Jules Baroche
Encyclopedia
Pierre Jules Baroche was a French statesman, who served as minister in several of Napoleon III
's governments. He was Minister of the Interior
from 15 March 1850 to 24 January 1851, Minister of Foreign Affairs
from 10 April 1851 to 26 October 1851, President of the Conseil d'État from 30 December 1852, briefly Minister of Foreign Affairs again from 4 January 1860 to 24 January 1860, Minister without portfolio
from 3 December 1860, and Minister of Justice
(and of Public Worship) from 23 June 1863 to 17 July 1869.
Born to a family of shopkeepers, Baroche received his baccalauréat
in 1820 and pursued a legal education, becoming a lawyer in 1823. He became moderately well-known and somewhat notorious as a lawyer, particularly in his pleadings before the Cours des pairs (Court of Peers
). He defended former Defense Minister
Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières from corruption charges before the peers in 1847.
Baroche ran for office unsuccessfully in Seine-et-Oise
in 1840, 1842 and 1846, finally winning a National Assembly
seat in Charente-Inférieure in 1847. He strongly opposed the government of François Guizot
and took part in its overthrow. A sincere republican during the 1848 revolution, he represented Charente-Inférieure at the constituent assembly
of the Second Republic
. After 1848, however, he became associated with right wing politics and particularly with the purge of leftist and royalist judges from the French courts and with the defense of the many press censorship laws passed as the republic became increasingly authoritarian. He resigned his ministry in 1851 in a disagreement with French president Louis Napoleon, and he refused to participate in the coup d'état
of 14 January 1852 that established the Second Empire, but became president of the Conseil d'État in December of the same year, remaining in that powerful post for most of the next decade.
Following liberal reforms in 1860, Napoleon III appointed Baroche to a ministry without portfolio, while he was still president of the Conseil d'État, in order to shore up his support in parliament. Baroch's appointment to the Ministry of Justice was his principal role in the 1860s, but in the end, as the political tide turned against the Empire, he declined in popularity and was dismissed by the Emperor in 1869, although he appointed Baroche to the French Senate
. Nonetheless, Baroche was so closely linked to the Empire and its repressive policies that, like many other high ranking officials in the imperial government, he fled to Great Britain as the Second Empire crumbled, dying shortly afterwards on the island of Jersey.
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
's governments. He was Minister of the Interior
Minister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
from 15 March 1850 to 24 January 1851, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ), is France's foreign affairs ministry, with the headquarters located on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris close to the National Assembly of France. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of France is the cabinet minister responsible for...
from 10 April 1851 to 26 October 1851, President of the Conseil d'État from 30 December 1852, briefly Minister of Foreign Affairs again from 4 January 1860 to 24 January 1860, Minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
from 3 December 1860, and Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (France)
The Ministry of Justice is controlled by the French Minister of Justice , a top-level cabinet position in the French government. The current Minister of Justice is Michel Mercier...
(and of Public Worship) from 23 June 1863 to 17 July 1869.
Born to a family of shopkeepers, Baroche received his baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
in 1820 and pursued a legal education, becoming a lawyer in 1823. He became moderately well-known and somewhat notorious as a lawyer, particularly in his pleadings before the Cours des pairs (Court of Peers
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared in 1814 at the time of the Bourbon Restoration which followed the fall of the First French Empire...
). He defended former Defense Minister
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
Amédée Louis Despans-Cubières from corruption charges before the peers in 1847.
Baroche ran for office unsuccessfully in Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise
Seine-et-Oise was a département of France encompassing the western, northern, and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris. Its préfecture was Versailles and its official number was 78. Seine-et-Oise was abolished in 1968....
in 1840, 1842 and 1846, finally winning a National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
seat in Charente-Inférieure in 1847. He strongly opposed the government of François Guizot
François Guizot
François Pierre Guillaume Guizot was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics prior to the Revolution of 1848, a conservative liberal who opposed the attempt by King Charles X to usurp legislative power, and worked to sustain a constitutional...
and took part in its overthrow. A sincere republican during the 1848 revolution, he represented Charente-Inférieure at the constituent assembly
Constituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
of the Second Republic
French Second Republic
The French Second Republic was the republican government of France between the 1848 Revolution and the coup by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte which initiated the Second Empire. It officially adopted the motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité...
. After 1848, however, he became associated with right wing politics and particularly with the purge of leftist and royalist judges from the French courts and with the defense of the many press censorship laws passed as the republic became increasingly authoritarian. He resigned his ministry in 1851 in a disagreement with French president Louis Napoleon, and he refused to participate in the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 14 January 1852 that established the Second Empire, but became president of the Conseil d'État in December of the same year, remaining in that powerful post for most of the next decade.
Following liberal reforms in 1860, Napoleon III appointed Baroche to a ministry without portfolio, while he was still president of the Conseil d'État, in order to shore up his support in parliament. Baroch's appointment to the Ministry of Justice was his principal role in the 1860s, but in the end, as the political tide turned against the Empire, he declined in popularity and was dismissed by the Emperor in 1869, although he appointed Baroche to the French Senate
French Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president.The Senate enjoys less prominence than the lower house, the directly elected National Assembly; debates in the Senate tend to be less tense and generally enjoy less media coverage.-History:France's first...
. Nonetheless, Baroche was so closely linked to the Empire and its repressive policies that, like many other high ranking officials in the imperial government, he fled to Great Britain as the Second Empire crumbled, dying shortly afterwards on the island of Jersey.
External links
- Pierre Jules Baroche from the Dictionnaire du second Empire. In French.