born July 5, 1911, Montboudif, France
died April 2, 1974, Paris
French premier (196268) and president (196974).
He taught school before serving in World War II and was an aide to Charles de Gaulle (194446). After joining the Rothschild bank in Paris, he rose rapidly to become director general (1959). As de Gaulle's chief aide (195859), he helped draft the constitution of the Fifth Republic . He secretly negotiated a cease-fire in the Algerian War in 1961 and was appointed premier the following year. In 1968 he skillfully negotiated an end to the French student-worker strikes. Elected president of France in 1969, he continued de Gaulle's policies. The Pompidou Centre is named for him.
Pompidou
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