Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury

Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury (French: [mɔʁis buʁʒ monuʁi]; 19 August 1914 – 10 February 1993) was a French statesman and a member of the Companions of the Liberation. He served as President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) under the Fourth French Republic.

Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury
Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury, in 1958
President of the Council of Ministers of France
In office 13 June 1957 – 6 November 1957
President	René Coty
Preceded by	Guy Mollet
Succeeded by	Félix Gaillard
Minister of the Interior
In office 6 November 1957 – 15 April 1958
President	René Coty
Preceded by	Jean Gilbert-Jules
Succeeded by	Maurice Faure
Minister of National Defence
In office 1 February 1956 – 21 May 1957
President	René Coty
Preceded by	Pierre Billotte
Succeeded by	André Morice
Member of the French National Assembly
In office 11 June 1946 – 5 December 1958
Constituency	Haute-Garonne
Personal details
Born	Maurice Jean-Marie Bourgès 19 August 1914 Luisant, Eure-et-Loir, France
Died	10 February 1993(1993-02-10) (aged 78) 8th arrondissement of Paris, France
Political party	Radical Party
Education	École Polytechnique University of Paris Sciences Po
Profession	Military officer Civil servant Business executive

Early life and education

Maurice Jean-Marie Bourgès was born in Luisant, Eure-et-Loir. His father, Georges Bourgès, was a maritime engineering executive, and his mother, Geneviève Maunoury, belonged to a family with a notable political legacy. His maternal grandfather, Maurice Maunoury, was a minister during the French Third Republic, and his great-grandfather, Pol Maunoury, served as a deputy for Eure-et-Loir.^[1]

Bourgès-Maunoury attended the prestigious École Polytechnique (class of 1935), obtained a law degree, and graduated from Sciences Po.

Political career

Early political engagement

Before World War II, Bourgès-Maunoury aligned with the Young Turk faction within the Radical Socialist Party, which represented the left wing of the party. From 1935 to 1940, he served as an artillery officer.

Role in the Resistance

During the war, Bourgès-Maunoury joined the French Resistance, working with the X-Libre network alongside figures like Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Félix Gaillard. On 2 September 1944, he was wounded during a strafing attack on his train in Broye. For his service, he was awarded the Companion of the Liberation by General Charles de Gaulle. In 1945, he was appointed Commissioner of the Republic in Bordeaux.

Ministerial roles

Bourgès-Maunoury held numerous government positions during the Fourth Republic. These included Minister of National Defence (1956–1957), where he supported a military solution to the Algerian War and opposed the withdrawal from Port Said following the Suez Crisis. As Minister of the Interior (1957–1958), he faced significant unrest, including protests by police officers outside the Palais Bourbon in March 1958.

As President of the Council of Ministers from June to November 1957, Bourgès-Maunoury secured the ratification of the Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community.

Cooperation with Israel

Bourgès-Maunoury played a key role in fostering cooperation between France and Israel during the 1950s. Working with Shimon Peres, then Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Defense, he facilitated the acquisition of the first Dimona nuclear reactor and military equipment, including the Dassault Mystère IV fighter jet.^[2]

Opposition to the Fifth Republic

Bourgès-Maunoury opposed the return of General de Gaulle to power and campaigned against the Constitution of the Fifth Republic. He unsuccessfully ran for the National Assembly for Landes in 1973.

Personal life

Bourgès-Maunoury married twice. His first marriage to Madeleine Giraud resulted in two sons, Jacques and Marc. His second marriage to Jacqueline Lacoste produced a daughter, Florence-Emmanuelle.^[3]

Honors and distinctions

• Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur
• Companion of the Liberation (decree of 12 September 1944)^[4]
• Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (with two citations)
• Médaille de la Résistance with rosette (3 August 1946)^[5]
• Distinguished Service Order (UK)
• Legion of Merit (USA)