WI/AHC: French President Alexandre Dumas

By avoiding his OTL death from a possible stroke in 1870 lets make the famous author of works such as the Count of Monte Carlo and the Three Musketeers a President of the French Third Republic. I think that this would be a very interesting situation to discuss since I like to wonder what authors would be like as high ranking politicians. Also the fact that Dumas was of mixed European-Afircan ancestrey and sometimes included concepts of racism and racial equality in his books he might change some of the OTL treatments of French colonial inhabitants.

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It's the president of the council of ministers who was the head of the government during the third republic, the president of the republic was a figurehead with few powers. The office of prime minister was created in the fifth republic.
 
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President I could see. That office went to respected artists and public intellectuals. But I suspect he's too old to make the connections and develop the skill set required for the highest executive office. Minister, yes, but everybody was minister during the third republic at some point.
 
Which one has more influence in France? I still don't understand the functions of the French 3rd Replublic's Government yet.
In the 3rd Republic, that'd be the PM.

It's the president of the council of ministers who was the head of the government during the third republic, the president of the republic was a figurehead with few powers.

It is a misconception that president in 3rd Republic had few powers. Actually, by the constitution president had stronger position than the pm - it's just through custom that presidents' powers declined vis-avis pms'
 
The core problem with this one is that Dumas was intensely, fervently anti-Republic. He wouldn't voluntarily serve in a Republican government in any capacity, even to destroy it from within. So your only shot is making him part of the "transitional team" that takes power after Napoleon III is deposed, and then have his "fellows" foil his attempts to restore a monarchy. But at that point he resigns, so you still probably don't get a Dumas administration, unless that's what you call the prolonged period where he's technically holding power but trying to give it away.
 
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