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Image sourced from Wikipedia. Eric Koch / Anefo - Nationaal Archief. CC BY-SA 3.0 Created 1st December 1969. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Pompidou#/media/File:Georges_Pompidou_(cropped_2).jpg 

Georges-Jean-Raymond Pompidou, born in Montboudif, France on 5 July 1911. Most popularly known as Georges Pompidou, he was a French statesman, bank director and teacher who was premier minister of the fifth republic from 1962-1968 and president from 1969 until his death on April 2 1974. He was introduced to General Charles de Gaulle in 1944, who was the head of the provisional French government at the time. Although a stranger to politics, Pompidou soon proved adept at interpreting and presenting de Gaulle's policies and served as part of de Gaulle's personal staff from 1944 to 1946, remaining a member of his 'shadow cabinet' after the presidents sudden resignation in January 1946.

When the riots of '68 began, Pompidou handed over his resignation to Charles de Gaulle as he felt he could not help in this crisis, however the President rejected this. Yet contrary to Pompidou's beliefs, he grew in popularity during the student-worker revolt of May 1968 as he was a key figure in the negotiations with the students and workers, persuaded by de Gaulle to make the appropriate reforms. On May 27, Pompidou, alongside the trade unions and employers, concluded the Grenelle Agreement, ending the strikes.

During the following presidential elections, de Gaulle was re-elected largely thanks to Pompidou's campaign calls for law and order which led to an unprecedented majority in the National Assembly elections on 30 June 1968. However, in July 1968, Pompidou resigned from the Gaullist government, as he had wished to do at the beginning of May, but this time his resignation was accepted. It is thought that the reason for Pompidou's resignation is because of the strained relationship between himself and General de Gaulle, primarily caused by the Presidents reaction to the riots when he disappeared to Baden Baden without telling anyone of his whereabouts, leaving Georges Pompidou to deal with the crisis alone. De Gaulle appeared to not be affected by Pompidou's desire to leave, which suggests that he was wary of having such a successful figure so close at hand and in the public eye. 

In spite of his resignation, due to his actions in May '68, Pompidou appeared to be the natural successor when de Gaulle resigned from his presidency in 1969.

Pompidou announced his desire to run for President in 1969 and was elected after receiving more than 58 percent of the second-round votes. His presidency lasted from 1969-1974 where he died, whilst still in office, due to ill health. 

Bibliography

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Georges Pompidou - President of France. Published on 20 June 1998. Published by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Jean-Raymond-Pompidou 

A&E Television Network, Georges Pompidou Biography. Published date N/A. Published by A&e Television Network [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/georges-pompidou-9444059