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French Fourth Republic
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The Fourth Republic was the republican government of France between 1946 and 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Republic, which was in place before World War II, and suffered many of the same problems. France adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on October 13, 1946.
Some attempts were made to strengthen the executive branch of government, to prevent the unstable situation that had existed before the war, but the instability remained and the Fourth Republic saw frequent changes in government.
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Encyclopedia
The Fourth Republic was the republican government of France between 1946 and 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Republic, which was in place before World War II, and suffered many of the same problems. France adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on October 13, 1946.
Some attempts were made to strengthen the executive branch of government, to prevent the unstable situation that had existed before the war, but the instability remained and the Fourth Republic saw frequent changes in government. Although the Fourth Republic oversaw an era of great economic growth in France and the rebuilding of the nation's social institutions and industry after the war, and though it is largely responsible for the development of the institutions of European unity which changed the continent permanently, it is best remembered for its constant political instability and inability to take bold decisions regarding decolonization.
The founding of the Fourth Republic (1944-47)
European Unity
The creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was first proposed by French foreign minister Robert Schuman and French economic theorist Jean Monnet on 9 May 1950 as a way to prevent further war between France and Germany. Though the United Kingdom was invited to join, the Labour government - then preparing for a re-election fight - failed to join the initiative (either through political calculation or the arrogance of its civil service) It was formally established in 1951 by the Treaty of Paris, signed not only by France and Germany, but also by Italy and the three Benelux states: Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Between these states the ECSC would create a common market for coal and steel. The ECSC was governed by a 'High Authority', checked by bodies representing governments, MPs and an independent judiciary.
The ECSC was superseded, on March 25, 1957, by the Treaty of Rome which established the European Economic Community (which would, in 1993, become the European Union through the Treaty of Maastricht).
Decolonization and end of the Fourth Republic
Rebellion in Algeria began soon after Indochinese independence. The government was initially successful in containing the rebellion, but the torture methods used by French military and security forces caused an enormous scandal when made public. The use of conscription also made the war extremely socially divisive. While French forces were victorious from a strictly military point of view, a large section of the public questioned the morality of maintaining colonies by force.
The instability and ineffectiveness of the Fourth Republic came to a head in the Algier crisis of 1958, when the current government suggested that it would negotiate with the Algerian nationalists. Right-wing elements in the French Army, led by General Jacques Massu seized power in Algiers and threatened to conduct a parachute assault on Paris unless Charles de Gaulle was placed in charge of the Republic. De Gaulle did so under the precondition that a new constitution would be introduced creating a powerful presidency in which a sole executive, the first of which was to be De Gaulle, ruled for seven-year periods. These changes were introduced and the Fifth Republic was born.
Prime Ministers
Footnotes
1. Dell, Edmund. The Schuman Plan and the British Abdication of Leadership in Europe. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995
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