Félix Gaillard (1919-1970), un destin inachevé

Felix gaillard (1919-1970), an unfinished destiny

• Auteur / Autrice : François Le Douarec
• Direction : Jean-Marie Mayeur
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Histoire
• Date : Soutenance en 1989
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 4

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Gaillard, Félix (1919-1970)

Biographie

Politique et gouvernement -- France -- 1944-1958

Résumé

Inspecteur des finances, responsable national de la resistance, felix gaillard est, a la liberation, chef de cabinet de jean monnet, commissaire en mission aux etats-unis puis commissaire au plan. Elu, en 1946, depute radical-socialiste de la charente - il le reste jusqu'a sa mort-, sous-secretaire d'etat aux affaires econo- miques, l'annee suivante, secretaire d'etat dans quatre gouvernements successifs, mi- nistre des finances, des affaires economiques et du plan , il devient , le 6 novembre 1957, le plus jeune chef de gouvernement de la republique. Mais son cabinet est ephe- mere: il tombe, le 16 avril 1958, apres le bombardement, par l'aviation francaise, d'un village tunisien, sakhiet-sidi-youssef. Sous la cinquieme republique, le president du parti radical - gaillard le dirige de septembre 1958 a octobre 1961 -, approuve les nouvelles institutions; cependant il s'eloigne, bientot, du president de la republique auquel il reproche sa politique algerienne, et une certaine derive monarchique. Mais l'opposition pese a l'homme de gouvernement qui se rapproche, au lendemain du depart du general de gaulle, de georges pompidou et de jacques chaban-delmas; et son retour au pouvoir etait prevu lorsqu'il meurt prematurement, le 9 juillet 1970. L'"oeuvre" de felix gaillard est, toutefois, importante: ainsi, sous-secretaire d'etat aux affaires economiques, il inspire le plan "liberal" de rene mayer. Responsable de l'atome, le secretaire d'etat elabore le premier plan nucleaire francais. Le ministre des fi- nances met en pratique un programme drastique qui facilitera le redressement eco- nomique et financier. . .

A finance inspector and national resistance leader, felix gaillard was, on the liberation of france, principal private secretary to jean monnet, the french government's commissioner in the united states and then the commissioner for the national plan. In 1946 he was elected as radical socialist deputy for the charente, a seat which he was to hold until his death, and was appointed under-secretary of state for economic affairs the following year. He was a secretary of state under four successive governments and minister of finance, economic affairs and the national plan, before becoming, on 6th november 1957, the youngest head of government in the history of the republic. However, his government was short-lived, failling on 16th april 1958 after the french air force had bombed a tunisian village, sakhiet-sidiyoussef. Under the fifth republic, as the president of the radical party from september 1958 to october 1961, gaillard approved of the new institutions; however, he soon distanced himself from the president of the republic, critical of his algerian policy and a certain monarchical tendency. But, opposition did not suit the man of government who, after the departure of general de gaulle, drew close to georges pompidou and jacques chaban-delmas; his return to power was planned when he died prematurely on 9 th july 1970. However, felix gaillard's achievements were important: as undersecretary of state for economic affairs, he introduced rene mayer's "liberal" plan. . .