16 juin 1878
8 mai 1932
Fils d'un boulanger de Champigny, Albert Thomas (1878-1932) est un élève brillant au lycée Michelet de Vanves et est lauréat du concours général d'histoire et de philosophie. Doté d'une bourse de voyage obtenue du ministre de l'Instruction publique, il se rend en Sibérie en 1898, prenant à Moscou le Transsibérien jusqu'à son terminus d'alors, Krasnoïarsk. Il accomplit ensuite son année de service militaire, puis est reçu premier à l'École normale supérieure en 1899.
Premier au concours de l'agrégation d'histoire et de géographie en 1902, devant Lucien Febvre, il reprend ensuite ses pérégrinations intellectuelles en suivant d'abord des cours à l'université de Berlin, où par l'entremise de Lucien Herr, il entre en contact avec des milieux réformistes et s'intéresse à la vie syndicale et coopérative, puis il visite l'Asie Mineure, la Grèce et la Turquie en qualité de titulaire du prix fondé par la Revue générale des Sciences.
À son retour en France, il enseigne, de 1903 à 1905. Il publie successivement : L'élection de Gueret au XVIIIe siècle, Le syndicalisme allemand (1903), La Russie, race colonisatrice (1906), L'histoire du Second Empire (dans l'un des tomes de l' Histoire socialiste de Jaurès), L'histoire anecdotique du travail (1910), une étude sur La liberté de l'enseignement en France depuis 1789 (1911)... Il collabore à plusieurs périodiques socialistes : L'Humanité de Jean Jaurès à partir de 1904, L'Information de 1905 à 1910. Il fonde la Revue syndicaliste en 1905, puis la réunit en 1909 à la Revue socialiste dont il devient rédacteur en chef.
Dès 1902 il s'engage dans l'action politique, crée la section locale du Parti socialiste français, devient en mai 1904 conseiller municipal socialiste de Champigny, dont il sera maire de 1912 à 1921. Il est élu député socialiste de la Seine en 1910 (2e circonscription de Sceaux) et réélu en 1914. Il est rapporteur en 1912-1913 pour le budget des chemins de fer dont il prône la nationalisation.
Mobilisé en août 1914 dans le 78e régiment d'infanterie territoriale, Albert Thomas est rapidement rappelé pour participer aux travaux de la commission supérieure de la main-d’œuvre et du ravitaillement, présidée par Aristide Briand. Il est chargé par le nouveau gouvernement Viviani formé le 26 août 1914 de coordonner les chemins de fer, l'État-Major et le ministère des Travaux publics. Le ministre de la Guerre, Alexandre Millerand lui confie en octobre 1914 l'organisation de la production du matériel de guerre. D'octobre 1914 à mai 1915, il fait une grande tournée d'inspection des usines d'armement françaises. Nommé sous-secrétaire d'État de la Guerre chargé de l'Artillerie et de l'équipement militaire le 18 mai 1915, il conserve le même portefeuille dans le cabinet Briand du 29 octobre 1915 (les munitions étant substituées à l'équipement militaire). Ce sous-secrétariat d'État de l'Artillerie et des munitions est converti pour lui en ministère de l'Armement et des Fabrications de guerre dans le cabinet Briand du 12 décembre 1916.
Albert Thomas installe ses services dans l'ancien hôtel Claridge aux Champs-Elysées et s'entoure de collaborateurs et amis, François Simiand, comme sous-secrétaire d'État, Mario Roques comme chef de cabinet, Émile Hugoniot, ingénieur au Service industriel du cabinet.
En avril 1916 Albert Thomas effectue une première mission en Russie pour consolider l'alliance franco-russe et relancer la fabrication et la livraison d'armes en échange de l'envoi d'un contingent russe. D'avril à juin 1917 il effectue une seconde mission en Russie, et en Roumanie, où il assiste, avec un certain enthousiasme, aux répercussions de la première révolution russe.
En septembre 1917, alors que la guerre s'enlise, une crise ministérielle secoue le gouvernement du cabinet Painlevé auquel le Parti socialiste ne veut plus participer. Albert Thomas quitte son poste de ministre le 12 septembre pour retrouver son rôle de simple député. Il crée avec des amis et quelques bénévoles une petite Association d'études et de documentations sociales (AEDS) au 74, rue de l'Université à Paris, qui persistera après la guerre et préfigure la revue hebdomadaire L'Information ouvrière et sociale qu'il va créer avec Charles Dulot. Il démissionne en août 1919 de ses fonctions de maire de Champigny et est élu député du Tarn (1919-1921). Il participe en novembre 1919 à la première Conférence internationale du travail à Washington. Son expérience d'organisation du travail en temps de guerre lui vaut d'être élu premier président du Bureau international du travail, qui s'installe d'abord à Londres puis à Genève en 1920.
Travailleur infatigable, Albert Thomas organise l'activité du BIT dont l’un des rôles est de mettre au point des conventions et des recommandations internationales ainsi que de fournir une assistance technique afin de réguler les conditions de travail dans le monde. L’organisation est tripartite (autant les gouvernements, les employeurs que les travailleurs sont représentés). Il fait enregistrer plus de 400 ratifications des quelque trente conventions votées lors des Conférences internationales du travail. La première Conférence internationale du travail de Washington a voté une convention limitant la durée du travail quotidien à huit heures et celle du travail hebdomadaire à quarante-huit heures dans les établissements industriels. Albert Thomas fait ensuite de nombreux voyages pour accélérer la ratification de la Convention de Washington, notamment en Amérique du Nord de décembre 1922 à janvier 1923, en Amérique du Sud pendant l'été 1925, et en Asie de novembre 1928 à février 1929. Il propose en 1931, pour enrayer la progression du chômage, une Bourse européenne du travail, chargée du placement et de la migration des travailleurs européens, ainsi qu'un vaste programme de travaux publics européens, dans les domaines de l'électrification, des autoroutes et des chemins de fer.
Par ailleurs il participe à la création en 1925 de l'Association internationale pour le progrès social (AIPS) et en 1930 du Comité national de loisirs français.
Albert Thomas décède brutalement à Paris le 8 mai 1932.
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