HANOTAUX, ALBERT AUGUSTE GABRIEL ), French statesman and historian, was born at Beaurevoir, Aisne, on Nov. 19, 1853. He studied at the tcole des Chartes, and became maitre de conferences in the 1?cole des Hautes 1?tudes. In 1879 he entered the ministry of foreign affairs as archivist, and rose step by step through the diplomatic service, being appointed councillor of embassy at Constantinople in 1885. In 1886 he was elected Republican deputy for Aisne, but, defeated in he returned to his diplomatic career. On May 31, 1894 he became foreign minister in the Dupuy cabinet. With one interruption (during the Ribot ministry, Jan. 26—Nov. 2, 1895), he held this portfolio until June 14, 1898. During his ministry he developed the rapprochement of France with Russia, visiting St. Petersburg with the President, Felix Faure, and sent expeditions to delimit the French colonies in Africa. The Fashoda incident of July was a result of this policy, and Hanotaux's distrust of England is frankly stated in his literary works.
During the World War Hanotaux, who was already known as a distinguished historian, and had been elected to the French Academy on April 1, 1897, was active as propagandist. He was employed on more than one semi-official mission, notably to the Vatican. In 1921 he was the third French delegate to the League of Nations Assembly.
Hanotaux's works include: Origines de l'institution des intendants de provinces (1884) , the authoritative study on the intendants; Etudes historiques sur les X V I e et X V II e siecles en France (1886) ; Histoire de Richelieu (2 vols. 1888) ; Histoire de la France contemporaine, 1871 1900 (4 vols. 1903-8) , the standard history of contemporary France; Histoire de la Guerre de 1914 (9 vols. 1914 ff.) ; Le Traite de Versailles (1919) ; Histoire de la Nation francaise (15 vols. 1920-4) ; La Bataille de la Marne (2 vols. 1923) . He also edited the Instructions des ambas sadeurs de France a Rome, depuis les traites de Westphalie (1888).