Gaston Doumergue

Pierre-Paul-Henri-Gaston Doumergue (French pronunciation: ​[ɡastɔ̃ dumɛʁɡ]; 1 August 1863 in Aigues-Vives, Gard – 18 June 1937 in Aigues-Vives) was a French politician of the Third Republic.

Gaston Doumergue
Doumergue in 1924, as the Grand Master of the Legion of Honour
President of France
In office 13 June 1924 – 13 June 1931
Prime Minister	Frédéric François-Marsal Édouard Herriot Paul Painlevé Aristide Briand Édouard Herriot Raymond Poincaré Aristide Briand André Tardieu Camille Chautemps André Tardieu Théodore Steeg Pierre Laval
Preceded by	Alexandre Millerand
Succeeded by	Paul Doumer
Prime Minister of France
In office 9 February 1934 – 8 November 1934
President	Albert François Lebrun
Preceded by	Édouard Daladier
Succeeded by	Pierre-Étienne Flandin
In office 9 December 1913 – 9 June 1914
President	Raymond Poincaré
Preceded by	Louis Barthou
Succeeded by	Alexandre Ribot
Personal details
Born	Pierre-Paul-Henri-Gaston Doumergue 1 August 1863 Aigues-Vives, France
Died	18 June 1937 (aged 73) Aigues-Vives, France
Political party	Radical Party
Alma mater	University of Paris

Doumergue, taken c. 1910–1915

Doumergue came from a Protestant family and was a freemason.[1][2][3] Beginning as a Radical, he turned more towards the political right in his old age. He served as President of the Council (prime minister) from 9 December 1913 to 2 June 1914. He held the portfolio for the colonies through the ministries of Viviani and Briand until the Ribot ministry of March, 1917, when he was sent to Russia to persuade the Kerensky government not to make a separate peace with Germany and Austria. He was elected the thirteenth President of France on 13 June 1924, the only Protestant to hold that office. He served until 13 June 1931, and again was Prime Minister in a conservative national unity government, following the riots of 6 February 1934. This government lasted from 6 February to 8 November 1934.

He was widely regarded as one of the most popular French Presidents, particularly after highly controversial Alexandre Millerand, who was his predecessor. Doumergue was single when elected, and became the first President of France to marry in office.[4]

According to "Rail Tales of the Unexpected" (Kenneth Westcott Jones, David St John Thomas, Nairn, 1992), Doumerge was involved in an unusual railway incident in the autumn of 1926. Travelling to Germany on the Orient Express around 1 am he accidentally opened an external door and fell from the train. His disappearance was not noticed until the train was approaching Augsburg. Eventually his whereabouts was ascertained and he was brought by car to rejoin his party. After falling out he first made contact with a signalman along the track. The signalman was reportedly unimpressed by the dishevelled elderly gentleman in night attire claiming to be the President of France. The signalman is reported to have responded with "And I'm the Emperor Napoleon!". Doumerge suffered only minor cuts and bruises.