24. World War II’s Most Infamous French Jerk, Pierre Laval
Pierre Laval (1883 – 1945) was the most infamous French traitor – and jerk – of World War II. Before the war, Laval had twice been Prime Minister of France during the Third Republic, first in 1931 – 1932, and again in 1935 – 1936. He started off as a socialist, but steadily drifted into conservatism until he became an extreme right-winger. When the Nazis defeated France in 1940, Laval became an eager collaborator and went on to serve prominently in the German-aligned Vichy Regime.
A lawyer, Laval was a member of the Socialist Party from 1903 to 1920. Early in his career, he made a name for himself defending leftists and trade unions. He became more conservative after WWI. When France fell to the Germans in 1940, he persuaded the French Assembly to dissolve itself and cede all powers to Marshall Petain. That ended the Third Republic and inaugurated the Vichy Regime, in which Laval secured his place in infamy as the most prominent Nazi collaborator.