A leader of the Radicals, he first became Prime Minister during 1933, and then again in 1934 for a few weeks during the right wing rioting of that year, which led to the left's fall from power. He became Minister of War for the Popular Front coalition in 1936, and became Prime Minister again in 1938 after the fall of the Popular Front. His term in power saw the Munich Agreement, when France backed out of its obligations to defend Czechoslovakia. In 1939 after the German invasion of Poland he was reluctant to go to war, but did so on September 3, 1939. In March 1940 he was dismissed and replaced with Paul Reynaud. He fled to Morocco, but was arrested and tried for treason by the Vichy government. He was a German prisoner until the end of the war.
After the war, he was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and an opponent of Charles de Gaulle.
| Preceded by: Joseph Paul-Boncour 1932-1933 | Prime Ministers of France 1933 | Followed by: Albert Sarraut 1933 |
| Preceded by: Camille Chautemps 1933-1934 | Prime Ministers of France 1934 | Followed by: Gaston Doumergue 1934 |
| Preceded by: Léon Blum 1938 | Prime Ministers of France 1938-1940 | Followed by: Paul Reynaud 1940 |