No. 638
Editorial Note
On June 12, the government of Joseph Laniel resigned following a vote of no confidence in the French National Assembly. In the Embassy’s opinion, contained in telegram 4833 from Paris, June 14, the government’s resignation had to be interpreted as being due to the “assembly’s desire to lower French terms for Indochina peace at Geneva conference”. The Embassy concluded that any successor government would be under an implicit instruction to end the war even at the cost of “major concessions”. (751.00/6–1454)
Pierre Mendès-France was subsequently selected as the new Prime Minister-designate by President Coty and he immediately began to prepare for the investiture vote. Reports concerning Mendès-France’s investiture speech are contained in telegrams 4906 and 4909 from Paris, June 17 and 18 (751.00/6–1754 and 6–1854); a more detailed analysis of the investiture speech and the successful investiture vote in the National Assembly on June 18 was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch 3288 from Paris, June 23. (751.00/6–2354)
When Mendès-France formed his Cabinet, Embassy officials noted that it was a “far-reaching break in continuity of French governments since the war”. According to telegram 4972 from Paris, June 21, the Mendès-France government represented in effect a “minority government” because its Cabinet had representatives of the ARS, MRP, and Independents, without any Socialist participation. (751.13/6–2154) A detailed analysis of Mendès-France’s Cabinet was transmitted to the Department of State in despatch 40 from Paris, July 6. (751.13/7–654)