Pierre Messmer

Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer (; 20 March 191629 August 2007) was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974. A member of the French Foreign Legion, he was considered one of the historical Gaullists, and died aged 91 in the military hospital of the Val-de-Grâce in August 2007. He was elected a member of the Académie française in 1999; his seat was taken over by Simone Veil.

Early career

Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was born in Vincennes in 1916. He graduated in 1936 in the language school ENLOV and the following year at the École nationale de la France d'outre-mer (National School of Oversea France). He joined in London General Koenig's military staff and participated in the landings in Normandy in August 1944 and the Liberation of Paris. Visiting de Gaulle in Paris, he was implicitly granted permission for his change of policies in Cameroon, which exchanged repression for negotiations with the UPC.

Messmer gave permission for former Algerian War veterans to fight in Katanga against the newly independent Congo and United Nations peacekeeping forces. He confided to Roger Trinquier that it was de Gaulle's ambition to replace the Belgians and control a reunited Congo from Élisabethville.

Along with the Minister of Research, Gaston Palewski, Messmer was present at the Béryl nuclear test in Algeria, on 1 May 1962 during which an accident occurred. Officials, soldiers, and Algerian workers escaped as they could, often without wearing any protection. Palewski died in 1984 of leukemia, which he always has attributed to the Beryl incident, and Messmer always remained close-mouthed on the affair.

De Gaulle said that along with Maurice Couve de Murville, Messmer was "one of his two arms. then as Prime Minister from July 1972 to May 1974.

Messmer's cabinet (July 1972 – May 1974)

He succeeded in this function to Jacques Chaban-Delmas, who had adopted a parliamentary reading of the Constitution, which Messmer opposed in his investiture speech.

Due to President Georges Pompidou's illness, he dealt with the everyday administration of the country and adopted a conservative stance opposed to Chaban-Delmas' previous policies. Henceforth, he stopped the liberalization of the ORTF media governmental organization, naming as its CEO Arthur Conte, a personal friend of Pompidou.

In 1974, when Pompidou died, those close to Messmer encouraged him to run for president. He accepted at the condition of Chaban-Delmas, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and Edgar Faure's withdrawals. Faure accepted, as well as Giscard on the condition that Chaban-Delmas also withdrew himself. However, Chaban-Delmas, despite the Canard enchaînés campaign against him, maintained himself, leading Messmer to withdraw his candidacy. Finally, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, a conservative rival of the Gaullists, was elected. He served as prime minister for another few weeks after Pompidou's death, ending his term after the presidential elections. Jacques Chirac replaced him on 29 May 1974. After the election of Giscard, he never held again ministerial offices, and became one of the historical voices of Gaullism. Along with some other former Resistants, he demanded Papon's pardon in 2001. He was also chancellor of the Institut de France (1998–2005) before becoming honorary chancellor.

Messmer's First Ministry, 5 July 1972 – 2 April 1973 Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister Maurice Schumann – Minister of Foreign Affairs Michel Debré – Minister of National Defense Raymond Marcellin – Minister of the Interior Valéry Giscard d'Estaing – Minister of Economy and Finance Jean Charbonnel – Minister of Industrial and Scientific Development Joseph Fontanet – Minister of National Education, Labour, Employment, and Population René Pleven – Minister of Justice André Bord – Minister of Veterans Jacques Duhamel – Minister of Cultural Affairs Jacques Chirac – Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Olivier Guichard – Minister of Housing, Tourism, Equipment, and Regional Planning Robert Galley – Minister of Transport Jean Foyer – Minister of Public Health Hubert Germain – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Yvon Bourges – Minister of Commerce Roger Frey – Minister of Administrative Reforms Edgar Faure – Minister of Social Affairs

Changes 15 March 1973 – André Bettencourt succeeds Schumann as interim Minister of Foreign Affairs. 16 March 1973 – Pierre Messmer succeeds Pleven as interim Minister of Justice.

Messmer's Second Ministry, 6 April 1973 – 1 March 1974 Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister Michel Jobert – Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Galley – Minister of Armies Raymond Marcellin – Minister of the Interior Valéry Giscard d'Estaing – Minister of Economy and Finance Jean Charbonnel – Minister of Industrial and Scientific Development Georges Gorse – Minister of Labour, Employment, and Population Jean Taittinger – Minister of Justice Joseph Fontanet – Minister of National Education André Bord – Minister of Veterans and War Victims Maurice Druon – Minister of Cultural Affairs Jacques Chirac – Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Robert Poujade – Minister of Natural Protection and Environment Bernard Stasi – Minister of Overseas Departments and Territories Olivier Guichard – Minister of Housing, Tourism, Regional Planning, and Equipment Yves Guéna – Minister of Transport Joseph Comiti – Minister of Relations with Parliament Michel Poniatowski – Minister of Public Health Hubert Germain – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Philippe Malaud – Minister of Information Jean Royer – Minister of Commerce and Craft Industry Alain Peyrefitte – Minister of Administrative Reforms

Changes 23 October 1973 – Philippe Malaud becomes Minister of Civil Service. Jean-Philippe Lecat succeeds Malaud as Minister of Information

Messmer's Third Ministry, 1 March – 28 May 1974 Pierre Messmer – Prime Minister Michel Jobert – Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Galley – Minister of Armies Jacques Chirac – Minister of the Interior Valéry Giscard d'Estaing – Minister of Economy and Finance Yves Guéna – Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Craft Industry Georges Gorse – Minister of Labour, Employment, and Population Jean Taittinger – Minister of Justice Joseph Fontanet – Minister of National Education Alain Peyrefitte – Minister of Cultural Affairs and Environment Raymond Marcellin – Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Olivier Guichard – Minister of Regional Planning and Equipment Hubert Germain – Minister of Relations with Parliament Michel Poniatowski – Minister of Public Health Jean Royer – Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Jean-Philippe Lecat – Minister of Information

Changes 11 April 1974 – Hubert Germain succeeds Royer as interim Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.