Georges-Augustin Bidault

Attended the Collège de jésuites de Bollango; participated in the First World War; studied history at the Faculté des lettres, Paris; active in the Roman Catholic youth league (Action catholique de Jeunnese française); taught history at Valenciennes (1925-1926), Reims (1926-1931), Paris (Lycée Louis-le-Grand, 1931-1939); edited the daily L'Aube (1934-1939); recruited to the French army (1940); captivated by the Germans (8 May 1940); released (July 1941); worked at a Lyon lyceum (1942-1943); joined the anti-Nazi Resistance; president of the National Council of the Resistance (Conseil national de la Résistance, 1943-1944); served as foreign minister (10 Sep 1944 - 16 Dec 1946) in the Provisional Governments of Charles de Gaulle and Félix Gouin; one of the founders of the Popular Republican Movement (Mouvement républicain populaire, MRP) and its president (from May 1949); elected (21 Oct 1945, 2 Jun 1946) a member of the first and second Constituent National Assembly as a representative of Loire; elected (19 Jun 1946) President of the Provisional Government composed of communists, socialists and members of MRP (approved by the Constituent National Assembly on 25 Jun 1946); retained the office of foreign minister (until 16 Dec 1946); worked out a compromise on Indochina and conducted elections to the National Assembly; elected (10 Nov 1946) a member of the National Assembly as a representative of Loire (served 1946-1958); foreign minister (22 Jan 1947 - 26 Jul 1948) in the Cabinets of Paul Ramadier and Robert Schuman; President of the Council of Ministers (28 Oct 1949 - 2 Jul 1950) and Vice-President of the Council (2 Jul 1950 - 12 Jul 1950, 10 Mar 1951 - 8 Mar 1952); defense minister (11 Aug 1951 - 8 Mar 1952); elected honorary president of MRP (1952); foreign minister (8 Jan 1953 - 19 Jun 1954); was called to form a government (1 Jun 1953), but failed to obtain the votes of the National Assembly (10 Jun 1953); a candidate to the presidency of French Republic, withdrew after the 2nd round (17 Dec 1953); withdrew from the MPR (1958); refused to form a Cabinet (April 1958) and became one of the founders of the Christian Democratic Movement (Démocratie chrétienne de France); president of the Executive Council of the Rally for the French Algeria (Rassemblement pour l'Algérie française); was accused of "conspiring against the state security" (July 1962) and had to live five years in exile (Brazil 1962-1967, Belgium 1967-1968); returned to France (June 1968); a founder of the Movement for Justice and Liberty (Mouvement pour la justice et la liberté). Biography source: [4]