Théophile Delcassé (1852-1923) Signed Autograph Letter to Camille Barrère, 1916

  
Autographed letter signed to Camille Barrère, Beaulieu, March 5, 1916. 1 page in-12° on blue wove paper with scalloped edges, printed letterhead of the Hôtel Métropole, Beaulieu-sur-Mer.

Stamp and postal marks from Beaulieu and Rome. A friendly and political letter addressed to the French ambassador in Rome, a key figure in Italian diplomacy at the time. Delcassé thanks him for his help in an administrative matter and discusses the difficulties in finding a collaborator.

"Since the task is not lacking, the head of the mission just needs to request an additional collaborator. The issue of money and housing does not exist; my young friend is independent." His direct tone, filled with esteem and cordiality, is set against the backdrop of World War I when Franco-Italian cooperation was facilitated by Barrère, a key player in bringing the two countries closer.

Théophile Delcassé (1852 - 1923) was one of the great architects of French diplomacy during the Belle Époque. A journalist from modest origins who became a statesman, he embodies the cautious and skillful France of the pre-1914 era. A radical deputy from Hautes-Pyrénées, he entered the Foreign Affairs ministry early on. His opposition to Germany during the Tangier crisis (1905) led to his downfall: Berlin demanded his resignation, a sign of his influence.

In summary, Delcassé is the diplomat who laid the groundwork, well before 1914, for the alliance system that would isolate Germany and shape French foreign policy until the Great War.