Leon Gambetta (April 2nd 1838 with Cahors - December 31st 1882 with City-with Avray) is a Politician French. He is mainly illustrated as a national defender at the time of the Guerre free-Prussian in 1870, and as a reformer at the time of his government of 1881. Its dynamic policy ran up against the financial lobbies and the conservatism of the political personnel. She nevertheless was a source of inspiration for other politicians, in particular Jean Jaurès.

Biography

Origin

Leon Gambetta is born April 2nd, 1838 with Cahors, in the department of the Lot, of a father Italian immigrant, modest grocer, and of a Gascon mother. At the sixteen years age, Leon Gambetta loses his left eye, following an accident. He follows studies to the Petit seminar, then with the college of Cahors where he makes a success of the baccalaureat, and finally in Paris where he obtains a license in right and becomes lawyer. During its studies in Paris, he assiduously attends the republican circles which meet in the Latin Quarter with the Café Voltaire. At the age of twenty and one years, Leon Gambetta chooses French nationality.

Its lawyer career

Lawyer, it makes known himself in 1868 like opponent with the imperial mode by defending Charles Delescluze, a republican journalist. This savage opposing to the second Empire is accused to have opened a public subscription in its newspaper in order to set up a monument with the memory of Jean-Baptiste Baudin, appointed second Republic. This last died by being opposed to the sides workmen with the coup d'etat of Napoleon III on December 3rd, 1851. The lawsuit is lost, Delescluze is condemned to the deportation, but its defender reaches notoriety. In a few months, Leon Gambetta hardly becomes the new speaker of the Republican left at the thirty years age.

Its beginnings in policy

A few months after his entry in policy and with thirty years hardly, Leon Gambetta is candidate with the legislative elections of 1869. He pronounces on this occasion the Programme of Belleville in April 1869 in the district of Belleville in Paris. This speech poses the broad outlines of battle of the republican opposition. Gambetta is favorable to radical measurements, which the Republican left will take again thereafter. It militates for:

• the Freedom of the press;
• the separation of the Church and the State;
• introduction of the Income tax;
• the election of the civils servant;
• removal of the standing armies.

On April 23rd and 24th 1869, Leon Gambetta is elected in Paris and Marseilles. This strong personality, powerful orator débraillé, who does not belong to the Establishment of the upper middle class little by little will assert himself like a political leader, that of a reforming and moderated Republican left. Gambetta was without any most savage doubt opposing to the emperor Napoleon III, at the point to be shown to have encouraged, in writing pad, the disastrous war against Prussia to get rid of the empire and to thus restore the republic (stupid the Dépêche of Ems sent to nonquarrelsome Kaiser, contrary to Bismarck which wanted the war for " construire" Germany). Napoleon III being completely exceeded by the situation. Testimonys of soldiers and officers giving of the strange cases of awkwardnesses in the known French generals to be republican.

Its political career

The savage one opposing to the Prussian army

The October 7th 1870, charged by the Government with National defense to direct the War free-Prussian in province, Gambetta leaves Paris in balloon for raising new troops, but its project to release the capital fails. With Turns, it organizes a new government which will have to be folded up with Bordeaux.

The January 28th 1871, at the time of the capitulation of Paris, Gambetta proposes to continue the war. Treated “the insane furious one” by Adolphe Thiers, it accepts finally the armistice.

February 8th at March 1st 1871, it represents the the Low-Rhine with the National Assembly. It leaves the Parliament among the deputies of Alsace-Lorraine yielded to the German Empire. Patient, it withdraws himself then a few months in Spain and in Suisse, and, during the Commune of Paris, encourages the attempts at conciliation of certain elected municipal councils May 7th and 8th.

The July 2nd 1871, Leon Gambetta is made elect appointed the Seine. It becomes the " commercial traveller of République" between 1871 and 1875 by making many speeches at public meetings (eleven volumes will be published as from 1881): thus in Grenoble on September 26th, 1872, he announces at the time of a remained speech celebrates " the arrival and the presence, in the policy, of a nouvelle" social layer;.

Re-elected triumphantly appointed 20th district of Paris in 1875 and 1877, it loses then the confidence of the working population of Belleville and the surrounding districts which reproach him its indifference with the social conditions and its refusal to vote the amnesty of old the communards. Leon Gambetta definitively gives up any political activity in this popular district of Paris after an electoral meeting on August 16th, 1881 which brings together 8000 people street Saint-Blaise in the district of Charonne during which it was constrained to give up the platform, in front of the hostility of the audience, half an hour after his arrival.

He is candidate with the presidential election of 1879, where he does not join together practically any vote.

Leon Gambetta is named President of the House of Commons of 1879 with 1881 then President of the Council and Foreign Minister of the November 14th 1881 with the January 27th 1882.

The reforming republican

See also: Government Leon Gambetta

November 14th, 1881, Leon Gambetta is named President of the Council by the President of the Republic Jules Grévy. He considers great reforms then, in particular in favor of the workmen:

• the Nationalization of the railroad;
• the installation of the Income tax;
• recognition of the trade union rights;

But a lobby is organized around its policy (the bank Rothschild in particular, railroad companies, and companies mining). The mediocrity of the personnel political, anxious to preserve its short-term interests (re-election, fear to have to undergo an executive closes), and the fear of reforms leading to the opening of the capacity towards other social layers ruin its ministry at the end of sixty fourteen days only.

One can note his passage in the vaucluse, with cavaillon, which was worth a reception with stone blow to him. Indeed, monarchists one engaged of the men of Avignon and Marseilles to create problems to him, and it could not hold the meeting envisaged with the " apple of or" , fleeing by the course bournissac.

List mandates and political responsibilities

• 1869 - 1871: Deputy of Paris and Marseilles;

• 1870 - 1871: Minister of Interior Department of the provisional government of IIIe Republic; chief of the Delegation;
• 1871 - 1871: Deputy of the Low Rhine - resigns at the time of the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine in Germany;
• 1871 - 1873: Deputy of the Seine;
• 1873 - 1881: Deputy of the 20th district;
• 1879 - 1879: Candidate with the presidential election;
• 1879 - 1881: President of the House of Commons;
• 1881 - 1882: President of the Council;
• 1881 - 1882: Foreign Minister.

Its newspapers

Leon Gambetta founded various newspapers:

• the political Review : a newspaper of opposition to the Second Empire (1869);
• the French Republic (1871).

Others

Leon Gambetta belonged to the cabin the Reform of the Franc-maçonnerie.

Its death

Wounded with the hand, officially by repairing its gun or more probably by its mistress Léonie Leon, it contracted a Septicémie. During its convalescence, a acute Appendicite (that one did not dare yet to operate before 1885) occurred and carried it the December 31st, at the 44 years age. Leon Gambetta died in Sevres in the Hauts-de-Seine, in the Maison of Jardies, remains that it had bought in 1878. Gambetta was buried in Nice (cemetery of the castle), beside his/her mother.

According to the Baudrian embalmer, its friends partagerent the parts of the corpse transformed into republican relic: V… boned the arm, L… cut the appendix, Bert packed up the heart…. source Historia no491 of November 1987 page 88, according to Gheuzi.

The November 11th 1920, day when was buried under the Triumphal arch the Unknown soldier, the heart of Gambetta was transferred to the the Pantheon.

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