POINCARE, RAYMOND French states man, was born at Bar-le-duc on Aug. 20, 186o, the son of Nicolas Poincare, a distinguished civil servant and meteorologist. Edu cated at the university of Paris, Raymond was called to the Paris bar, and was for some time law editor of the Voltaire. He had served for over a year in the department of agriculture when in 1887 he was elected deputy for the Meuse. He made a great reputation in the chamber as an economist, and sat on the budget commissions of 189o-91 and 1892. He was minister of education, fine arts and religion in the first cabinet (April—Nov. 1893) of Charles Dupuy, and minister of finance in the second and third (May 1894—Jan. 1895). In the succeeding Ribot cabinet Poin care became minister of public instruction. Although he was ex cluded from the Radical cabinet which followed, the revised scheme of death duties proposed by the new ministry was based upon his proposals of the previous year. He became vice-presi dent of the Chamber in the autumn of 1895, and in spite of the bitter hostility of the Radicals retained his position in 1896-97.
In March 1906 Poincare became minister of finance in the Sar rien Government, but he gave up his portfolio to Caillaux in October of the same year, when Sarrien was succeeded by Cle menceau as prime minister. During the next five years, though he still continued to exercise a powerful influence in the senate, Poincare devoted himself mainly to his legal career. In 1909 he was elected a member of the French Academy. In Jan. 1912, Caillaux, who had been prime minister since the beginning of the previous year, resigned, whereupon Poincare formed a government in which he himself held the portfolio of foreign affairs.
Poincare's cabinet constituted an entente nationale, and his first aim was to pursue a more definite foreign policy. In home affairs the problem which presented the greatest difficulties was that of electoral reform. Poincare induced the chamber to pass a pro portional representation bill. But above all diplomatic affairs claimed his constant attention ; for during the negotiations with Germany which took place in consequence of the dispatch of a gunboat by that country to Agadir, certain incidents had oc curred during the Caillaux administration which had produced a feeling of disquietude in regard to foreign policy. Poincaré
therefore sought to re-establish a continuity of policy; and though he maintained courteous relations with Germany his main endeavour was to prove that France would remain faithful to both friends and allies. The ratification by the senate of the Franco German Treaty of Nov. 4, 1911, was followed by France's definite establishment in Morocco.
Almost immediately after the establishment of the Poincare Government, an incident had occurred which temporarily ob scured the friendly relations between France and Italy. The Italians, who at that moment were at war with the Turks, seized two French mail-steamers, the "Carthage" and the "Manouba," which were on their way to Tunis, on Jan. 16 and 18, 1912. But Poincare, by his calmness and resolution, succeeded in re-estab lishing amicable relations between the two countries. By the end of October Italian sovereignty in Libya was recognised, and by a mutual declaration of the two Governments, full liberty of action was granted to France in Morocco and to Italy in Libya. When in the autumn of 1912 the Balkan War broke out, Poincare made every effort possible to prevent the conflagration from spreading. Nevertheless the succession of European crises, combined with the ever-increasing menace from Germany and Austria-Hungary, rendered it necessary to take precautions; and Poincare induced parliament to vote a programme of naval construction ; through the strengthening of Franco-British relations it became possible to concentrate the whole of the French fleet in the Mediterranean.
On Jan. 17, 1913, Poincare was elected president of the republic in place of Fallieres. In power, he endeavoured to cement the friendships and strengthen the alliances of France. (See FRANCE, HISTORY.) At a later stage, his enemies at home and abroad criticised him severely for this policy ; yet it is hardly reasonable because a man is sufficiently far-seeing to apprehend a storm and make preparations for it, to accuse him of wishing to hasten it. He claimed that he did his utmost to avert war, holding that the way to prevent the conflict was for those powers against whom the menace was directed to present a powerful and united front, thus making it imprudent to attempt any act of aggression.