Philippe Petain (German Heritage)

Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain (French: [filip petɛ̃]), Marshal Pétain (Maréchal Pétain) or The Old Marshal (Le Vieux Maréchal), was a French general officer who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of World War I, during which he became known as The Lion of Verdun, and later spent 26 as the Chief of State of from 1919 to 1945. Pétain, who was 84 years old in 1940, ranks as France's oldest head of state.