About
Paul Reynaud (1878-1966) was a French statesman, trained as a lawyer. A deputy from 1914, he held several ministerial posts in the 1930s. Opposed to appeasement of Nazi Germany, he became Prime Minister in March 1940, but resigned in June 1940 rather than sign an armistice. Arrested by the Vichy regime, he was deported to Germany and Austria, then liberated in 1945. After the war, he participated in drafting the constitution of the Fifth Republic and supported the idea of a united Europe.
* 1878-10-15 — † 1966-09-21
Major works
- La France a sauvé l'Europe (1947)memoir
- Mémoires (1960)memoir
- Mémoires (1963)memoir
Key milestones
- 1940Becomes Prime Minister of the Third Republic, from March 21 to June 16.
- 1940Refuses to sign an armistice with Germany and resigns, replaced by Philippe Pétain.
- 1945Liberated by Allied troops from Itter Castle, Austria, on May 7.
Themes
Opposition to appeasementWar and defeatEuropean integrationPolitical institutionsMemory and history
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · id.loc.gov