born March 1, 1852, Pamiers, France
died Feb. 22, 1923, Nice
French politician.
A journalist, he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1885 and served in cabinet posts from 1893. As foreign minister in six successive governments (1898–1905), he reached agreement with the British that led to the Entente Cordiale . Considered the principal architect of the new system of European alliances formed before World War I, he also paved the way for the Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907. He later served as minister of the marine (1911–13) and again as foreign minister (1914–15).