Henri Philippe Petain

About Me: 

     I was born in Cauch-a-la Tour in 1856 and attended the St Cyr Military School and spend many years as an infantry officer and an army instructor. I later became a grneral in the French army. As a general during World War I, I won fame for my successful defense of Verdun against the Germans in 1916. Later, as commander in chief, I did much to restore morale in the French army after a series of mutinies in 1917. I was made a marshal of France the following year. During the 1920s I served in French Morocco. In 1934 I was minister of war, and from 1939 to 1940 I was ambassador to Spain. 

      Following the German invasion of France in 1940, I was recalled to active military service as adviser to the minister of war. On June 16, 1940, I succeeded Paul Reynaud as premier of France and soon afterward I asked the Germans for an armistice, which was concluded on June 22. On July 2, with the consent of the Germans, I established my government in Vichy in central France, and on July 10 I assumed the title of chief of state, ruling thereafter with dictatorial powers over that portion of France not directly under German control. Me and my prime minister, Pierre Laval, established a Fascist-oriented government that became notorious for our collaboration with German dictator Adolf Hitler. The Vichy government ruled with Germany's approval, appointing all government officials, controlling the press, and practicing arbitrary arrests. The government also passed anti-Semitic laws and rounded up French, Spanish, and Eastern European Jews who were deported to German concentration camps.

     After the Allies landed in France in 1944, I went to Germany and then to Switzerland. I returned to France after the war to stand trial for treason. In August 1945 I was found guilty of ãintelligence with the enemyä and sentenced to death. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, and I was moved to Ile d'Yeu, an island off the coast of Brittany ;( 

MySpace URL: www.myspace.com/Hitlersbuddy

My Mood: Mad (I have to serve life in prision because I helped the Germans!)

My Hobbies: Playing cards and chess

My Interests: To control areas of France and collaborate with the Germans

My Heroes:HITLER

My Favorite Saying:"?"

Me on the Web: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWpetain.htm-http://worldatwar.net/biography/p/petain/

Webmaster: David Grogan (the coolest man alive!)

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