WI/AHC Émile Driant becomes President of France or War Minister?

Neirdak

Banned
Born at Neufchâtel-sur-Aisne in the Picardy region, Driant graduated from the Saint-Cyr military academy and became an Army officer in 1877. Appointed to infantry, he joined the 4th Regiment of Zouaves in North Africa as a Captain in 1886. In 1888 Driant married the daughter of nationalist General Boulanger. He spent the years 1892–1896 as an instructor at the Saint-Cyr military academy, and from 1899–1905 commanded the 1st Battalion of Chasseurs.

He resigned his commission in 1906, as he was banned from achieving higher rank due to his controversial father-in-law and by his strong nationalist and Catholic sentiments. He devoted his time to journalism and politics and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a representative for Nancy in 1910. Driant devoted his efforts to strengthening France's defenses.

If you wish to have more informations about his vision of politics and modern warfare, you can google "Capitaine Danrit", his pen's name.

- The french wiki is awesome http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Émile_Driant
- http://www.roman-daventures.com/auteurs/france/danrit/danrit.htm
 
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Next to impossible for president. Since the boulangist crisis, there was a huge defiance towards the mix of military and political matters in France (at the very last in the political classes).

The nationalist undertones of his policies, while the french political life of early XXth century was more a centrist, when not center-left, are another huge obstacle.

As for War Minister... The same problems still exist but are admittedly far less important. More problematic is his hostility to Germany, in a period where the Franco-German diplomacy leaned to a normalisation. Apart being War Minister during the last part of the war, I don't think it would be possible, even if his rupture with the army (due to his mix of political and military career) wouldn't have prevented that right from the start.
 

Neirdak

Banned
Next to impossible for president. Since the boulangist crisis, there was a huge defiance towards the mix of military and political matters in France (at the very last in the political classes).

The nationalist undertones of his policies, while the french political life of early XXth century was more a centrist, when not center-left, are another huge obstacle.

As for War Minister... The same problems still exist but are admittedly far less important. More problematic is his hostility to Germany, in a period where the Franco-German diplomacy leaned to a normalisation. Apart being War Minister during the last part of the war, I don't think it would be possible, even if his rupture with the army (due to his mix of political and military career) wouldn't have prevented that right from the start.

Perhaps averting or softening the boulangist crisis, could help Driant?
 
Perhaps averting or softening the boulangist crisis, could help Driant?

It would have an huge impact on french (and possibly on continental european) political evolution, that's a given. But as Driant beneficied from Boulanger's networks (remember he was not only a former military subordinate, but as well his son-in-law), his own political career would have been jeopardized.
I would tend to go with "no", giving that the boulangist crisis was the child of the 70's and the birth of IIIrd republic (mostly the ambiguousity between monarchist or republican re-establishment) and that only a PoD during the IInd Empire would butterfly it efficiently (but maybe fall of Nappie III as well).

The problem of his mix of political and military matters would be maintained : republicans were really wary of an attempt a la 1851. Before being Minister of War, he would need to rise in the military hierarchy, meaning for the post 70's generation, shutting the hell up, something he was physically unable to.
Of course, we could always change him since his childhood for that, but what would be the interest?

In fact, I'm going to disagree with what I proposed earlier : his anglophobia prevents him to be put at such important post during the war.
*Maybe*, in a case of a french defeat in 1914, with a reactionnary cabinet being in charge.
 
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