Georges Clemenceau
Georges Clemenceau served as Prime Minister of France twice, most crucially from November 1917 to January 1920, when he provided the iron-willed leadership that held France together through the mutinies, the German 1918 spring offensives, and the final Allied victory. Known as 'The Tiger' for his ferocious political combativeness, Clemenceau had spent decades as a radical republican politician, journalist, and relentless critic of military incompetence. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, he was the driving force behind the punitive terms imposed on Germany, reflecting his conviction that Germany must be permanently weakened to prevent a third Franco-German war. Keynes famously described him at Versailles as a man who thought of the next generation as his concern and Germany as the enemy. His singular focus on French security ultimately shaped — and distorted — the post-war settlement.
- Lived: 1841 CE – 1929 CE
- Nationality: French
- Roles: prime minister, political leader
