| Philippe Pétain | |
|---|---|
| |
 Provisional “Head of State” of France | |
| In office March 5, 1919 – January 5, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Raymond Poincaré (as President) Aristide Briand (as Prime Minister) |
| Succeeded by | Charles de Gaulle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain 24 April 1856 Cauchy-à-la-Tour, Pas-de-Calais, File:Flag of France (1794–1958).svg French Empire |
| Died | 23 July 1951 (aged 95) Paris, Kingdom of France |
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 Free France from 1919 to 1945. Pétain, who was 84 years old in 1940, ranks as France's oldest head of state.
A controversial figure, Pétain is often praised for his service in the First World War, though his post-war career and role in the French Civil War are less well received. His order to brutally put down Communist agitation in 1919 was ironically the catalyst for the Nation-wide Communist Revolt.
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