Émile Ollivier

French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1869 to 1870. He started out as an avid republican opposed to Emperor Napoleon III, pushing the Emperor toward liberal reforms and in turn coming increasingly into Napoleon's grip. He entered the cabinet and was the prime minister when Napoleon fell.

He was Foreign Minister of France from 14 April to 15 May 1870, and Minister of Justice of France from 2 January to 10 August 1870. In July 1870, during the Spanish Succession Crisis, he joined those in the government who favoured a declaration of war on Prussia. He was dismissed before the fall of the empire in September.

Ollivier fled to Italy and did not return to France until 1873. He continued the political struggle in the Bonapartist newspaper Estafette, but no longer had any political power and in 1880 also clashed with Paul de Cassagnac in his own party. Ollivier maintained many connections in the world of literature and art and was one of the first Parisian champions of Richard Wagner. He was admitted to the Académie française in 1870, but never took up the post.

In retirement he wrote a history of L'Empire liberal, the first volume appeared in 1895. The work actually dealt with the remote and proximate causes of the war and was Ollivier's justification for his actions. In the 13th volume, he showed that the blame for the catastrophe could not be placed on him alone.

He died on 20 August 1913 at age 88 in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France.