed a "national ministry. " He emphasized the need for a strong, authoritative government, and his program called for electoral reform at home and maintenance of France's alliances and friendships abroad. Poincare expressed his desire for peace, but he also stressed military preparedness. Concerned to maintain France's security and prestige, Poincaré supported Russia's policy during the First Balkan War, and later he again assured the Russians that they could depend upon France. Poincare also obtained a reorganization and strengthening of the French navy. His government entered into a naval agreement with Great Britain that resulted in France's concentrating its fleet in the Mediterranean. Poincare also reestablished friendly relations with Italy after a naval incident in January 1912. By the end of 1912 Poincaré was widely acknowledged as France's strongest statesman.
In December 1912 Poincare announced his intention to run for the presidency of the republic, although open candidacies were not customary. Poincare's campaign marked the climax of the strong presidency agitation that had been growing for some time. He openly advocated a fuller use of the president's constitutional powers, and he doubtless expected to revitalize the weak office of the presidency. On January 17, 1913, he was elected the ninth president of the French Republic by the National Assembly. His strong nationalist beliefs led Poincare to support the bill raising the term of military service from 2 to 3 years. He was, to a large extent, responsible for its passage, and he maintained it despite opposition, which continued to grow. This active role in policy formulation made him a party president, and it produced frequent attacks upon him by the left Radical-Socialist elements. In foreign affairs Poincare followed the program he had inaugurated as premier, supporting Theophile Delcasse as ambassador to Russia and attempting to preserve peace by ensuring that the Entente powers pursued a strong and united policy. He made state visits to England in June 1913 and to Russia in July 1914, and he was returning to France by way of the Scandinavian capitals when Austria delivered its ultimatum to Serbia on July 23, 1914. Hastening to Paris, he urged Russia to delay mobilization, and he presided over the foreign-policy decisions of the Cabinet. During the war Poincaré worked tirelessly to maintain morale. He urged Frenchmen to perform heroically and visited training camps, hospitals, and front lines. In November 1917 in a decision proving his statesmanship and self-sacrifice, Poincare called upon his traditional political foe, Clemenceau, to form a Cabinet. During the peace negotiations, Poincare found himself again in opposition to Clemenceau. Poincaré supported Marshal Ferdinand Foch in his campaign for a separate Rhineland, and he disputed Clemenceau's policy, urging a firm stand and heavy reparations. These attempts to influence policy were generally unsuccessful, and Poincare completed his term of office in January 1920. He had been France's strongest president, but he had made no basic alteration in the office.
Reelected as senator from the Meuse, Poincare accepted the premiership in January 1922, and he retained this post, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until June 1, 1924. The chief problem at this time was reparations. Poincaré insisted that Germany fulfill its obligations. Unable to reach agreement on policy with the British in Interallied conferences held in London and Paris, Poincare's government decided to act alone. When Germany defaulted on fuel deliveries in January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr. The Germans adopted a policy of passive resistance for some months, and the German mark collapsed completely. The cost of occupation was undermining the French economy as well, and Poincare agreed to an Anglo-American proposal to review the reparations issue. The result was the Dawes Plan, accepted in April 1924, which stabilized the mark, provided foreign loans for Germany, and reduced reparations payments. The international exchange situation produced a financial crisis in France during the first quarter of 1924. Poincare's adroit moves on the money market, and a 20 percent increase in indirect taxes in order to pay for the Ruhr occupation, saved the situation, but the taxes were unpopular. Attacks by the Radicals and Socialists won a substantial victory for the Cartel of the Left in the general elections of May 11, 1924, and when the new Chamber assembled, Poincaré resigned. During the next two years, though he retained his Senate seat, Poincaré was relatively inactive in politics.
The economic policies of the Cartel proved unsatisfactory, and in the midst of a serious financial crisis, President Gaston Doumergue recalled Poincaré to head a National Union government. Public confidence was restored, and the franc immediately rose from 50 to 40 per American dollar. The legislature granted Poincaré decree powers to meet crises. He introduced new taxes, mostly indirect; he reduced government expenses; he created, through constitutional amendment, an inviolate fund to meet bond payments; and he increased interest rates. The result was a budgetary surplus and an exchange rate of 25 francs per dollar. The elections of April 1928 brought victory for the National Union, which had supported Poincaré, and, shortly after, he officially devalued the franc, establishing it at one-fifth its prewar value.
The Radical-Socialists withdrew their support and obliged Poincare to resign on Nov. 7, 1928, but he formed a new ministry on November 12 and retained his post until July 1929, when ill health forced him to retire. He refused a fifth offer of the premiership in 1930. Meanwhile, he had published his memoirs in 10 volumes, entitled Au service de la France (In the Service of France), describing the events of 1911-1920 and his role in them.
Raymond Poincare was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. He was fundamentally anticlerical. He believed that the Church have no role to play in education or politics.
Poincare ideas were firmly rooted in the ideals of Ferry and Gambetta. He devoted his life to public service. His political ideology early led him to criticize the French governmental system. During World War I, as President with strong nationalist belief, determination and decisiveness he tried to restore peace. His decisive diplomatic move played an active role in strengthening the Triple Entente. This led him to be criticized by the left.
Unity is believed to be France's destiny. It was seen as the key to the greatness. Poincaré's grand design for France was also unity. In the political career from 1887 to 1929 he held most of the major offices of state both before and after the First World War. He played a prominent role in France's entry into the war, Peace restoration, Ruhr occupation and reformation of French economy in 1920s.
Raymond worked in Paris bar for some time. Later he became law editor of the Voltaire. He was successful in his law career. His cases were mainly in the area of commercial law. He defended Jules Verne in a libel suit presented against the famous author by the chemist Eugène Turpin, who claimed that the "mad scientist" character in Verne's book facing the Flag was based on him. After entering to politics also he find his own place an established his legacy. He served his country as president during World War I (1914-18) and later as prime minister during a series of financial crises.
Poincare had an interest in sound public finance. During his first tenure of the ministry of finance Poincare preoccupied with measures to finance an incipient welfare economy. He promoted laws to establish structures to finance welfare and ensuring that state expenditure did not outstrip income.
He established the credit agricole mutualist savings bank for farmers and the state owned Caisse des depots in the construction and management of subsidized housing. This legislation met his second target as finance minister and to continue his earlier work of bringing greater rigor to set state’s finances by a tighter control of expenditure.
At education ministry Poincare passed a series of laws and created modern French university system and revitalized provincial universities whish had suffered from the centralizing tendencies of the Empire. He also reformed under graduate and doctoral law studies. He established improved system of scholarship for children in secondary school based on merit.
Poincare continued with his duties but his disappointment with political system has increased. He made several speeches criticizing futile debate of party politics and called for patriotism to overcome a spilt in society.
During war time Poincare is the most closely associated for his establishment of union sacrée and ‘Poincaré-la-guerre’. According to Poincaré-la-guerre’, Poincaré actively sought war before 1914 in order to regain the lost provinces of Alsace–Lorraine. It gained currency at the end of the war as part of the ‘war guilt’ debate surrounding the war's origins. The Versailles Peace Treaty took the unprecedented step which lay sole responsibility for the outbreak of the war with Germany.
Poincare was one person who dedicated his life for the welfare of his countrymen, a true patriot. His primary aim from the beginning of this term at the office as to make the lives of his countrymen peaceful and strengthen their faith in the constitution which he achieved during his tenure.
Quotations:
"If I do not yet see the light of day it is because the scaffolding of London still blocks my view of the rising sun. And what worries me the most is that this scaffolding rests upon quicksand: the good faith of Germany, the good faith, not only of the present government in Berlin, but of all those governments that will follow it. "
"Judging others by themselves, the English, who are blinded by their loyalty, have always thought that the Germans did not abide by their pledges inscribed in the Versailles Treaty because they had not frankly agreed to them. .. We, on the contrary, believe that if Germany, far from making the slightest effort to carry out the treaty of peace, has always tried to escape her obligations, it is because until now she has not been convinced of her defeat. .. We are also certain that Germany, as a nation, resigns herself to keep her pledged word only under the impact of necessity. "
Raymond Poincare was an ambitious leader. He has a strong personality with confidence and benevolence. People entrusted in his sureness and effective swift actions. He has a natural authority. He dedicated his life to his country and he selflessly worked for restoring peace in unified France. Poincare was very particular about his dressing and appearance.
Physical Characteristics: When he was serving as Deputy, Louis Madelin described him as "short, slender, rather pale, with crew cut hair, and his serious face framed by a young beard."
Quotes from others about the person
"M. Poincaré has been a great, a very great president. .. Posterity. .. will ratify this judgment, and its admiration will increase with the revelation of documents in which the clear-sighted patriotism, the tenacity, the patience, the courageous confidence of the outgoing president are affirmed. It is known what he said. .. and he was an incomparable orator. It is hardly suspected how much good he did and how much evil he prevented, without ever departing from constitutional correctness. " (by Louis Barthou)
"I recall the nomination of M. Poincaré seven years ago. It was almost a revolution. .. A man of great talent, sprung from a family of high morality and worthy in every respect. .. The coming of M. Poincaré was greeted as announcing the dawn of a new era. A patriotic policy was about to succeed a regime of diminution and debasement. It was expected that this Lorrainer, an orator, an upright man, a patriot. .. would revive the country. .. I do not hesitate to say that the total good in his activity is greater than the total of bad. .. he never weakened. .. his influence and his action were judicious, useful, and even very effective. .. Finally, if the country has maintained an honorable and worthy appearance, it is because he who represented it knew how to be worthy and honest himself. " (Germain Bapst's diary entry (18 February 1920), quoted in Gordon Wright)
Art and literature remained as his true passion. He wrote articles for literary magazines and preface books as well as kept private correspondence with many of the great literary names of the times. Later the love towards books turned into love of dogs and cats. He exchanged amusing letters on the nature of cats with his colleague Robert Mitchell who use to supply him Siamese cats.
Raymond Poincaré was highly secretive about his private life. The famous mathematician Jules Henri Poincaré was his cousin. Henriette Benucci Poincaré was his spouse. She was married twice before her marriage to Poincaré. Since 1901 she was in a relationship with Poincare and they got married in 1904.