Raymond-Nicolas-Landry Poincaré

Son of an engineer; educated at the École Polytechnique; admitted to the bar (1882) after studying law at the University of Paris; general counselor for Pierrefitte-sur-Aire (from 1886); elected to Chambre des députés (Chamber of Deputies) (1887-1903); minister of public education, arts and cults (4 Apr 1893 - 3 Dec 1893, 26 Jan 1895 - 1 Nov 1895); minister of finances (30 May 1894 - 26 Jan 1895, 14 Mar 1906 - 25 Oct 1906); elected to Sénat (1903-1912, 1920-1934); elected to Académie française (1909); President of the Council of Ministers and minister for foreign affairs (14 Jan 1912 - 21 Jan 1913); elected President of the Republic (17 Jan 1913); worked for preserving national unity during World War I (1914-1918); insisted on complete payments of reparations by Germany; president of the Reparation Committee (1920); President of the Council of Ministers and minister for foreign affairs (15 Jan 1922 - 9 Jun 1924); authorized occupation of Ruhr by the French army to secure reparations from Germany (1923); President of the Council of Ministers (23 Jul 1926 - 29 Jul 1929) and minister of finances (23 Jul 1926 - 11 Nov 1928); succeeded in stabilizing national currency. Biography source: [1; 2]