Biography
He began his career as a lawyer in (1866), served in the Franco-Prussian War and entered the civil service in 1871. He was prefect of the départment of Nord (1882) and of the Rhône (1887–1891), and in 1891 became governor-general of Algeria, where he had served in a minor position in 1874.
He was nominated French ambassador at Washington D.C. in 1897, and in that capacity negotiated the preliminaries of peace on behalf of the Spanish government after the war with the United States. He was serving as the French ambassador to the United States during the War of 1898. He was an active participant in the peace negotiations between Spain and United States and a contributor to the final agreement, the Treaty of Paris of 1898. His role in those negotiations helped Spain and France to develop a strong political partnership.
He was transferred in 1902 to Madrid, and in 1907 to Berlin, where he served as French ambassador to Germany until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and then as the head of the political section of the French foreign ministry during the war. His brother, Paul, was also a notable French diplomat.
Read more about this topic: Jules Cambon
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