Raymond Poincaré

Lore & Background

Raymond Poincaré was born in Bar-le-Duc, Meuse, to Nanine Marie Ficatier and Nicolas Antonin Hélène Poincaré. He was the cousin of mathematician Henri Poincaré. Educated at the University of Paris, he became the youngest lawyer in France at age 20 and successfully defended Jules Verne in a libel suit. Elected to the Chamber of Deputies at 26, he was the youngest deputy. He co-founded the Democratic Republican Alliance in 1902, the main centre-right party under the Third Republic. Poincaré served as minister of education, fine arts and religion, and later as minister of finance. He was noted for a lifelong feud with Georges Clemenceau, described by historian Anthony Adamthwaite as having an 'obsession with Clemenceau verging on paranoia' and as a 'cold fish whose one passion was cats'.

Reader's Guide

Raymond Poincaré's significance lies in his leadership during a critical period in French and European history. As President from 1913 to 1920, he attempted to exercise influence from a traditionally figurehead role, visiting Russia in 1912 and 1914 to repair strained relations. He played an important role during the July Crisis of 1914, which led to France's participation in World War I. After the war, he favored Allied occupation of the Rhineland at the Paris Peace Conference. Returning as prime minister in 1922, he ordered the Occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 to enforce German reparations, earning the nickname 'Poincaré-la-Guerre' in the English-speaking world. His third premiership lasted from 1926 to 1929. Poincaré is honored in France as a victorious wartime leader, nicknamed 'Le Lion'.

Did You Know?

• Poincaré was the cousin of the famous mathematician Henri Poincaré.
• At age 20, he became the youngest lawyer in France.
• He successfully defended Jules Verne in a libel suit brought by chemist Eugène Turpin.
• He was an International Member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.