Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who led the nation in the First World War. A leader of the
Radical Party, he played a central role in politics during the Third Republic. Clemenceau served as the
Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909, and again from 1917 to 1920. In favour of a total victory over the German Empire, he militated for the restitution of Alsace-Lorraine to France. He was one of the principal architects of the
Treaty of Versailles at the
France Peace Conference of 1919. Nicknamed "Père la Victoire" (
Father Victory) or "Le Tigre" (
The Tiger), he took a harsh position against defeated Germany, though not quite as much as President
Poincaré, and won agreement on Germany's payment of large sums for reparations.