Christian Pineau

The recorded working language is French. The field of work recorded is politics and children's and young adult literature. Places of work recorded in the authority are Paris. Positions recorded include member of the French National Assembly and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Distinctions recorded are Companion of the Liberation, Resistance Medal and Croix de guerre 1939–1945.

• Name — Christian Pineau • Born — 14 October 1904 • Birthplace — Chaumont-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne, France • Died — 5 April 1995 (aged 90) • Place of death — Paris, Île-de-France, France • Office — Minister of Foreign Affairs • Term Start — 1 February 1956 • Term End — 14 May 1958 • Predecessor — Antoine Pinay • Successor — René Pleven • Prime Minister — René Coty • Relations — Jean Giraudoux (stepfather)

Pineau was born in 1904 in Chaumont-en-Bassigny, Haute-Marne, France. His father was a colonel in the French Army died when he was a young child. His mother married again to the French playwright Jean Giraudoux. Later, Christian Pineau would say that it was Giraudoux who gave him his love of writing. He was educated at the École alsacienne in Paris and graduated with degrees in law and in political science. In 1931 he joined the staff of the Bank of France, and later worked for the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas. In 1937 he founded the journal Banque et Bourse. A World War II French Resistance leader who established a network called Phalanx, Pineau helped found the underground newspaper Libération. He was a close ally of Charles de Gaulle and went on dangerous secret missions passing communications between occupied France and the Free France headquarters in London. He was arrested by the Gestapo in September 1942 but escaped. He was arrested again in 1943 and evaded a death sentence through forged identity papers which hid his true identity. He was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp, and remained there until it was liberated by American soldiers in 1945. Pineau represented the Sarthe department as a Socialist in the French National Assembly from 1946 to 1958. After the war, he served as a minister in French governments, 1945–1958. He was minister of supply in Charles de Gaulle's government (1945) and minister of public works (1947–1950) in various governments. • Illustration — Christian Pineau meeting with David Ben-Gurion in Israel, January 1959 Pineau was finance minister for a short time in 1948. He was designated as prime minister of France by President René Coty after the February 1955 resignation of Pierre Mendès-France, but the National Assembly refused to ratify his cabinet by 312 votes against 268; his prime ministership lasted for two days between 17 and 19 February 1955. As foreign minister (February 1956 – May 1958), Pineau was responsible for handling the Suez Crisis and for signing the Treaty of Rome on behalf of France. With Guy Mollet, he visited Moscow. In October 1956, he signed the Protocol of Sèvres with Great Britain and Israel on behalf of France. Pineau was a lifelong advocate of European integration. Pineau is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.

Christian Pineau worked in politics and children's and young adult literature. Recorded positions include member of the French National Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Economy, Finances and Industry. He worked at Paris.

Christian Pineau is recorded as politician, diplomat, trade unionist, economist and writer.