Second Republic
When the 1848 Revolution began, Dupont de l'Eure was made President of the provisional assembly, being its oldest member. On the same day, he was made President of the Provisional Government, becoming France's de facto Head of State. He can therefore be considered as France's first Presidential Head of State, though Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, later in the same year, was the first to formally bear the title of President of the French Republic. His prestige and popularity prevented the heterogeneous republican coalition from having to immediately agree upon a common leader. Due to his great age (upon entering office, he was just a few days short of his 81st birthday), Dupont de l'Eure effectively delegated part of his duties to Minister of Foreign Affairs Alphonse de Lamartine. On 4 May, he resigned in order to make way for the Executive Commission, which he declined to join. He supported Louis-Eugène Cavaignac against Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. In 1849, having failed to secure his re-election to the chamber, he retired from public life.
His consistency in defending the cause of constitutional liberalism throughout the many changes of his times gained him the respect of many of his countrymen, who referred to Dupont de l'Eure as "Aristides of the French tribune".
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jean de Chantelauze |
Minister of Justice 31 July 1830 – 27 December 1830 |
Succeeded by Joseph Merilhou |
| Preceded by Louis-Philippe King of the French |
De Facto Head of State of France 24 February 1848 – 6 May 1848 |
Succeeded by Executive Commission |
| Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic 24 February 1848 – 6 May 1848 |
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Read more about this topic: Jacques-Charles Dupont De L'Eure, Biography
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