René Coty

René Coty was president of France from 1954 to 1959. He served through the crisis that ended the Fourth Republic and accepted Charles de Gaulle’s return to power in 1958.

French Fourth Republic: France’s parliamentary republic lasted from 1946 until the constitutional crisis of 1958. Coty became president under this republic and served during its final crisis.
President of France: The president of France is the country’s head of state, with powers defined by the constitution in force. Coty held this office under the Fourth Republic’s parliamentary system.
Le Havre: Le Havre is a port city in Normandy, France, on the English Channel. Coty was born and built his political base in this city.
Vincent Auriol: Vincent Auriol was president of France from 1947 to 1954, the first president of the Fourth Republic. Auriol preceded Coty in the same office and faced many of the republic’s earlier political strains.
French Fifth Republic: France’s current constitutional republic began in 1958 with a stronger presidency. Coty’s presidency bridged the Fourth Republic and the new constitutional order.
French National Assembly: The French National Assembly is the directly elected lower house of the national legislature. Under the Fourth Republic, governments depended on parliamentary support rather than Coty’s direct command.
University of Caen Normandy: The University of Caen Normandy is a public university founded in 1432 in Caen, France. Coty studied law at Caen before beginning his career as a lawyer.
Félix Gaillard: Félix Gaillard was a French Radical politician who served as prime minister from 1957 to 1958. Gaillard’s government fell amid the Algerian crisis that Coty had to resolve.
May 1958 crisis: A political and military crisis in Algeria prompted the collapse of France’s Fourth Republic in May 1958. The crisis forced Coty to seek de Gaulle’s return as head of government.
French Council of Ministers: The French Council of Ministers is the government’s formal decision-making body, chaired by the president or prime minister. Coty’s constitutional role included presiding over the cabinet, while ministers directed policy.

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