This dissertation has been 64—9587 microfilmed exactly as received RIFE, Jr., John Merle, 1925— THE POLITICAL CAREER OF LOUIS BARTHOU, 1 8 8 9 -1 9 1 3 . The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1964 History, modern University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan rHE POLITICAL CAREER OF LOUIS BARTHOU 1889-1913 DISSERTATION Presented In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By John Merle Rife, Jr*, B.A., M.A. ******** The Ohio State University 196^ Approved by A d v ise r Departmentf of History VITA April 5. 1925 Born - Bloomington, Indiana 1950 .... B. A., Muskingum Gollege, New Concord, Ohio 1952 .... M, A., Hie Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Summer 1952 . I n s t r u c t o r , Muskingum C o lleg e, New Concord, Ohio f 1955*1953 . Graduate Assistant, Department of History, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1957*1953 • . Research Assistant, Graduate School, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 1953-193^ . Associate Professor, Indiana State College, Indiana, Pennsylvania FIELDS OF STUDT Major Field: Modern European History Twentieth Century Europe. Professors Walter L. Dorn and Sydney N. F is h e r Nineteenth Century Europe. Professor Lowell J. Ragatz The Enlightenment. Professor James E. Gillespie American Diplomatic History. Professor Lawrence F« Hill Recent American History. Professors Foster Rhea Dulles and Robert H« Bremner International Relations and Politics. Professor E. Allen Helms i i CONTENTS Page VITA........................................................................................................................................... i i C h ap ter I . INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 I I . THE CONSERVATIVE D E P U T T ............................................................................ 8 L a b o r .................................................................................................................. 16 Constitutional and Legal Reform ..................................................... 23 T a r i f f .................................................................................................................. 2? S e p a r a t i o n ......................................................................................................... 32 Colonialism and Foreign Policy ......................................................... 35 P a n a m a .................................................................................................................. 36 Politics and Progress ............................................................................ **2 I I I . THE CONSERVATIVE M IN IS T E R ....................................................................... 48 1 8 9 4 ....................................................................................................................... 49 Minister of Public W orks ....................................................................... 54 1895-1896 62 Minister of Interior ......................................................... ..... 70 Politics, Reform, and the Sixth L egislature ........................ 75 Constitutional Reform ............................................................................ 84 Colonialism and Foreign Policy ......................................................... 85 The A f f a i r ......................................................................................................... 86 The Emerging P o litic ia n ....................................................................... 94 IV. THE ANTI-CLERICALIST DEPUTT ................................................................... 97 The End of the Affair and the Appearance of the Bloc . 97 Religion and the Seventh L egislature ........................................... 106 Labor and the Seventh L egislature ................................................ 112 Colonialism and Foreign Policy * ..................................................... 114 Election Law D iscussions .................................................................. 117 Party Politics and the 1902 E lection ........................................... 118 S e p a r a t i o n ......................................................................................................... 123 The Two-year Law ........................................................................................... 139 Labor and the Eighth L egislature ..................................................... 142 Colonialism and Foreign Policy in the Eighth Legislature ............................................................................................... 151 The End of the H io c ................................................................................. 154 The Party Leader .......................................................................................... 159 i i i CONTENTS (co n td .) Chapter Page V. THE ANTI-SOCIALIST M IN ISTER ................................................................ l 6 l Politics in 1906 .................................................................................... 161 S e p a r a t io n .................................................................................................. 164 Labor and the Ninth L egislature .................................................. 166 Nationalisation of the Cheinin de Fer de l*Ouest .... 177 Income Tax and the Ninth L egislature ......................................... 162 Foreign Affairs and the Ninth Legislature ........................... 163 Nationalism and Party Policies in the Ninth Legislature ......................................................................................... 184 The E le c tio n o f 1 9 1 0 ............................................................................ 189 Labor and the Tenth L egislature ................................................. 190 Foreign Affairs under the Tenth Legislature ......................... 198 Education and Politics ........................................................................ 201 Election Law Discussion ................................................................... 203 T a x e s ............................................................................................................ 206 The Party Leader Trium phs ............................................................... 207 V I. LE PRESIDENT DU C O N SE IL ........................................................................ 209 V II. THE BARTHOU-CAILLAUX PU Z Z L E ............................................................... 233 V I I I . LOUIS BARTHOU: POLITICIAN ................................................................... 243 APPENDIXES......................................................................................................................... 247 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................... 251 iv CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In the many works attempting to analyze the politics of the Third Republic there runs a persistent theme of uncertainty and instability, along with the numerous partial answers to why the instability existed. The Third Republic's 109 cabinets in ?0 years gave French m inisters an average cabinet-term expectancy of seven months and three weeks, and stand as quantitative evidence that there was an unusual amount of conflict and uncertainty in French political affairs. It caused Will Rogers to write from Paris in 1926 for his newspaper column: I arrived in Paris late at night. The next day we had Briand Premier for breakfast; Herriot Premier for lunch; Poincare for dinner; and woke up the next morning and Briand is back in again. This is not a government; it is an old-fashioned Movie, where they flash on the screen, "Two minutes, please, while we change p re m ie r s The Third Republic was the child of French internal political crises as well as of the defeat by Germany. The Second Etapire fell with its Emperor a prisoner of war, and a National Assembly attempted to take over the work begun by a provisional republican regime. Crises continued, As twice before following revolutions, the republicans found less and less support among the workers and fell more and more under the influence 1 Will Rogers, Sanity Is Where You Find I t . edited by Donald Day (Cambridge, 1955). p. 71. of the bourgeoisie, with a twilight shadow of the monarchists lengthening across it. But while the monarchists argued, the Orleanists joined the republicans long enough to write and finally to adopt a constitution in 1875. The Seize Mai crisis in I 877 then determined by precedent that the President of the Council of Ministers, and not the President of the Republic, would be the real executive; and in the ensuing election republicans managed to keep their majority, critical proof that the royalist, Catholic MacMahon could not dismiss a premier, much less a Chamber, simply because they were republican, even when he had the consent of the Senate, From then on, cabinets were responsible to the Chamber and Senate, coming and going at the disposition of the parliament. After the 1379 senatorial elections gave republicans control of the upper house as well, MacMahon resigned recognizing that France was republican. The joint houses elected a republican president, Jules Grevy, and in 1880 the government felt safe enough to move from Versailles back into Paris. With monarchy