Faure, Félix

(1841-1899) (François-Félix Faure)

   statesman

   The sixth president of the third republic, Félix Faure was born in Paris and, in about 1862, moved to Le Havre, where he became a wealthy leather merchant. He fought in the franco-prussian war (1870-71) and in 1881 was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He served as undersecretary of state for French colonies (1882-85) under jules ferry and remained in the cabinet until 1894, serving also as naval minister (1885). Upon the resignation of President auguste casimir-perier, Faure was elected to the presidency (1894). He was a popular president, and his term was marked by a strengthening of France's alliance with Russia (he welcomed Czar Nicholas II to Paris in 1896 then met him in Kronstadt, Russia, the following year). He pursued the colonization of Madagascar and encountered certain diplomatic difficulties with Great Britain (fashoda), but otherwise, he took no significant part in politics until 1898, when he tried to block the retrial of alfred dreyfus during the Dreyfus affair, but he died suddenly of apoplexy during the proceedings.