Albert-François Lebrun

Born in the family of a mayor of Mercy-le-Haut, Meurthe-et-Moselle; was educated at a lyceum in Nancy; received degrees from the Ecole polytechnique (1890) and Ecole des mines (1896); served in the army (1892-1893); worked as mining engineer (1896-1901); general counselor for Audun-le-Roman (from 1898); president of the General Council of Meurthe-et-Moselle (1906-1932); elected to the Chambre des députés [Chamber of Deputies] (1900-1920); minister for colonies (27 Jun 1911 - 12 Jan 1913, 9 Dec 1913 - 9 Jun 1914); vice president of the Chamber of Deputies (1913); minister of war (12 Jan 1913 - 21 Jan 1913); served as artillery officer during World War I (1914-1915); minister for blockade (23 Nov 1917 - 24 Dec 1918); minister for the liberated regions (23 Nov 1917 - 6 Nov 1919); elected senator from Meurthe-et-Moselle (1920-1932); vice president (1925-1931) and president (11 Jun 1931 - 10 May 1932) of the Sénat; moderate conservative, was elected President of the Republic (10 May 1932); rarely exerted political influence on cabinet appointments or policy; reelected (5 Apr 1939); complied with the cabinet's decisions (June 1940) that led to the armistice with Germany; acquiesced in the constitutional revisions at Vichy through which Marshal Philippe Pétain took over as head of state; retired to Vizille near Grenoble; interned by the Germans at Itter in Tirol (1943-1944); acknowledged General Charles de Gaulle as head of the provisional government. Biography source: [1]