The German Empire declared war on the French Republic on 3 August 1914, and France thus participated for four years in the First World War, on the Allied side and against the Central Powers. Some 1,400,000 French men, including colonial soldiers, were killed in the war during the conflict.

The political regime in France was that of the Third Republic, and Raymond Poincaré (Democratic Republican Alliance) was President of the Republic in 1913, indirectly by the National Assembly. Legislative elections were held in April and May 1914, producing the center-left coalition led by Prime Minister René Viviani (Republican-Socialist Party). On 26 August, due to the war, René Viviani took over the leadership of a new government, the Sacred Union, in which all parties participated.

Enlisted in the armed forces or as civilians, sixteen members of the Chamber of Deputies and one senator were killed in the war and recognized as having died for their country. In addition, two senators died after being held hostage by German forces. The following is the list of them:

List NameParliamentarian (dates)PartyRegimentDate of birthDeathNotesDeputy of Ain since April 1910.Second lieutenant in the 31 August 187525 August 1914, at the age of 38. Killed in combat at Méhoncourt.Senator of the Loire since August 1905.Republican Federation1st class medical officer in the health service, seconded to military aviation.2 April 186522 October 1914, at the age of 49. Mortally wounded by a bullet at the controls of his aircraft during an aerial reconnaissance over the German lines. Managed to land and communicate his report before dying in hospital in Toul.Decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honour on his deathbed.Deputy of Savoie since May 1914.Non-inscrit (liberal republican)Sergeant, .10 April 188224 October 1914, at the age of 32. Killed in combat at Saint-Nicolas-lez-Arras.Deputy for the Seine since November 1911.Progressive RepublicansCaptain in the 73rd Infantry Regiment.4 August 18596 November 1914, aged 55. Died at Boezinge, Belgium, from wounds sustained in combat from a shell fragment.Frédéric ChevillonDeputy for the Bouches-du-Rhône since July 1912.Second lieutenant in the 12 January 187921 February 1915, at the age of 36. Killed in combat at Les Éparges.Deputy of Gironde since April 1914.Republican FederationLieutenant in the infantry, commanding a machine gun section.9 October 18875 April 1915, at the age of 27. Killed in combat at Mortmare Wood, in the Forest of Argonne.Alfred MézièresDeputy of Meurthe-et-Moselle from 1881 to 1898, then Senator of Meurthe-et-Moselle since 1900.Democratic Republican Alliance -19 November 182610 October 1915, at the age of 88. Held hostage in his house by the German occupiers, he later died in his hometown of Réhon, a week after being released.Émile DriantMember of Parliament for Meurthe-et-Moselle since April 1910.Action libéraleLieutenant-colonel, commanding the 56th and 59th battalion of .11 September 185522 February 1916, at the age of 60. Killed in combat at Bois des Caures on the second day of the Battle of Verdun .Promoted to officer of the Legion of Honour in 1914. Rapporteur of the bill creating the Croix de guerre, with which he was decorated.André ThomeMember of Parliament for Seine-et-Oise since April 1914.Second lieutenant in the 147th Infantry Brigade.24 October 187910 March 1916, at the age of 36. Wounded in combat, he died in Marre a few hours later.Decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honour on his deathbed.Member of Parliament for Morbihan since April 1914.Captain in the infantry.4 April 187913 July 1916, aged 37. Died at Bray-sur-Somme from wounds received in combat during the Battle of the Somme.Decorated with the Croix de Guerre for his conduct at Fort Douaumont where he was wounded in February 1916.Deputy of Doubs since May 1914.Captain in the 5 May 187710 October 1916, at the age of 39. Detached to military aviation, he died in a flight accident during his training at the aviation school at Pau.Decorated with the Croix de guerre.Senator of Aisne since August 1905. -8 June 184610 February 1917, at the age of 70. He lived during the war in Montescourt-Lizerolles, where he was mayor. The German occupier held him hostage, then destroyed his house and took him to Aulnoye-Aymeries station to be deported to Germany. He died "of fatigue and cold" in this war as the train arrived.Suffering from a painful physical disability, he could only speak in the Senate while seated.Member of Parliament for Pas-de-Calais since May 1910.SFIO -4 November 187525 March 1917, at the age of 41. Killed by a German bomb in Bapaume, where he was distributing aid to the newly liberated population with the deputy (below) .Member of Parliament for Pas-de-Calais since May 1914.Republican FederationSecond lieutenant in the 8th 28 April 187525 mars 1917, at the age of 42. Killed by a German bomb in Bapaume, where he was distributing aid to the newly liberated population with the deputy (below) .Member of Parliament for Tarn since April 1914.Non-inscrit (libéral progressiste)Lieutenant, .10 February 188820 June 1917, at the age of 29. Killed in action at Essigny-le-Grand.Member of Parliament for Pas-de-Calais since May 1914.SFIO -12 July 185926 July 1918, at the age of 59. In the occupied zone, he was arrested by the Germans and deported to Belgium. Having helped an escaped English prisoner, he was imprisoned and died in prison in Vilvorde.Worked in coal mines from the age of 10.Member of Parliament for Maine-et-Loire since April 1914.Republican FederationCaptain in the .24 January 18798 September 1918, at the age of 39. Died in Mont-de-Leuilly from wounds caused by shell fragments. His comrade, MP Abel Ferry (below), fatally hit by the same shell, died a week later.Wounded in combat in September 1915 and decorated with the Croix de guerre.Abel FerryMember of Parliament for Vosges since April 1909.Second Lieutenant, .26 May 188115 September 1918, at the age of 37. Mortally wounded by a shell which killed Gaston Dumesnil (above), he lay dying for a week before dying at Vauxaillon.Nephew of Jules Ferry.Member of Parliament for Nord from May 1906 to May 1910 and since then May 1914.SFIO -15 September 186728 October 1918, at the age of 51. A civilian, he was killed by a German soldier in Anzin while returning to the North to be there at the time of the liberation.

See also

List of British parliamentarians who died in the First World War

References