Henriette Rainouard de Caillaux

(00/00/1874 - 00/00/1943)

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Details	pedigree

Born:	00/00/1874	Certified	Father:
Died:	00/00/1943	Certified	Mother:
Children:			Siblings:

Married:

Joseph-Marie-Auguste Caillaux on 00/10/1911

Certified

Notes

Early in the evening of 16 March 1914 Henriette Caillaux, the wife of Joseph Caillaux, powerful French cabinet minister, paid an unexpected call to her husband's most implacable enemy, Le Figaro editor Gaston Calmette. Madame Caillaux wore an expensive fur coat with a large fur muff to protect her hands from the wintry cold. Concealed inside the muff was a Browning automatic. After murmuring a few words, she drew her weapon and fired six shots at point-blank range. Calmette slumped to the floor, fatally wounded; office workers seized Madame Caillaux, smoking gun in hand. Four months later Henriette Caillaux stood accused of murder before the Paris Cour d'assises. The date was 20 July 1914, just two weeks before Europe exploded into war. So mesmerizing was the trial that for seven long days the French press virtually ignored the looming conflict. As late as 29 July, some seventy-two hours before France mobilized for war, several leading journals devoted more front-page space to the Caillaux Affair than to the hostilities abroad. Considered the "trial of the Century" Never before had a criminal proceeding featured depositions from the president of the Republic; many of its participants ranked among the most powerful and noteworthy members of French society. They included two former prime ministers, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, directors of the leading newspapers, medical experts, literary celebrities, and intellectual luminaries.

Madame Caillaux Affaire

A great deal of ?real? events had occurred in France from 1898 to 1914. The German menace had grown enormously, France and Britain had finally settled centuries of conflict and France had been winning some diplomatic victories at German expense. So, when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, one would think that France would be ready for the Great Crisis. However, this is France, of course. And what could be more French than to have yet another Affaire on the eve of a crisis.

In March of 1914 Le Figaro, the conservative newspaper, began publishing the love letters that Madame Caillaux had sent to her yet-to-be husband, Minister Caillaux (the two had an affair while in previous marriages. Caillaux?s first wife was more than happy to steal and share the letters). These were shockingly explicit letters that surprised even the French. Le Figaro editor, Gaston Calmette, had published the letters to discredit the Premier for his pro-German policies.

Madame Caillaux took exception to this and went to ?see? Calmette. She fired six shots into his abdomen and killed him on the spot. Caillaux pled innocent and a sensational trial took place in July, 1914 at the same time the crisis in Europe was ballooning into a World War. However, daily revelations of the most intimate nature about a cabinet member were too good to pass up. Could Armageddon compare to this?

The Right thought that surely the murder of a prominent conservative by a homewrecking wife of the Premier of the Republic would result in some justice. However, it was not to be. The jury accepted Madame Caillaux?s explanation that the gun, ?just went off,? six times and she was set free. Fortunately for France, the Right could not begin to campaign against the Republic again?the Germany Army was on its way to Paris. A great link on Henriette: http://www.searchspaniel.com/index.php/Henriette_Caillaux

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Book On Trial
Madame Caillaux on trial
Henriette during Trial

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