René Waldeck-RousseauArticle Free Pass René Waldeck-Rousseau, in
full Pierre-marie-rené Waldeck-rousseau (born Dec. 2, 1846,
Nantes, France—died Aug. 10, 1904, Corbeil), politician who, as
premier of France, settled the Dreyfus Affair. He was also
responsible for the legalization of trade unions in France
(1884). A rising conservative lawyer, known for his eloquence
and mastery of legal detail, Waldeck-Rousseau was elected a
deputy in 1879. In 1881 he became minister of the interior in
the Cabinet of Léon Gambetta, one of the founders of the Third
Republic, and he filled the same post, under Jules Ferry, from
1883 to 1885. In 1884 he sponsored the Loi Waldeck-Rousseau,
which made trade unions legal, though with important
restrictions. After another term as deputy (1885–89), he retired
to make his fortune at the bar. In 1894, however, he became a
senator. In June 1899, when demonstrations and
counterdemonstrations over the Dreyfus Affair threatened public
order, Waldeck-Rousseau was asked to form a “government