Alexandre Bachelet
Encyclopedia
Alexandre Edmond Bachelet (6 January 1866–1 August 1945) was a French
politician.
Bachelet was born in Audemont in the Pas-de-Calais into a working class family. The family moved to Saint-Ouen
, a northern suburb of Paris
. Bachelet worked as a labourer and studied part time to become a teacher. He was active in politics as a member of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), the French socialist party. He was elected to the local council in Saint-Ouen in 1912.
When the SFIO split at the Tours Congress
of 1920, Bachelet followed the majority into the new French Communist Party
but was expelled from the party in 1923 because he remained active in Freemasonry
. He was then associated with various minor left-wing groups and continued to serve in local government. He was unsuccessful when he stood for the Cartel des Gauches
in the 1924 election to the Chamber of Deputies
. With the support of the Communists, with whom he enjoyed good personal relations, he was elected to the French Senate
in 1927 and was reelected in 1935.
From 1930 he was a member of the Proletarian Unity Party (PUP), a fusion of minor left-wing groups which affiliated with the International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
. He returned to the SFIO in 1937 when the PUP voted to rejoin the Socialist Party.
In June 1940, he was one of the 80
who voted against the grant of special powers to Philippe Pétain
and the creation of the Vichy régime
. Following the liberation of France in 1944, he served as mayor of Saint-Ouen. He was defeated in the election of May 1945 and died shortly afterwards.
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...
politician.
Bachelet was born in Audemont in the Pas-de-Calais into a working class family. The family moved to Saint-Ouen
Saint-Ouen, Seine-Saint-Denis
Saint-Ouen is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, France 6.6 km from the centre of Paris....
, a northern suburb of 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...
. Bachelet worked as a labourer and studied part time to become a teacher. He was active in politics as a member of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO), the French socialist party. He was elected to the local council in Saint-Ouen in 1912.
When the SFIO split at the Tours Congress
Tours Congress
The Tours Congress was the 18th National Congress of the French Section of the Workers' International, or SFIO, which took place in Tours on 25—30 December 1920...
of 1920, Bachelet followed the majority into the new French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
but was expelled from the party in 1923 because he remained active in Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. He was then associated with various minor left-wing groups and continued to serve in local government. He was unsuccessful when he stood for the Cartel des Gauches
Cartel des Gauches
The Cartel des gauches was the name of the governmental alliance between the Radical-Socialist Party and the socialist French Section of the Workers' International after World War I , which lasted until the end of the Popular Front . The Cartel des gauches twice won general elections, in 1924 and...
in the 1924 election to the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of deputies is the name given to a legislative body such as the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or can refer to a unicameral legislature.-Description:...
. With the support of the Communists, with whom he enjoyed good personal relations, he was elected 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...
in 1927 and was reelected in 1935.
From 1930 he was a member of the Proletarian Unity Party (PUP), a fusion of minor left-wing groups which affiliated with the International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
International Revolutionary Marxist Centre
The International Revolutionary Marxist Centre was an international association of left-socialist parties. The member-parties rejected both mainstream social democracy and the Third International.-Organizational history:...
. He returned to the SFIO in 1937 when the PUP voted to rejoin the Socialist Party.
In June 1940, he was one of the 80
The Vichy 80
The Vichy 80 were a group of elected French parliamentarians who, on 10 July 1940, voted against the constitutional change that dissolved the Third Republic and established an authoritarian regime known as Vichy France....
who voted against the grant of special powers to Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
and the creation of the Vichy régime
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
. Following the liberation of France in 1944, he served as mayor of Saint-Ouen. He was defeated in the election of May 1945 and died shortly afterwards.
Sources and further reading
- Ligou, Daniel, Dictionnaire de la Franc-Maçonnerie.
- Maitron, Jean (ed.), Dictionnaire biographique du mouvement ouvrier français.