Francois Mitterrand is the 21st President of France and at the same time the 4th President of the Fifth Republic founded by Charles de Gaulle. His leadership of the country turned out to be the longest in the history of the Fifth Republic and at the same time the most controversial, when the political pendulum moved from socialism to the liberal way.
Birth and years of study
At a time when Europe was still on fire in the First World War, in 1916, on October 26, the future French President Francois Mitterrand was born in the town of Jarnac. According to him, he was born "in a very believing Catholic" family. His father was J. Mitterrand, and his mother was I. Lorrain. In his native Jarnac, he stayed until the age of 9, where he received his primary education, and then went to Saint-Paul, a boarding college in Angoumel. This place was a private catholic privileged educational institution, after which he received a Bachelor of Philosophy.
At the age of 18 FrancoisMitterrand went to Paris to continue his studies. There he entered the Sorbonne, where he studied science until 1938. After completion, he received three more diplomas: from the philological and law faculties of the Sorbonne University, as well as from the School of Political Sciences. This is where the training ends, and adulthood begins, but even then the gift of diplomacy and foresight was visible in him, the future president Mitterrand Francois was already visible in him. Politics did not exactly attract him, he lived by it and with ardent delight welcomed the coming to power of the Popular Front in 1936.
Serving in the army and World War II in the life of Francois Mitterrand
In the spring of 1938, Francois was drafted into the army. He began his service in the 23rd Colonial Infantry Regiment. After the Germans unleashed World War II, he was moved to the Sedan area. In June 1940, during the capture of Paris by the Wehrmacht, Francois Mitterrand was seriously wounded by mine fragments. Miraculously, he managed to be taken out of the already defeated Paris, but soon Francois Mitterrand was captured by the Germans. Three escape attempts were made, and in the winter of 1941 he finally managed to get free and immediately join the resistance movement. There he received the pseudonym "Captain Morlun".
In 1942-1943, Francois was active in the affairs of prisoners of war. He even founded an organization and an underground patriotic union. At the end of 1943, the first meeting with Charles de Gaulle took place. Maybe you somehowmatch between them. François Mitterrand, however, unlike de Gaulle, was a young socialist politician who from the very first meeting went into conflict with him and openly disagreed with his views. In 1944 he was an activist for the liberation of France and a participant in the Paris uprising.
Political activity in the post-war years
After the collapse of Nazi Germany, Francois Mitterrand began to actively interfere in the state apparatus of the French Republic. He held more than ten ministerial posts, and also became the leader of the YUDSR party. He pursued an anti-fascist course and publicly condemned the policies and excessive power of Charles de Gaulle, and even wrote a book about him.
Struggle for presidency
The turning point in his political career was 1965. During this period, his biography changed. François Mitterrand took part in the presidential elections for the first time. However, he was defeated in the second round, and de Gaulle was re-elected president for a second term. He continued to conduct opposition activities at the head of the created federation of leftist forces. In 1974, fate reminded him of 1965 - he lost to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in the second round. His time had not yet come.
Throughout this period, he did not waste time in vain: he worked on himself, looked for other methods and created new political alliances, actively campaigned both covert and open. In general, his already advanced age was not a hindrance. After all, at that time (1974) he was already about 60 years old, and he was just starting to receivepleasure from political victories, but also not particularly upset by defeats. Therefore, he began to prepare for the subsequent elections in 1981 as never before.
4th President of the Fifth Republic
In 1981, in January, at the congress of the FSP (French Socialist Party), he was nominated unanimously as a presidential candidate in new elections. It was his high point. The 4th President of the Fifth Republic was Francois Mitterrand, whose domestic and foreign policy even received a special name - "Mitteranism". The difference between Francois and other presidents was that, being an ardent anti-communist, in his politics he relied on them in every possible way and made them his allies more than once.
Domestic policy
In the state received in control, Francois Mitterrand began to carry out social reforms. His government worked to reduce the working week, reduce the retirement age, and decentralize power. Under Mitterrand, local authorities were expanded powers, and thus "hands untied" in resolving many issues. This is the same question that haunted him during the years of de Gaulle's rule, and Mitterrand often criticized him for excessive power in the hands of one person. In addition, the death pen alty was abolished. France in this matter was the last of all Western European countries. However, since 1984, the government was forced to switch to austerity measures and curtail social reforms.
Since 1986the so-called period began. "coexistence", when the leftist president acted together with the right-wing head of the government, which turned out to be Jacques Chirac.
In 1988, Francois Mitterrand was re-elected for a second term. His domestic policy remained unchanged: he supported the communists, negotiated with the right forces and at the same time did not disregard the left, which characterizes him as a skillful and far-sighted politician with rich experience in this field of activity.
François Mitterrand's foreign policy
Almost all the years of his presidency, he was forced to share power with right-wing prime ministers. Mitterrand's foreign policy also represented the idea of maneuvering between left and right forces. He especially advocated strengthening relations with the United States, Germany, and then with a united Germany and, of course, with Russia. François Mitterrand was one of the first to support Boris Yeltsin during the GKChP. But even before the events of August 1991, he actively interacted with the Soviet Union. In addition, Francois advocated expanding cooperation with African states.
In 1981, François Mitterrand won a major victory - he became the President of France, but the same year gave him another "surprise" - he was diagnosed with cancer. All the years of his reign, he went along with prostate cancer. Mitterrand fought to the last. In 1995, his second term in office ended, and on Christmas he and his family managed to visit Egypt. But already on January 8, 1996, on the 79thyear of life, the 21st President of France, Francois Mitterrand, passed away. He carried his interest in politics and love for the Motherland throughout his far from short life.
