Favre, Jules

(1809-1880)

   political figure

   A leader of the republican opposition to napoléon III and one of the founders of the third republic, Jules Favre was born in lyon, where he became a well-known attorney. Coming to Paris, he gained a reputation for successfully defending noted political prisoners. Elected a deputy to the Constituent Assembly (April 1848), then to the Legislative Assembly (May 1849), he took a stand against the coup d'état of December 2, 1851. As a member of the legislature (1857), he joined the republican opposition and defended felice orsini, the conspirator who had tried to assassinate Napoleon III. This brought Favre to national attention. opposed also to the Mexican expedition (1861), then to the declaration of war against Prussia (1870), he played a decisive role in the revolutionary day of september 4, 1870, which, after the defeat at sedan, had as a consequence the fall of the second empire and the formation of a government of National Defense in which he served as foreign minister. Having refused to accept the terms presented by German Chancellor Bismarck at their meeting at Ferrières of september 19-20, 1870, he sent louis adolfe Thiers on a diplomatic mission to the neutral European powers and then to a new interview with Bismarck (November 1870). This second interview was not successful and the Prussian bombardment of Paris brought a French surrender (the armistice was signed January 24, 1871). Foreign minister in the Thiers government, Favre negotiated the Peace of Frankfurt (May 1871) and resigned shortly after. His writings include Le Gouvernement de la défense national (1871-75). He was elected to the Académie Française in 1867.