Pierre Laval
| Pierre Laval | |
|---|---|
(1931)
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| 70th Prime Minister of France | |
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In office 18 April 1942 – 20 August 1944 |
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| Preceded by | François Darlan |
| Succeeded by | Charles de Gaulle |
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In office 7 June 1935 – 24 January 1936 |
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| Preceded by | Fernand Bouisson |
| Succeeded by | Albert Sarraut |
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In office 27 January 1931 – 20 February 1932 |
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| President |
Gaston Doumergue Paul Doumer |
| Preceded by | Théodore Steeg |
| Succeeded by | André Tardieu |
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79th Prime Minister of France (as President of the Council) Head of State and nominal Head of Government : Philippe Pétain |
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In office 11 July 1940 – 13 December 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Philippe Pétain |
| Succeeded by | Pierre Étienne Flandin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
28 June 1883 Châteldon, France |
| Died | 15 October 1945 (aged 62) Fresnes, France |
| Resting place | Montparnasse Cemetery |
| Political party |
Socialist (1914–23) Independent (1923–45) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Pierre Laval (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ laval]; 28 June 1883 – 15 October 1945) was a French politician. During the time of the Third Republic, he served as Prime Minister of France from 27 January 1931 to 20 February 1932, and also headed another government from 7 June 1935 to 24 January 1936.
Laval began his career as a socialist, but over time drifted far to the right. Following France's surrender and armistice with Germany in 1940, he served in the Vichy Regime. He took a prominent role under Philippe Pétain, first as the vice-president of Vichy's Council of Ministers from 11 July 1940 to 13 December 1940, and later as the head of government from 18 April 1942 to 20 August 1944.
After the liberation of France in 1944, Laval was arrested by the French government under General Charles de Gaulle. In what some historians consider a flawed trial, Laval was found guilty of high treason, and after a thwarted suicide attempt, he was executed by firing squad. His manifold political activities have left a complicated and controversial legacy, and there are more than a dozen biographies of him.
Laval was born 28 June 1883 at Châteldon, Puy-de-Dôme, in the northern part of Auvergne. His father worked in the village as a café proprietor, butcher and postman; he also owned a vineyard and horses. Laval was educated at the village school in Châteldon. At age 15, he was sent to a Paris lycée to study for his baccalauréat. Returning south to Lyon, he spent the next year reading for a degree in zoology.
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