Vincent Jules Auriol was born on 27 August 1884 in Revel, Haute-Garonne, to Jacques Antoine Auriol and Angélique Virginie Durand. He earned a law degree in 1904 and began his career as a lawyer in Toulouse. Auriol co-founded the newspaper Le Midi Socialiste in 1908 and became a committed socialist. He was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1914, representing Muret, and held this position until 1942. He served as Mayor of Muret from 1925 to 1947 and was a member of the Conseil Général of Haute-Garonne during the same period. After the split of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO) in 1920, Auriol became a leader of the remaining socialist minority alongside Léon Blum.Auriol held significant roles in the government during the Third Republic, including Minister of Finance from 1936 to 1937, where he devalued the French franc by 30% against the US dollar. This decision led to economic instability and contributed to Blum's resignation. Auriol later served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Coordination of Services of the Presidency of the Council. He opposed the extraordinary powers granted to Philippe Pétain in July 1940, resulting in his house arrest until he escaped to join the French Resistance in 1942. He fled to London in 1943 and represented the Socialists at the Free French Consultative Assembly and at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods in July 1944.After World War II, Auriol served as Minister of State in Charles de Gaulle's provisional government and participated in the drafting of the constitution for the Fourth Republic. He was elected as the first President of the Fourth Republic on 16 January 1947, receiving 452 votes. His presidency was characterized by political instability, economic challenges, and the Indochina War. Auriol faced significant strikes in 1947, which escalated into violence, prompting the government to deploy military forces. His administration also dealt with increasing unrest in France's colonial territories, including Morocco, Madagascar, Algeria, and Tunisia.Auriol did not seek re-election when his term ended on 16 January 1954, and he was succeeded by René Coty. After leaving office, he became an elder statesman, writing on political issues and serving on the Constitutional Council of France in 1958. He resigned from the SFIO that same year and opposed the new constitution in the national referendum. Auriol resigned from the Constitutional Council in 1960 in protest against the expanding powers of de Gaulle's presidency. He endorsed François Mitterrand for the presidency in 1965. Auriol died on 1 January 1966 in Paris and was buried in Muret, Haute-Garonne.Auriol married Michelle Aucouturier on 1 June 1911, and they had a son, Paul, and a daughter-in-law, aviator Jacqueline Auriol.

Shop

Vincent Auriol