Francis Charles Dehault de Pressensé (September 30, 1853,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

– January 19, 1914, Paris) was a French politician and journalist.

Biography

He was the son of Protestant religious leader Edmond de Pressensé. He was educated at the Lyceé Bonaparte. He served on General Chanzy’s staff during the war of 1870 and was taken prisoner at

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

, but after the war entered the public service. After a short period at the Ministry of Public Instruction, he entered the diplomatic service, and was appointed first secretary at

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

In 1882 he returned to France and took up journalism. He was a contributor to many journals, including the '' Revue des Deux Mondes'' and the ''République Française'', and in 1888 became foreign editor of the ''Temps''. During this period, Pressensé associated with a number of

anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or hierarchy, primarily targeting the state and capitalism. Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state w ...

, an ideology he was close to at the time. He moved in circles that also included Albert Libertad, Antoine Cyvoct, and Pierre Martinet. On the rise of the Dreyfus Affair (1895) de Pressensé identified himself with the cause of the prisoner. He wrote in support of General Picquart, and in consequence of his advocacy of

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

's cause was struck off the roll of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. This led to his resignation from the ''Temps'', and he came forward as a socialist politician, being in 1902 elected socialist deputy for the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

. He was prominent in the debates on the question of the

separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...

, and a bill brought in by him formed the basis of the one finally carried by

Aristide Briand Aristide Pierre Henri Briand (; 28 March 18627 March 1932) was a French statesman who served eleven terms as Prime Minister of France during the French Third Republic. He is mainly remembered for his focus on international issues and reconciliat ...

Honors

A street in Sofia, Bulgaria is named after him. A street in Lille, France, is named after him. A square in Bordeaux, France is named after him.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pressense, Francis de 1853 births 1914 deaths Writers from Paris French Protestants French Section of the Workers' International politicians Members of the 8th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 9th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of Parliament for Rhône French journalists French male non-fiction writers Human Rights League (France) members French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Dreyfusards Recipients of the Legion of Honour