Andre Lebon

Andre Lebon , born with Dieppe the August 26th 1858 and died in Paris the February 17th 1938, was teaching in history and political sciences, famous of its time, then a French politician, before making career in the businesses.

Beginnings

André Lebon is initially professor with the Private school of political sciences. Burning partisan of revenge, this patriot who is also republican becomes appointed Two-Sevres (of 1893 to 1898) before being named at 37 years Minister Commercial and the Colonies in the government Jules Méline.

The drift racketeer of the French colonialisation

Minister for the Colonies between 1896 and 1898 and first to have paid there a visit, this republican burning founds in equatorial Africa, against the opinion of his discoverer De Brazza, a Régime of concession which will appear very hard, breaking with the French tradition of direct Administration. Near to the mediums of businesses, this nationalist leaves the political career to take the head of various grosses French companies. Becoming one of the first leaders of French capitalism, it puts its direction of the organization and the relations to extend and develop the influence of the companies which it directs. In station from April 29th, 1896 to June 28th, 1898, right before the business of Fachoda, this minister who was one of young people of the Third Republic entrusts in 1897 to forty concessionary companies the economic exploitation of the 650.000 km ² of “French Congo”, gathering the Gabon, the Congo and the Oubangui-Chari whose exploration and conquest have just been completed.

De Brazza is opposed to its decision fearing the consequences for the populations and in January 1898, André Lebon draws aside it, placing it “in the situation of setting of availability” but the continuation will give reason to the explorer: the action of the companies which divide the territory will decimate the populations, subjected to the bearing and the forced labors, victims of violent requisitions and reprisals to least disobedience.

Whereas the French Western Africa is subjected to the direct administration of the official authorities Frenchwoman, the decision of Andre Lebon inaugurates for the French equatorial Africa a Régime of concession, near to that into force with the Belgian Congo close. Delivered to the appetites of the main true capitalist companies of these territories, these regions and their populations will know a wild exploitation which will cause in particular the death of million workers on the building sites and the plantations and the first abuses will be denounced little time after its departure of the ministry.

In July 1898, it is also André Lebon who launches the mission “Mission Africa Power station-Chad”, entrusted to the captains Paul Voulet and Julien Chanoine (Mission Voulet-Canon) of which tragic drift, until in 1899, at the moment when France multiplied the colonial conquests, will cause one of the first colonial scandals.

A policy in the businesses

André Lebon starts then a new career as administrator in various important companies, becoming one of the first policies to be invested in the world of the private company and one of the major leaders of French capitalism. With the head of the Building and loan association of France, Maritime Transport, Building and loan association of Algeria and Tunisia, Company of , Suez Canal Air France and Compagnie of the PLM it remains always concerned French economic interests, it gets busy this time to develop of it the influence in particular in the Mediterranean zone.

André Lebon is a precursor of the employers' trade unionism of union: he creates in 1903, the Fédération of the Industrialists and the French Tradesmen, first institution which aims at gathering the whole of French employers.

Freemason, André Lebon belonged to the Cabin “Cosmos” of Paris.

Publications

Collected instruction given to the ambassadors and to ministers of France since the treaties of Westphalia until the Revolution (1648-1789), vol. VII Bavaria, Palatinat, Double-decker , 1889
Voyage to Senegal and Sudan of Mr. André Lebon, Minister for the Colonies , Saint-Louis, Imp. General of the government, Oct./Nov. 1897,219 pages. Text in line

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