Pierre-Étienne Flandin
Flandin in 1935
Deputy Prime Minister of France
In office
13 December 1940 – 9 February 1941
Chief of the StatePhilippe Pétain
Preceded byPierre Laval
Succeeded byFrançois Darlan
Prime Minister of France
In office
8 November 1934 – 1 June 1935
PresidentAlbert Lebrun
Preceded byGaston Doumergue
Succeeded byFernand Bouisson
Personal details
Born(1889-04-12)April 12, 1889
Paris, France
Died13 June 1958(1958-06-13) (aged 69)
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
Political partyDemocratic Republican Alliance (1914–1940)

Pierre-Étienne Flandin (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ etjɛn flɑ̃dɛ̃]; 12 April 1889 – 13 June 1958) was a French conservative politician of the Third Republic, leader of the Democratic Republican Alliance (ARD), and Prime Minister of France from 1934 to 1935.[1][2]

A military pilot during World War I,[3] Flandin held a number of cabinet posts during the interwar period. He was Minister of Commerce, under the premiership of Frédéric François-Marsal, for just five days in 1924. He was Minister of Commerce and Industry in the premierships of André Tardieu in 1931 and 1932. Between those posts, he served under Pierre Laval as Finance Minister. In 1934 (6 February to 8 November), he was Minister of Public Works in the second cabinet of Gaston Doumergue. He became Prime Minister in November 1934, but his premiership lasted only until June 1935. However, a number of important pacts were negotiated during his term: the Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, the Stresa Front and the Franco-Soviet Pact.[1] Flandin was, at 45, the youngest prime minister in French history.[3]

Flandin was the French Foreign Minister when Adolf Hitler ordered the Wehrmacht to reoccupy the Rhineland on 7 March 1936.[4] Supporting appeasement during the Munich crisis hurt his career.[3] In December 1940, Vichy Chief of State Philippe Pétain appointed Flandin Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister on 13 December 1940, replacing Pierre Laval. He occupied that position for only two months.[5]

He was ousted by François Darlan in January 1941.[6]

A street in Avallon was named in his honour.[7] In May 2017, it was renamed in honour of the murdered British MP, Jo Cox.[8]

Flandin's ministry, 8 November 1934 – 1 June 1935

References

  1. 1 2 "M. Pierre Flandin – A Former Premier of France". The Times. 14 June 1958.
  2. ↑ "Alliance républicaine démocratique (ARD)". Quid.fr. 2008. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 Gunther, John (1940). Inside Europe. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 196.
  4. ↑ "Berlin Talks on Reconciliation – Mr Flandin's Statement". The Times. 7 March 1936.
  5. ↑ His reputation has suffered considerably partially for the very negative comments in the 1944 book by Pertinax, The Gravediggers of France (Chapter 5) in which the author blames him for strengthening appeasement, which ultimately led to Hitler's invasion. "Histoire des Chefs de Gouvernement". République Française – Portail du Gouvernement. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 April 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
  6. ↑ Dank, Milton (1974). The French against the French. London: Cassell. pp. 365 p. 338. ISBN 0-304-30037-3.
  7. ↑ 47°29′20″N 3°53′52″E / 47.4889607°N 3.8977763°E
  8. ↑ Gacon, Armelle. "Inauguration - L'ex-rue Pierre-Etienne Flandin porte désormais le nom de Jo Cox, à la Morlande". L'Yonne republicaine. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
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