Person

Philippe Pétain

1856–1951 · 20th century · Also known as Marshal Pétain

Philippe Pétain was a French general and marshal, celebrated as the defender of Verdun in 1916. In June 1940, as prime minister, he sought an armistice with Germany, and on 10 July parliament gave him full powers; as head of the French State at Vichy he pursued collaboration and an authoritarian National Revolution. Tried after the Liberation, he was sentenced to death for treason, commuted to life imprisonment, and died on the Île d'Yeu.

Philippe Pétain
Image: Imprimerie Draeger à Montrouge en région parisienne · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

French IndochinaGovernance

Mentioned in 2 state histories

French Third RepublicVichy France

Great speeches

De Gaulle's Appeal of 18 June18 June 1940

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Philippe Pétain. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philippe-petain
MLA
“Philippe Pétain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philippe-petain. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Philippe Pétain.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philippe-petain.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Philippe Pétain’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/philippe-petain (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻