Fernand Gentin
| Fernand Gentin | |
|---|---|
Gentin in 1935, from a calling card
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| Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones | |
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In office 18 January 1938 – 13 March 1938 |
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| Preceded by | Jean-Baptiste Lebas |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Baptiste Lebas |
| Minister of Health | |
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In office 13 March 1938 – 10 April 1938 |
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| Preceded by | Marc Rucart |
| Succeeded by | Marc Rucart |
| Minister of Commerce | |
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In office 10 April 1938 – 20 March 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Pierre Cot |
| Succeeded by | Louis Rollin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
27 September 1876 Reims, Marne, France |
| Died | 24 April 1946 (aged 69) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
Fernand Gentin (27 September 1876 – 24 April 1946) was a French printer and Radical politician who was a deputy from 1932 to 1942. He was Minister of PTT and then Minister of Health in 1938, and Minister of Commerce from 1938 to 1940. In the period before World War II (1939–45) began he first opposed and then supported letting refugees from Nazi Germany work freely in France. In the early part of the war he promoted continued production of luxury goods to earn money for import of armaments. After the defeat of France, he collaborated with the German occupiers as administrator and political director of a newspaper. He was banned from public office after the Liberation of France.
Fernand Gentin was born on 27 September 1876 in Reims, Marne, son of a printer. Gentin completed his education at the age of 20. He worked at the printing shop for a period, then spent ten years working among peasants before succeeding his father in the family business. He was president and chairman of the Grande Imprimerie de Troyes. Gentin became vice chairman of the General Council of the Aube.
In May 1932 Gentin ran for election in the 3rd district of Troyes, and was elected in the second round. He was elected on 8 May 1932 as deputy for Aube on the Radical Republican and Radical Socialist list. He became mayor of Isle-Aumont and Chairman of the General Council of the Aube. In April 1936 ran again and was reelected in the second round for the same constituency. He was reelected on 3 May 1936 as deputy for Aube on the Radical Republican and Radical Socialist list. He defeated the conservative Fernand Monsacré and the socialist Pierre Brossolette. The Radicals had agreed not to oppose René Plard in the 1st district of Troyes, and in return Gentin was supported by the Amis du Rappel.
Gentin was Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones from 18 January 1938 to 13 March 1938 in the 4th cabinet of Camille Chautemps. He was Minister of Health from 13 March 1938 to 10 April 1938 in the 2nd cabinet of Léon Blum. He was Minister of Commerce from 10 April 1938 to 20 March 1940 in the cabinet of Édouard Daladier. At the annual Radical Party congress in Marseille at the end of October 1938 Gentin proposed a modern economic plan with partial funding from the state. The plan was approved by the delegates, but two days later Paul Reynaud took office as Minister of Finance and rejected the plan.
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