Biography of Bidault, Georges - Archontology
Bidault, Georges

Georges-Augustin Bidault

b. 5 Oct 1899, Moulins, Allier
d. 27 Jan 1983, Cambo-les-Bains, Pyrénées-atlantiques

Title: Président du Conseil des ministres (President of the Council of Ministers)
Term: 28 Oct 1949 - 2 Jul 1950
Chronology: 28 Oct 1949, endorsed by the vote of investiture, session of the Assemblée nationale (National Assembly), Palais-Bourbon, Paris [1][2]
28 Oct 1949, appointed on the list of members of the Council of Ministers, decree of the President of the Republic [3]
2 Jul 1950, ceased to exercise the functions of office upon the appointment of a successor [4]
Other offices: Président du Gouvernement provisoire de la République française (President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic) (19 Jun 1946 - 12 Dec 1946) [see details]
Biography:
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); captured 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).
Biographical sources: Dictionnaire des parlementaires français 1940-1958, 2:309.
Elections:

Vote of investiture (27 Oct 1949 - 28 Oct 1949)
votes cast 550
constitutional majority 311
in favour 367
against 183
Source of electoral results: Journal officiel de la République française. Débats parlementaires. Compte rendu in extenso des séances de l'Assemblée nationale et du Conseil de la République. N° 95. Vendredi 28 Octobre 1949. P. 5951-5952.

[1] Journal officiel de la République française. Débats parlementaires. Compte rendu in extenso des séances de l'Assemblée nationale et du Conseil de la République. N° 95. Vendredi 28 Octobre 1949. P. 5917-5940.
[2] The session of the National Assembly started at 16:00 27 Oct 1949 and continued to 01:00 28 Oct 1949 with the vote of investiture taking place between 00:15 28 Oct 1949 and 00:55 28 Oct 1949.
[3] Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et Décrets. N° 255. Vendredi 28 Octobre 1949. P. 10766.
[4] Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et Décrets. N° 157. Lundi 3 Juillet 1950. P. 7131.