Biography

• Born on 9th November 1888 in Cognac (Charante).
• Entered into his father’s company at age 16 (dealing in Cognac and wines); from 1914 he took various tasks for the development of inter-allied positions (buying cereals, merchant shipping).
• In 1919 he was chosen as deputy to the General Secretary of the League of Nations; he held this office until 1923. He was subsequently active as, amongst others, economic advisor in Shanghai and Romania; Worked as part of the American plan to coordinate the restructuring of arms production.
• From 1943 to 1945 he assumed the office of the state commissioner for food, arms and reconstruction in the French Liberation Committee. From 1946 to 1950 he was head of the newly constructed national planning office; when the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Schuman, produced the plan to found the European Coal and Steel Community in May 1950, Monnet, who developed the plan, was named as president of the Parisian Schuman Plan conference. In 1952 he became the first president of High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community.
• Alongside aiding the development of the foundations for the creation of the European Community and Euratom, he is deemed as the architect of European unification.
• In 1955 he evoked an action committee for the United States of Europe, following the aim of political union in Europe from his position as its president. In 1976 he was given freedom of Europe by the heads of government in the European Community.
• Died on 16th March 1979.