Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet was born on 9 November 1888 in Cognac, France, into a family of cognac merchants. His father, Jacques-Gabriel Monnet, managed a distillery, while his mother, Marie Demelle, was deeply religious. Monnet did not complete his secondary education and instead moved to the United Kingdom to learn about business. He later traveled extensively for the family business, including to Canada, the United States, and Russia.During World War I, Monnet advocated for the coordination of Allied war efforts, believing that a unified approach was essential for victory. He met with French Premier René Viviani in 1914 to discuss this idea, but significant organizational changes did not occur until later in the war. After the war, Monnet served as an assistant at the Paris Peace Conference and was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Nations in 1919. He left the League in 1922 to manage his family's business, which was struggling financially.In 1925, Monnet moved to the United States to work in banking and became involved in the economic recovery of several Central and Eastern European nations. He played a key role in stabilizing the Polish zloty and the Romanian leu. From 1932 to 1936, he lived in China, where he helped develop the Chinese economy and reorganize its railroads.With the onset of World War II, Monnet was sent to London to coordinate Franco-British war supplies. He proposed a Franco-British union, which was supported by Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle but ultimately rejected by the French cabinet. After the fall of France, Monnet worked to secure American military supplies and became an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, advocating for a massive arms production program. His efforts contributed to the United States' involvement in the war through the Victory Program.In 1943, Monnet became a member of the French Committee of National Liberation and served as Minister of Armaments. He emphasized the need for European integration to ensure lasting peace and prosperity. After the war, he negotiated the Blum–Byrnes Agreement with the United States, which alleviated France's debt and provided financial assistance in exchange for opening its cinemas to American films.Monnet was instrumental in the creation of the Monnet Plan in 1946, aimed at France's economic recovery through modernization and efficiency. This plan laid the groundwork for the Schuman Plan, which proposed the pooling of French and German coal and steel industries, leading to the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951. Monnet became the first president of the ECSC's High Authority.In 1955, Monnet founded the Action Committee for the United States of Europe to promote European integration following the failure of the European Defence Community. This committee played a significant role in the establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1958 and the subsequent development of European institutions. Monnet resigned from the committee in 1975, marking the end of his active involvement in European politics.Monnet published his memoirs in the 1970s, detailing his life and contributions to European unity. He passed away on 16 March 1979 at the age of 90. His funeral was attended by prominent leaders, and in 1988, on the centenary of his birth, his ashes were transferred to the Panthéon in Paris, honoring his legacy as a key figure in the establishment of the European Union.

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Jean Monnet