1922 in France
Encyclopedia
See also:
1921 in France
1921 in France
See also:1920 in France,other events of 1921,1922 in France.----Events from the year 1921 in France.-Events:Before touching on the principal events which took place in France in the course of the year 1921, it is necessary to recall one or two of the outstanding facts of 1920 in France.The most...

,
other events of 1922,
1923 in France
1923 in France
See also:1922 in France,other events of 1923,1924 in France.----Events from the year 1923 in France.-Events:*11 January - Occupation of the Ruhr begins by French and Belgian troops to force Germany to pay its reparation payments....

.

----

Events from the year 1922 in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Events

The year 1922 was signalized at its opening by the conference of Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....

, between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, which met to consider the situation created by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

's declaration of her inability to pay what was demanded of her for 1922. The chief result of this conference was a decision to hold a general European conference at Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

, and Aristide Briand
Aristide Briand
Aristide Briand was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic and received the 1926 Nobel Peace Prize.- Early life :...

, the French premier, signed with the British prime minister, David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...

, a draft pact of guarantee which stated that "guarantees for the security of France against a future invasion by Germany are indispensable to the restoration of stability in Europe, to the security of Great Britain, and the peace of the world."

At Paris, however, the political atmosphere had become hostile to Briand, who, finding that he had not the support of Parliament, resigned from the premiership at a memorable sitting on January 12. After a very brief crisis Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...

 presented himself before Parliament with a new cabinet containing several members of the previous one.
Premier and Foreign Minister
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré
Raymond Poincaré was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France on five separate occasions and as President of France from 1913 to 1920. Poincaré was a conservative leader primarily committed to political and social stability...

Justice and Vice-Premier
Louis Barthou
Louis Barthou
Jean Louis Barthou was a French politician of the Third Republic.-Early years:He was born in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and served as Deputy from that constituency. He was an authority on trade union history and law. Barthou was Prime Minister in 1913, and held ministerial office...

*
Interior
Maurice Maunoury
Maurice Maunoury
Maurice Maunoury was a French politician born 16 October 1863 in Alexandria and died 16 May 1925 in Paris*Député for Eure-et-Loir from 1910 to 1924*Minister of the Colonies from 9 to 13 June 1914 in the Alexandre Ribot government...

War and Pensions
André Maginot
André Maginot
André Maginot was a French civil servant, soldier, and Member of Parliament. He is undoubtedly best known for his advocacy for the string of forts that would be known as the Maginot Line.- Early years, to World War I :...

*
Finance
Charles de Lasteyrie
Education
Léon Bérard
Léon Bérard
Léon Bérard was a French politician and lawyer.He was Minister of Public Instruction in 1919 and from 1921 to 1924, and Minister of Justice from 1931 to 1932 and was elected to the Académie française in 1934.Bérard was the Ambassador from Vichy France to the Holy See from 1940 to 1945.-Léon Bérard...

*
Public Works
Yves Le Trocquer*
Commerce
Lucien Dior
Agriculture
Henry Chéron
Labour
Alexandre Bérard
Colonies
Albert Sarraut
Albert Sarraut
Albert-Pierre Sarraut was a French Radical politician, twice Prime Minister during the Third Republic.Sarraut was born in Bordeaux, Gironde, France.He was Governor-General of French Indochina, from 1912 to 1919....

*
Navy
Flaminius Raiberti
Liberated Regions
Charles Reibel
* Members of outgoing Briand cabinet.


In his ministerial address, Poincaré said bluntly that France would defend her interests as her Allies defended theirs, and he criticized adversely the conferences of the Supreme Council. His tone was aggressive, but at the same time perfectly courteous.

The old cabinet was not allowed to disappear in peace. Briand, its head, was specially marked out for attack. A report of his ineptitude while at Washington was made the most of in order to discredit him. But his unpopularity reached its height when it leaked out that at Cannes Briand, against the advice of the War Ministry, had given instructions for French war material to be handed over to the Kemalists.

The advent to power of Poincaré caused a distinct change in Franco-British relations. Poincaré did not like conferences. He preferred the old diplomatic method by which the heads of governments did not meet till everything had been discussed and put in order by the ambassadors.

In spite, however, of his avowed objections, Poincaré could not avoid the participation of France in the conference of Genoa, which had been fixed for early in March. In a memorandum sent to the British government on February 6, Poincaré criticized severely the programme laid down at Cannes for the conference of Genoa. This document emphasized two points: first, that the treaties drawn up by the peace conference were not to be modified in any particular; secondly, that the power and the authority of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...

 should not be derogated from in any way, and that its place should not be usurped by the conference of Genoa in dealing with any of the questions which came within its competence. About a fortnight after the publication of this memorandum, Lloyd George and Poincaré met at Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....

 (February 25) and agreed that at Genoa no discussion should be admitted either of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...

 and its annexes or of reparations. Briand had already obtained a similar assurance at Cannes.

The conference of Genoa actually opened on April 15, almost a month and a half after the date originally fixed. Whereas all the other powers were represented by their prime ministers, Poincaré remained in Paris. The French representatives were, however, men of the highest standing - Barthou, Colrat, Barrère, Seydoux, Picard, and experts of the first rank.

France's position at the conference was difficult. In regard to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 she was torn between the desire of defending Europe against the "menace of Bolshevism", a movement that seemed repugnant to French tradition, and the fear of finding herself left behind in the struggle for concessions in Russia, where she had such important interests. In regard to reparations, again, she found herself in danger of becoming isolated on the question of the enforcement of the Treaty of Versailles. At that time France could not think without anxiety of a rupture which would leave her to assert her rights alone. Her financial situation was bad. Her industry was suffering. The Chamber had adopted the principle of military service for eighteen months, and France was accused of imperialism by those who did not see that it was only the non-execution of the Treaty of Versailles which compelled her to preserve intact her defensive force.

The conference could not agree on the guarantees to be demanded of the Russians, and the memorandum presented to them did not bear the signatures of France and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. France was accused of desiring to checkmate at all costs the agreement, and some bitter words were exchanged. But calm was restored before the conference ended on May 19. One result of the conference was to show, as Poincaré had foreseen, the irreconcilable opposition between the Soviets and the Western nations. Another result, of particular value to France, was to demonstrate the necessity of Anglo-French agreement, and to cement the alliance still further.

France at Genoa had held her own; she had neither gained nor lost anything. In regard to Russia, she had abandoned none of her claims as a creditor, and in regard to Europe, she remained the champion of the imprescriptible and sacred right of private property. But no solution had been found of the reparations problem. Would such a solution be forthcoming at the Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

 conference, which had been decided on as a continuation of Genoa?

The attitude of Germany at the conference of Genoa had been regarded as satisfactory. France had had no need to exercise her right of sanction. Germany seemed willing to accept financial control, and also to impose fresh taxes. It was possible to hope that the conference of bankers which met at Paris in May to study the question of an international loan might really be successful.

The Hague conference commenced in June, and was attended by France, which found itself almost completely in accord with the British government. In order to meet the wishes of France, England consented that the holders of Russian bonds should be invited to participate in the labours of the conference in order to see if they could not come to an understanding directly with the Soviet government. In regard to war debts, the British government repeated that it was willing to annul part of its Russian claim, and this statement obviously opened up the much larger question of all the inter-Allied debts.

The international committee of bankers mentioned above had adjourned (June 10) after laying down as a condition of its assistance that the finances of Germany should be restored and that the uncertainty regarding the extent of reparations should be removed. The representative of France had refused to sign this statement, insisting that no reduction of the figure of reparations could be considered until some arrangement had been made among the Allies by which France herself should be relieved of part of her debt to England and the United States.

In home affairs, Parliament finally passed the eighteen months' service bill. The commercial difficulties with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 were settled. The Poincaré ministry, though often assailed, remained unshaken. A new scheme of secondary education was introduced by the minister of education, Léon Bérard
Léon Bérard
Léon Bérard was a French politician and lawyer.He was Minister of Public Instruction in 1919 and from 1921 to 1924, and Minister of Justice from 1931 to 1932 and was elected to the Académie française in 1934.Bérard was the Ambassador from Vichy France to the Holy See from 1940 to 1945.-Léon Bérard...

. The Poincaré cabinet also made efforts to refloat the Banque Industrielle de Chine
Banque Industrielle de Chine
The Banque Industrielle de Chine or Industrial Bank of China was chartered in 1913 and went bankrupt in 1922. Its Chinese office was in Shanghai and its European office in Paris. Its Chief Director was A.J...

. This matter raised storms of controversy in France and was utilized by the political parties as a weapon with which to vilify each other. One result of the affair was the suspension for ten years of Philippe Berthelot
Philippe Berthelot
Philippe Berthelot was an important French diplomat, son of Marcellin Berthelot. He was a republican ....

, the secretary general of the Foreign Office.

In the middle of May the cantonal elections took place and the results tended to show that there had been a slight movement away from the Right. Some of the anti-government candidates at these elections were supported by the local prefects, and a cry was raised against the political activity of public officials, including secondary school teachers and post office employees who adhered to Communism. The government was blamed for not taking serious steps to remove guilty officials. Whether public clamour was becoming too loud, or whether the government desired to make an example, two Communist deputies, Marcel Cachin
Marcel Cachin
Marcel Cachin was a French politician.In 1891, Cachin joined Jules Guesde French Workers' Party . In 1905, he joined the new French Section of the Workers' International and won election to the Chamber of Deputies representing the Seine in 1914...

 and Vaillant Couturier, were tried on July 29 for being concerned in the publication of an article inciting soldiers to disobedience, and were condemned to pay a fine of 500 francs each. Nor was this the only trouble of its kind with which the government had to deal. A prolonged strike of metal workers at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...

 became so serious that on August 26 the military had to be called out and several casualties ensued. The strike did not end until October 9, after lasting 110 days, the men returning to work on terms imposed by their employers. The Communists were blamed for the strike. But the Communists had been in bad odour ever since July 14 when, on the occasion of the Fête National, a young Communist attempted to shoot the president of the republic but missed his mark.

The financial situation was a source of very grave anxiety. The deficit amounted to 4 milliards of francs, despite the yield from taxes, direct and indirect, being much larger than in 1921. The public was alarmed to see no solution proposed except to resort to economies which were not always in the best interests of the state, and to impose taxes which might prove insupportable. It was irritated by seeing the sympathy of the world directed rather to Germany and Russia than to its own embarrassments. The decision for which it waited never seemed to arrive.

The Hague conference had had no other result than to confirm the opinion formed at Genoa, of the impossibility of coming to an accord with the Soviets. Whatever the world may think, France had really sought, both at Genoa and The Hague, to bring Russia back into the comity of nations. But the time was not yet ripe.

Meanwhile the Chamber appeared not to be disposed to ratify the Washington naval agreements. The government did indeed produce a ratification bill, but it was a long time in committee, and had not reached the full house by the end of the year.

Mention should also be made of the scheme for railway development, including the electrification of the French railways, brought forward during the year by Yves Le Trocquer, minister of public works.

France during the year watched with very close concern developments in the Near East. She did not cease to instil into Mustafa Kemal counsels of moderation, while by sending Henry Franklin-Bouillon
Henry Franklin-Bouillon
Henry Franklin-Bouillon was a French politician.Franklin-Bouillon was a member of the right-wing of the Radical-Socialist Party who was hostile to communism and socialism, and favourable to the right-wing National Bloc and its successors.Franklin-Bouillon met Mustafa Kemal in Ankara in 1921 and...

 to Angora
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....

 she gave confidence to the Turks. After the Turkish victory over the Greeks, France withdrew her troops to guard against the possibility of serious incidents. She then awaited the decision of the conference of Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...

 on the question of peace with Turkey and the freedom of the Straits.

In Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

, France has reduced her troops to an absolute minimum. The civil credits for 1922 amounted to 50 million francs, but they were soon to be reduced very considerably. There was every reason to expect that before long Syria would cost France next to nothing, at any rate in comparison with the financial sacrifices hitherto made.

The colonial policy of France, under the direction of Albert Sarraut
Albert Sarraut
Albert-Pierre Sarraut was a French Radical politician, twice Prime Minister during the Third Republic.Sarraut was born in Bordeaux, Gironde, France.He was Governor-General of French Indochina, from 1912 to 1919....

, has been highly successful in 1922, both in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

, in Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....

, and elsewhere. During the year Sarraut at his own expense paid a visit to Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

, to see what improvements could be effected in those regions. But it is in North Africa that the work of France has been particularly noteworthy. While the conference of Genoa was sitting, Alexandre Millerand
Alexandre Millerand
Alexandre Millerand was a French socialist politician. He was President of France from 23 September 1920 to 11 June 1924 and Prime Minister of France 20 January to 23 September 1920...

, president of the republic, made a tour through Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...

, Algiers
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

, and Tunis
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

. Everywhere he was welcomed with great enthusiasm. The theme of all his speeches was that the future of North Africa lay in the closest possible cooperation of the native Arabs and Berbers with the French soldiers, administrators, and colonists. In Tunis, Millerand warned the people against a certain pan-Islamic agitation which has been on foot there for some time, and consulted with Lucien Saint, the resident-general, on suggested reforms in the administration. In Morocco Millerand was struck by the prestige and authority which Marshal Hubert Lyautey
Hubert Lyautey
Louis Hubert Gonzalve Lyautey was a French Army general, the first Resident-General in Morocco from 1912 to 1925 and from 1921 Marshal of France.-Early life:...

 had managed to preserve for the person and the office of the sultan, and his success in maintaining a native government which was respected side by side with a protecting power which was obeyed. Millerand said: "France can be proud of its African domain. ... She has not come to enslave. ... The Mohammedan world can have confidence in her, and hand in hand with her aspire to a glorious future."

The last weeks of 1922 brought into view more clearly than ever the default of Germany in the matter of reparations. In spite of various interviews between ministers and the journey of Poincaré to London, no solution was discovered. On December 21 Poincaré again defined his policy in a speech in the Senate which was unanimously approved of. Repeating his formula: "No moratorium without guarantees", he reminded the Germans that they still possessed their immovable goods, their coal, their customs, and other sources of wealth and revenue. "We want these goods", he proceeded, "and others which you have, to serve as guarantees for your unpaid debts, and also as means for bringing pressure to bear on your great manufacturers, I mean those persons who are acquiring great wealth in Germany at the expense of the people itself." Thus Poincaré drew a clear distinction between the German masses and the privileged few who were exploiting them. What France desired, he went on, was that Germany should free herself as quickly as possible, the payment of reparations by instalments extending over a long period of time being full of grave inconveniences. "It is desirable, therefore, that Germany should clear herself of her debt by successive payments of lump sums, instead of yearly mites, and for this purpose should procure money from abroad." This did not mean, however, that the regulation of reparations should be put in the hands of bankers; it should remain as hitherto with the governments concerned and the Reparations Commission. With regard to the inter-Allied debts, Poincaré once more stated the French point of view: "A large part of France's war expenses is represented by its debt to England and the United States; it cannot be asked to repay these countries before it has itself been indemnified for its losses." Referring finally to relations between France and England, Poincaré expressed the hope that these would continue to be as cordial as heretofore, even should the two countries find themselves obliged to differ on any point.
  • 6 February - Washington Naval Treaty
    Washington Naval Treaty
    The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...

     is signed by United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

    , Britain
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

    , Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

    , France and Italy
    Italy
    Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

    .
  • 25 February - Murderer Henri Désiré Landru
    Henri Désiré Landru
    Henri Désiré Landru was a French serial killer and real-life "Bluebeard".-Early life:Landru was born in Paris. After leaving school, he spent four years in the French Army from 1887 – 1891. After he was discharged from service, he proceeded to have a sexual relationship with his cousin...

     is beheaded
    Decapitation
    Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...

     by the guillotine
    Guillotine
    The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...

    .
  • 7 April - World's first midair collision, between a Daimler Airway
    Daimler Airway
    Daimler Airway was an airline subsidiary of BSA group's Daimler Motor Company created to use some of the assets of the failed ventures Airco and its subsidiary Aircraft Transport and Travel acquired by BSA in February 1920.-History:...

     de Havilland DH.18 and a Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens Farman Goliath over Poix-de-Picardie
    Poix-de-Picardie
    Poix-de-Picardie is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated at the junction of the N1 and N29 roads, some southwest of Amiens,...

    , Amiens
    Amiens
    Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...

    .
  • 11 October - Armistice of Mudanya
    Armistice of Mudanya
    The Armistice of Mudanya was an agreement between Turkey on the one hand, and Italy, France and Britain on the other hand, signed in the Ottoman town of Mudanya on 11 October 1922....

     is signed.

Arts and literature

  • 2 February - Ulysses (novel)
    Ulysses (novel)
    Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...

    by James Joyce
    James Joyce
    James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...

     is published in Paris
    Paris
    Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

     by Sylvia Beach
    Sylvia Beach
    Sylvia Beach , born Nancy Woodbridge Beach, was an American-born bookseller and publisher who lived most of her life in Paris, where she was one of the leading expatriate figures between World War I and II.-Early life:...

    .
  • 18 November - Marcel Proust
    Marcel Proust
    Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...

    , author of In Search of Lost Time
    In Search of Lost Time
    In Search of Lost Time or Remembrance of Things Past is a novel in seven volumes by Marcel Proust. His most prominent work, it is popularly known for its considerable length and the notion of involuntary memory, the most famous example being the "episode of the madeleine." The novel is widely...

    , dies.

Sport

  • 25 June - Tour de France
    1922 Tour de France
    The 1922 Tour de France was the 16th Tour de France, taking place June 25 to July 23, 1922. The 1922 Tour consisted of 15 stages covering a total of . The race was won by the Belgian cyclist Firmin Lambot...

     begins.
  • 23 July - Tour de France ends, won by Firmin Lambot
    Firmin Lambot
    Firmin Lambot was a Belgian bicycle racer who twice won the Tour de France.Born in the small town of Florennes, Lambot worked as a saddler. He worked 12 hours a day, starting at 6am. He bought his first bicycle at 17 and began riding 50 km a day to and from work. His first race was in a local...

     of Belgium
    Belgium
    Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

    .

January to March

  • 4 January - Marceau Somerlinck
    Marceau Somerlinck
    Marceau Somerlinck was a French football player who played with Lille OSC. He won the Coupe de France a total of five times....

    , soccer player (d.2005
    2005 in France
    See also:2004 in France,other events of 2005,2006 in France.----Events from the year 2005 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Jean-Pierre Raffarin then Dominique de Villepin...

    ).
  • 7 January - Jean Pierre Rampal, flautist (d.2000
    2000 in France
    See also:1999 in France,other events of 2000,2001 in France.----Events from the year 2000 in France.The year 2000 is in particular remembered in France by a media campaign on the conditions of detention of prisoners. A parliamentary board of inquiry was created. The conclusions of the report were...

    ).
  • 10 January - Michel Henry
    Michel Henry
    Michel Henry was a French philosopher and novelist. He wrote five novels and numerous philosophical works. He also lectured at universities in France, Belgium, the United States of America, and Japan.- Biography :...

    , philosopher and novelist (d.2002
    2002 in France
    See also:2001 in France,other events of 2002,2003 in France.----Events from the year 2002 in France.-Events:*1 January - the Euro replaces the French franc as France's currency....

    ).
  • 13 January - Albert Lamorisse
    Albert Lamorisse
    Albert Lamorisse was a French filmmaker, film producer, and writer, who is best known for his award winning short films which he began making in the late 1940s, and also for inventing the famous strategic board game Risk in 1957...

    , filmmaker, producer and writer (d.1970
    1970 in France
    See also:1969 in France,other events of 1970,1971 in France.----Events from the year 1970 in France.-Events:*10 February - An avalanche at Val d'Isère kills 39 tourists.*8 March - Cantonales Elections held.*15 March - Cantonales Elections held....

    ).
  • 14 February - Pierre Ghestem
    Pierre Ghestem
    Pierre Ghestem was a French bridge and checkers player. In 1947 he became the world champion in checkers...

    , bridge
    Contract bridge
    Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...

     and checkers
    International draughts
    International draughts is a board game, one of the variants of draughts. It is played on a 10×10 board with alternatingly dark and light squares, of which only the 50 dark ones are used. There are two players on opposite sides, with 20 pieces each, light for one player and dark for the other...

     player (d.2000
    2000 in France
    See also:1999 in France,other events of 2000,2001 in France.----Events from the year 2000 in France.The year 2000 is in particular remembered in France by a media campaign on the conditions of detention of prisoners. A parliamentary board of inquiry was created. The conclusions of the report were...

    ).
  • 21 February - Colette Brosset
    Colette Brosset
    Colette Marie Claudette Brosset was a French actress, writer and choreographer.She was once married to actor Robert Dhéry, with whom she appeared onstage in La Plume de Ma Tante....

    , actress, writer and choreographer (d.2007
    2007 in France
    See also:2006 in France,other events of 2007,2008 in France.----Events from the year 2007 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 3 March - Louis Maratier
    Louis Maratier
    Louis Maratier was a French post-impressionist artist and painter who specialised in austere still life and static depictions of animals. His best known work is, however, a Landscape; Les Atlanteans...

    , painter (d.1998
    1998 in France
    See also:1997 in France,other events of 1998,1999 in France.----Events from the year 1998 in France.-Events:*6 February - The French prefect Claude Erignac is assassinated in the streets of Ajaccio, Corsica.*15 March - Cantonales Elections held....

    ).
  • 27 March - Stefan Wul
    Stefan Wul
    Stefan Wul was the nom de plume of French science fiction writer Pierre Pairault . He was a dental surgeon, but science fiction was his real passion. Most of his books reflect that, showing a deep knowledge of scientific data...

    , writer (d.2003
    2003 in France
    See also:2002 in France,other events of 2003,2004 in France.----Events from the year 2003 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Jean-Pierre Raffarin* Interior Minister - Nicolas Sarkozy...

    ).

April to June

  • 4 April - Armand Jammot
    Armand Jammot
    Armand Jammot was a French television producer. He produced a number of shows, most notably Les Dossiers de l'Écran, and in 1965, he created Des chiffres et des lettres....

    , television producer
    Television producer
    The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...

     (d.1998
    1998 in France
    See also:1997 in France,other events of 1998,1999 in France.----Events from the year 1998 in France.-Events:*6 February - The French prefect Claude Erignac is assassinated in the streets of Ajaccio, Corsica.*15 March - Cantonales Elections held....

    ).
  • 11 April - Antoine Blondin
    Antoine Blondin
    Antoine Blondin was a French writer.He belonged to the literary group called the Hussards. He was also a sports columnist in L'Équipe. Blondin also wrote under the name Tenorio.-Biography:...

    , writer (d.1991
    1991 in France
    See also:1990 in France,other events of 1991,1992 in France.----Events from the year 1991 in France.-Events:*16 March - Citroën launches it compact ZX range of hatchbacks and estates...

    ).
  • 16 April - Boby Lapointe
    Boby Lapointe
    Robert Lapointe was a French singer, noted for his humorous texts, alliterations and plays on words.He was born in Pézenas, in the Hérault département of France...

    , singer (d.1972
    1972 in France
    See also:1971 in France,other events of 1972,1973 in France.----Events from the year 1972 in France.-Events:*January - Launch of the Renault 5, one of the world's first small hatchbacks....

    ).
  • 17 May - Jean Rédélé
    Jean Rédélé
    Jean Rédélé , was an automotive pioneer, pilot and founder of the French automotive brand Alpine....

    , automotive pioneer, pilot and founder of automotive brand Alpine
    Alpine (car)
    Alpine was a French manufacturer of racing and sports cars that used rear-mounted Renault engines.Jean Rédélé , the founder of Alpine, was originally a Dieppe garage proprietor, who began to achieve considerable competition success in one of the few French cars produced just after World War...

     (d.2007
    2007 in France
    See also:2006 in France,other events of 2007,2008 in France.----Events from the year 2007 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 29 May - Jacques Morel, actor (d.2008
    2008 in France
    See also:2007 in France,other events of 2008,2009 in France.----Events from the year 2008 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 13 June - Maurice Diot
    Maurice Diot
    Maurice Diot was a French professional road bicycle racer. In 1951, he won the Paris–Brest–Paris race of 1200 km, in a record time that has not been broken since.- Palmarès :1947...

    , cyclist (d.1972
    1972 in France
    See also:1971 in France,other events of 1972,1973 in France.----Events from the year 1972 in France.-Events:*January - Launch of the Renault 5, one of the world's first small hatchbacks....

    ).
  • 18 June - Henri Chopin
    Henri Chopin
    Henri Chopin was an avant-garde poet and musician.-Life:Henri Chopin was a French practitioner of concrete and sound poet, well-known throughout the second half of the 20th century...

    , avant-garde poet
    Poet
    A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

     and musician
    Musician
    A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

     (d.2008
    2008 in France
    See also:2007 in France,other events of 2008,2009 in France.----Events from the year 2008 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 18 June - Claude Helffer
    Claude Helffer
    Claude Helffer was a French pianist noted particularly for his advocacy of 20th-century music.-Biography:...

    , pianist (d.2004
    2004 in France
    See also:2003 in France,other events of 2004,2005 in France.----Events from the year 2004 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Jean-Pierre Raffarin* Interior Minister - Nicolas Sarkozy then Dominique de Villepin...

    ).

July to December

  • 2 July - Jacques Pollet
    Jacques Pollet
    Jacques Pollet was a racing driver from France. He participated in 5 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 4, 1954. He scored no championship points....

    , motor racing driver (d.1997
    1997 in France
    See also:1996 in France,other events of 1997,1998 in France.----Events from the year 1997 in France.-Events:*27 January - It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazis....

    ).
  • 18 July - Jean de Gribaldy
    Jean de Gribaldy
    Jean de Gribaldy was a French road cyclist and directeur sportif.-Biography:Born in Besançon, former professional racing cyclist from 1945 to 1954, Jean de Gribaldy began a successful career as a directeur sportif in the mid-1960s .Called le Vicomte , he discovered Sean Kelly, Joaquim Agostinho...

    , cyclist and directeur sportif
    Directeur sportif
    A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...

     (d.1987
    1987 in France
    See also:1986 in France,other events of 1987,1988 in France.----Events from the year 1987 in France.-Events:*24 March - The Euro Disneyland Project agreement is signed by The Walt Disney Company and the French government, enabling a theme park to be built to the east of Paris...

    ).
  • 10 August - Paul Gégauff
    Paul Gégauff
    Paul Gégauff was a French screenwriter, actor and director. He collaborated with director Claude Chabrol on 14 films. Among his films are Les Biches, Plein Soleil and the autobiographical Une Partie de Plaisir...

    , screenwriter
    Screenwriter
    Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...

    , actor
    Actor
    An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

     and director
    Film director
    A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

     (d.1983
    1983 in France
    See also:1982 in France,other events of 1983,1984 in France.----Events from the year 1983 in France.-Events:*19 January - Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie is arrested in Bolivia....

    ).
  • 18 August - Alain Robbe-Grillet
    Alain Robbe-Grillet
    Alain Robbe-Grillet , was a French writer and filmmaker. He was, along with Nathalie Sarraute, Michel Butor and Claude Simon, one of the figures most associated with the Nouveau Roman trend. Alain Robbe-Grillet was elected a member of the Académie française on March 25, 2004, succeeding Maurice...

    , writer and filmmaker (d.2008
    2008 in France
    See also:2007 in France,other events of 2008,2009 in France.----Events from the year 2008 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 6 September - Louis Alexandre Raimon
    Louis Alexandre Raimon
    Louis Alexandre Raimon , better known as Alexandre de Paris, was a famous French hairdresser . He was responsible for creating Elizabeth Taylor's coiffure in the 1963 Hollywood epic Cleopatra . He also styled Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall, among others...

    , hair stylist (d.2008
    2008 in France
    See also:2007 in France,other events of 2008,2009 in France.----Events from the year 2008 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Nicolas Sarkozy* Prime Minister - François Fillon* Interior Minister - Michèle Alliot-Marie...

    ).
  • 16 September - Marcel Mouloudji, singer and actor (d.1994
    1994 in France
    See also:1993 in France,other events of 1994,1995 in France.----Events from the year 1994 in France.-Events:*20 March - Cantonales Elections held.*24 March - Cantonales Elections held....

    ).
  • 9 November - Raymond Devos
    Raymond Devos
    Raymond Devos was a Belgian-French humorist, stand-up comedian and clown. He is best known for his sophisticated puns and surreal humour.- Early life :...

    , humorist, comedian and clown (d.2006
    2006 in France
    See also:2005 in France,other events of 2006,2007 in France.----Events from the year 2006 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Dominique de Villepin* Interior Minister - Nicolas Sarkozy* Finance Minister -...

    ).
  • 25 November - Gloria Lasso
    Gloria Lasso
    Gloria Lasso was a Spanish-born singer, long based in France. In the fifties, she was one of the major competitors to Dalida....

    , singer (d.2005
    2005 in France
    See also:2004 in France,other events of 2005,2006 in France.----Events from the year 2005 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Jean-Pierre Raffarin then Dominique de Villepin...

    ).
  • 12 December - Maritie Carpentier
    Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier
    The married couple Maritie and Gilbert Carpentier were producers of very popular TV shows in France, from the fifties to the nineties.- Family and studies:...

    , television producer (d.2002
    2002 in France
    See also:2001 in France,other events of 2002,2003 in France.----Events from the year 2002 in France.-Events:*1 January - the Euro replaces the French franc as France's currency....

    ).
  • 13 December - Robert Veyron-Lacroix
    Robert Veyron-Lacroix
    Robert Veyron-Lacroix was a French harpsichordist and pianist whose post-war career was defined by his musical partnership with the celebrated French flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal....

    , harpsichordist
    Harpsichordist
    A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord.Many baroque composers played the harpsichord, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, George Frideric Handel, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau...

     and pianist
    Pianist
    A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

     (d.1991
    1991 in France
    See also:1990 in France,other events of 1991,1992 in France.----Events from the year 1991 in France.-Events:*16 March - Citroën launches it compact ZX range of hatchbacks and estates...

    ).
  • 23 December - Micheline Ostermeyer
    Micheline Ostermeyer
    Micheline Ostermeyer was a French athlete and concert pianist.A great-niece of the French author Victor Hugo, and a niece of the composer Lucien Paroche, Ostermeyer, who was Jewish, was born in Rang-du-Fliers, Pas-de-Calais...

    , athlete and pianist (d.2001
    2001 in France
    See also:2000 in France,other events of 2001,2002 in France.----Events from the year 2001 in France.-Events:*March - The Renault Vel Satis is launched at the Geneva Motor Show.*8 March - Cantonales Elections held....

    ).
  • 24 December - Serge Mouille
    Serge Mouille
    Serge Mouille was a French industrial designer and goldsmith. He is best known for his light fixture designs.- Biography :...

    , industrial design
    Industrial design
    Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...

    er and goldsmith
    Goldsmith
    A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...

     (d.1988
    1988 in France
    See also:1987 in France,other events of 1988,1989 in France.----Events from the year 1988 in France.-Events:*29 March - African National Congress representative Dulcie September assassinated in Paris.*24 April - Presidential Election held....

    ).

Full date unknown

  • Jean Desclaux
    Jean Desclaux
    Jean Desclaux was a French rugby union player and coach who played for US Dax as flanker.Born in 1922 in Dax, he played and coached club rugby for US Dax only; as a player he served the club from 1947 to 1959 and represented France A eight times.As coach he managed US Dax from 1959 to 1973 winning...

    , rugby union coach (d.2006
    2006 in France
    See also:2005 in France,other events of 2006,2007 in France.----Events from the year 2006 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Dominique de Villepin* Interior Minister - Nicolas Sarkozy* Finance Minister -...

    ).
  • Jean-Marie Domenach
    Jean-Marie Domenach
    Jean-Marie Domenach was a French writer and intellectual. He was noted as a left-wing and Catholic thinker.He took over in 1957 the editorship of Esprit, the literary and political journal of personalism founded in 1945 by Emmanuel Mounier and continued from 1950 to 1957 by Albert Béguin...

    , writer and intellectual (d.1997
    1997 in France
    See also:1996 in France,other events of 1997,1998 in France.----Events from the year 1997 in France.-Events:*27 January - It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that had been stolen by Nazis....

    ).
  • Henri Jayer
    Henri Jayer
    Henri Jayer was a French vintner who is credited with introducing important innovations to Burgundian winemaking. He was particularly known for the quality of his Pinot Noir. Jayer was born in Vosne-Romanée. He attended the University of Dijon in the 1940s and earned a degree in oenology...

    , vintner
    Vintner
    A vintner is a wine merchant. You pronounce it like this In some modern use, in particular in American English, the term is alsoused as a synonym for winemaker....

     (d.2006
    2006 in France
    See also:2005 in France,other events of 2006,2007 in France.----Events from the year 2006 in France.-Incumbents:* President - Jacques Chirac* Prime Minister - Dominique de Villepin* Interior Minister - Nicolas Sarkozy* Finance Minister -...

    ).

Deaths

  • 16 January - Henri Brocard
    Henri Brocard
    Pierre René Jean Baptiste Henri Brocard was a French meteorologist and mathematician, in particular a geometer...

    , meteorologist and mathematician
    Mathematician
    A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....

     (b.1845
    1845 in France
    See also:1844 in France,other events of 1845,1846 in France.----Events from the year 1845 in France.-Events:*12 October - The Société Mathématique de France was founded....

    ).
  • 25 February - Henri Désiré Landru
    Henri Désiré Landru
    Henri Désiré Landru was a French serial killer and real-life "Bluebeard".-Early life:Landru was born in Paris. After leaving school, he spent four years in the French Army from 1887 – 1891. After he was discharged from service, he proceeded to have a sexual relationship with his cousin...

    , serial killer (executed) (b.1869
    1869 in France
    See also:1868 in France,other events of 1869,1870 in France.----Events from the year 1869 in France.-Events:*23 May - Legislative election held.*6 June - Legislative election held to elect the fourth legislature of the French Second Empire....

    ).
  • 22 March - Louis-Antoine Ranvier
    Louis-Antoine Ranvier
    Louis-Antoine Ranvier was a French physician, pathologist, anatomist and histologist, who discovered nodes of Ranvier, regularly spaced constrictions of the myelin sheath, occurying at varying intervals along the length of a nerve fiber.Ranvier was born and studied medicine at Lyon, graduating in...

    , physician, pathologist, anatomist and histologist (b.1835
    1835 in France
    See also:1834 in France,other events of 1835,1836 in France.----Events from the year 1835 in France.-Events:*The French word for their language changes to français, from françois....

    ).
  • 21 April - Louis Duchesne
    Louis Duchesne
    Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne was a French priest, philologist, teacher and a critical historian of Christianity and Roman Catholic liturgy and institutions....

    , priest, philologist
    Philology
    Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...

    , teacher and historian
    Historian
    A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

     (b.1843
    1843 in France
    See also:1842 in France,other events of 1843,1844 in France.----Events from the year 1843 in France.- April–June :* May 16 – The battle of Smala, a French victory over Algerian forces, led by Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale .- Date unknown :*Sanwi, a traditional kingdom located in the...

    ).
  • 18 May - Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran
    Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran
    Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran was a French physician.In 1880, while working in the military hospital in Constantine, Algeria, he discovered that the cause of malaria is a protozoan, after observing the parasites in a blood smear taken from a patient who had just died of malaria.He also helped...

    , physician, awarded 1907 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (b.1845
    1845 in France
    See also:1844 in France,other events of 1845,1846 in France.----Events from the year 1845 in France.-Events:*12 October - The Société Mathématique de France was founded....

    ).
  • 5 September - Georgette Agutte
    Georgette Agutte
    Georgette Agutte was a French painter.She was the daughter of Jean Georges Agutte. In 1893 she joined Gustave Moreau's classes as a free pupil, and retained his teachings on the freedom of mind and independence....

    , painter (b.1867
    1867 in France
    See also:1866 in France,other events of 1867,1868 in France.----Events from the year 1867 in France.-Events:*13 January - French Military Mission arrives in Yokohama, Japan.*7 June - Adolphe Dugléré prepares the Three Emperors Dinner...

    ).
  • 18 November - Marcel Proust
    Marcel Proust
    Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...

    , novelist, essayist and critic (b.1871
    1871 in France
    See also:1870 in France,other events of 1871,1872 in France.----Events from the year 1871 in France.- Events :* 3 January - Battle of Bapaume...

    ).
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