Pierre Laval
Pierre Laval was a prominent French politician who played a significant role during a tumultuous period in France's history, particularly during World War II. Born in Châteldon, he initially pursued a career in law after receiving his degree, later entering politics as a member of the Socialist Party. His political ideology shifted rightward following World War I, leading to a series of influential positions, including Prime Minister during the early 1930s and again in the mid-1930s.
Laval’s controversial alignment with the Vichy regime and collaboration with Nazi Germany marked a dramatic turn in his career. He was known for implementing anti-Semitic policies and sought to strengthen Franco-German ties, actions that ultimately led to his arrest and removal from power. After the war, Laval was apprehended, tried for treason, and executed in 1945. His legacy remains deeply contentious in France, symbolizing betrayal and igniting discussions about national identity and collaboration during wartime. Today, his name is often synonymous with treachery, reflecting the complex moral landscape of occupied France and the challenges of post-war reconciliation.
Subject Terms
Pierre Laval
Vichy prime minister of France (1931-1932, 1935-1936, 1942-1944)
- Born: June 28, 1883
- Birthplace: Châteldon, France
- Died: October 15, 1945
- Place of death: Paris, France
Major offense: Treason
Active: 1930’s-1940’s
Locale: France
Sentence: Death by firing squad
Early Life
Pierre Laval (pyehr lah-vahl) was born and raised in the small village of Châteldon, in the Puy-de-Dome département of the Auvergne region of France. Because his family had little money, he took odd jobs as a youth. He attended university and received a law degree, then relocated to Paris in 1907 to begin work as a lawyer. Soon he became a force in politics and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies as a Socialist in 1914.
World War I changed Laval’s political views, and he began to side with the right. After leaving the Socialist Party and losing reelection after the war, Laval became the mayor of Aubervilliers in 1924. By 1927 he was elected to the French senate and served as prime minister from January, 1931, to February, 1932, and again in 1935. Time magazine named him man of the year in 1931.
Political Career
Laval lost favor and was forced to resign as prime minister on January 22, 1936, after devising a controversial solution to the Abyssinia crisis, which proposed ceding most of Ethiopia to Italy. After leaving politics, Laval began to amass a business empire of broadcasting and print media that debased the left and promoted his right-wing ideology. His propaganda succeeded in ousting the existing government and supporting the prime minister of the Vichy government, Philippe Pétain, who would name Laval as his vice premier during World War II. Laval arranged a meeting with Adolf Hitler, during which he pledged his cooperation, as well as that of the French state, to Germany. Laval’s pro-Nazi zeal and demands for a Franco-German alliance caused Pétain to become wary of his associate; Laval was removed from office and arrested on December 13, 1940.
News of Laval’s dismissal and arrest caused the German ambassador to France, Otto Abetz, to protest on Laval’s behalf. Laval was released and sent to Paris under Abetz’s protection. While staying with the Germans, Laval was injured during an assassination attempt. Upon his recovery he was reinstated as prime minister in 1942, under pressure from Abetz.
Under Laval’s rule, France began to see a noticeable increase in anti-Semitic policies. Jewish families were identified and watched. Laval arranged and began heavily promoting an exchange program, La Rélève, in which skilled French workers would be sent to Germany in exchange for French prisoners of war. By September of 1942, Laval had authorized the German Gestapo to hunt down members of the French Resistance in unoccupied France. Laval was also instrumental in the development of the Vichy Milice in 1943, a wartime police force known for its brutality. The Milice was responsible for gathering Jewish families and left-wing activists and deporting them to Germany. With the Allied invasion of France, the government relocated to Belfort, France, and then to Sigmaringen, Germany, in August, 1944. By May of 1945, Laval had fled to Spain.
Legal Action and Outcome
Spain deported Laval to Austria, and Austria turned him over to the new French government headed by Charles de Gaulle on July 30, 1945. Once back on French soil, Laval was tried for treason, aiding the enemy, and violating state security. After forcefully defending himself, Laval was found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad. While awaiting his execution, he attempted to take his life by ingesting a cyanide tablet. The tablet had lost its potency, and Laval went to the firing squad semiconscious. He was executed at Fresnes prison, near Paris, on October 15, 1945.
Impact
The name “Laval” became, and remains, synonymous with “traitor” in the French language. Pierre Laval’s collaboration with the Nazis not only earned him the contempt of his fellow French but also aroused increased patriotism and appreciation for the Allied forces. After the demise of Laval and the Vichy regime, France encouraged citizens to become vigilant toward fascism, Nazi sympathizers, and neo-Nazi hate movements.
Under the Vichy government, French citizens were divided between those who supported the Vichy government and fascism, and those who supported the French Resistance and the goals of the Allies. After World War II, much of France was left in a state of confusion and shame over what the country had stood and fought for in the war. In trying to rebuild and redefine France, Laval’s execution, and those of many other Vichy officials, was seen as a step toward France’s regaining its national identity and disassociating itself from a dark past.
Bibliography
Alexander, Martin S. The Republic in Danger: General Maurice Gamelin and the Politics of French Defense, 1931-1940. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. An excellent account of France’s involvement in World War II and the internal war that was occurring simultaneously within France. Intended for those who already possess a working knowledge of French politics of the era.
Burrin, Philippe. France Under the Germans: Collaboration and Compromise. New York: New Press, 1998. Explores the psychological impact that compromises France made with the Nazis had on its citizens.
Jackson, Julian. France: The Dark Years, 1940-1944. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Suggests that, although controversial, the Vichy government was not an oppressive force that was thrust upon France by the Germans but rather a government welcomed by French Fascists and anti-Semites.
Paxton, Robert O. Vichy France. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. An impeccably researched book about the Vichy government and the factors that played into its decision-making processes.
Rousso, Henri. The Vichy Syndrome: History and Memory in France Since 1944. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2004. Young French historian Rousso examines the confusion and division of France under the Vichy government and, based on interviews and documents, records what people chose to remember about those dark years.