Georges Clemenceau
The fierce 'Tiger of France' who rallied his broken nation to victory in World War I and dictated punishing terms for peace.
1841–1929 (age 88)·President of the Council of France (1906–1909, 1917–1920)·Birthday: September 28
Biography
Georges Clemenceau was a force of nature in French politics, a combative skeptic who embodied the fierce will of the Third Republic. Trained as a doctor, he found his true calling in journalism and radical politics, earning the nickname 'The Tiger' for his sharp critiques and relentless pursuit of scandal. His first term as Prime Minister before WWI was marked by secular reforms and labor strife. Recalled to lead a nation on the brink of collapse in 1917, he became an inexorable symbol of resistance, visiting trenches, crushing defeatism, and unifying the war effort under his iron will. At the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, his deep-seated desire for security and vengeance against Germany clashed with the more idealistic visions of allies like Wilson, resulting in the harsh Treaty of Versailles. A victor but not a pacifier, he left office a year later, a complex figure who saved France but could not secure a lasting peace.
#1 When Georges Was Born
The biggest hits of 1841
Georges's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1841Born
1846Started school
1854Became a teenager
1857Could drive
1859Could vote
1862Turned 21
President: Abraham Lincoln
1871Turned 30
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Turned 40
President: Chester A. Arthur
1891Turned 50
President: Benjamin Harrison
1901Turned 60
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Turned 70
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1921Turned 80
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1929Died at 88
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
Key Achievements
- Served as Prime Minister of France during the critical final years of World War I, from 1917 to 1920.
- Was a principal architect of the Treaty of Versailles, insisting on terms to cripple German military power.
- As Minister of the Interior in 1906, he created the 'Brigades Mobiles,' the first modern French police force, later known as the 'Flyin Squads.'
- Played a key journalistic role in exposing the Panama Canal scandal in the 1890s, toppling numerous politicians.
Did You Know?
He was challenged to over a dozen duels in his life, primarily over articles he wrote, and fought in at least one with swords.
While studying medicine in the United States, he taught French and horseback riding at a girls' school in Stamford, Connecticut.
He was a great admirer of Japanese art and culture, amassing a significant collection.
An avid hunter, he kept a pet tiger cub for a short time, a gift from a Peruvian diplomat.
“War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men.”
