Thiers, Adolphe (1797-1877)

Thiers, Adolphe

STATESMAN, HISTORIAN, JOURNALIST (FRANCE)

BORN 15 Apr 1797, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône - DIED 3 Sep 1877, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Yvelines
BIRTH NAME Thiers, Louis-Adolphe
CAUSE OF DEATH stroke
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 55)

Adolphe Thiers studied law at Aix-en-Provence. He preferred literature above law after he won a prize for and went to Paris he was soon employed by the Constitutional and paid by one of it's owners, Cotta. In 1823 the first two volumes of his "Histoire de la revolution française" were published. The tenth and last volume was published in 1827. His work is now regarded as very inaccurate and prejudiced.

Thiers took part in the revolution of 1830 and king Louis Philippe appointed him prime minister. When he resigned in 1836 he was foreign minister. After travelling in Italy he returned to parliament and in 1840 he was again appointed foreign minister. Louis Philippe dismissed him after his support for Muhammed Ali in Ehypt almost caused a war. He was hardly involved in politics for several years, but in 1846 he tried to become the leader of the left opposition. When the February revolution broke out he was called for by the king, but there was little he could do and he soon resigned.

He voted for Louis Napoleon as president, but after the coupe d'etat of in 1851 he was arrested and forced to leave France. In 1852 he returned to France and in 1863 he returned in politics, being a spokesman for the anti-imperialists. In 1870 he strongly opposed war with Prussia. After the fall of Napoleon III he refused to join the new government that continued the war.

In 1871 he was elected head of a provisional government (receiving 533 of 601 votes). His government forces fought the Commune in 1871 and a massacre took place in May. In August a vote of confidence was proposed against him, and he resigned immediately, expecting to be re-elected. But his resignation was accepted and MacMahon replaced him, thus putting an end to his plans to become president of the new republic.

Related persons
• has grave monument designed by Aldrophe, Alfred-Philibert
• employed as secretary Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, Jules
• was opponent of Beulé, Charles Ernest
• met Castiglione, Virginia Oldoini, countess Verasis de
• was opponent of Charles X, King of France
• was opponent of Napoleon III Bonaparte

Events

2/12/1851

Coup d'État of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte. 76 persons were arrested at night and brought to the prison at the Rue Mazas. Among them were Thiers, Cavaignac, Changarnier, Bedeau and Lamoricière. The army was positioned at strategic locations in Paris. Louis Napoleon was declared president for 10 years and in 1852 he would become emperor of France. [Cavaignac, Eugène Louis][Napoleon III Bonaparte]

24/5/1873

Mac-Mahon accepts the presidency of France. He had been elected by the National Assembly and stated that he was independent of the parties that were represented in the Assembly. He was elected with 390 from 392 votes and succeeded Thiers. Charles Ernest Beulé became the new Minister of the Interior. [Beulé, Charles Ernest]