| − | '''Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain''' (1856 - 1951), more commonly known as Phillippe Pétain, is best known for being both a military and political leader for [[France]] and for his heroic actions in [[World War I]]. He commanded the defense at the [[Battle of Verdun]] in 1916, and became chief of staff in 1917. He is also viewed as a traitor for heading the [[Vichy France|Vichy]] government in France during [[World War II]] after France had been overrun by the [[Nazis]]. When France fell to the Nazis in June 1940, Petain was ambassador to [[Spain]] and already well past his 80th birthday, but was recalled to negotiate an armistice for his defeated country, which he then led until the end of [[World War II]]. While the allies were careful not to publicly upset the Vichy government during the war, as the war came closer to its conclusion and [[Charles de Gaulle]] had gained greatly in notoriety while in exile, the allied position switched to publicly support de Gaulle and his [[Free French]]. After the war, when the Nazis had been defeated and France was restored, Petain was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. | + | '''Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain''' (1856 - 1951), more commonly known as '''Phillippe Pétain''', is best known for being both a military and political leader for [[France]] and for his heroic actions in [[World War I]]. He commanded the defense at the [[Battle of Verdun]] in 1916, and became chief of staff in 1917. He is also viewed as a traitor for heading the [[Vichy France|Vichy]] government in France during [[World War II]] after France had been overrun by the [[Nazis]]. When France fell to the Nazis in June 1940, Petain was ambassador to [[Spain]] and already well past his 80th birthday, but was recalled to negotiate an armistice for his defeated country, which he then led until the end of [[World War II]]. While the allies were careful not to publicly upset the Vichy government during the war, as the war came closer to its conclusion and [[Charles de Gaulle]] had gained greatly in notoriety while in exile, the allied position switched to publicly support de Gaulle and his [[Free French]]. After the war, when the Nazis had been defeated and France was restored, Petain was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment. |