the later 1940s and 1950s were a period of political discontinuity for france, especially following the resignation as chairman of the provisional government of charles de gaulle in january 1946. eleven different men served a prime minister during the presidency of vincent auriol between 1947 and 1954. in 1951 the governor of rheinland-pfalz was in receipt of a recommendation from the government in paris that he should take a holiday in order the be able to continue in post over the medium and longer term. hettier de boislambert was by now increasingly out of sympathy with the government in paris. he interpreted the suggestion that he take a holiday as an invitation from the queuille government to resign. he resigned in april 1951 and stood for election to the assemblée nationale ("parliament") in the general election that took place three months later.