Pierre Laval: The Vichy Prime Minister Who Collaborated with Nazi Germany

Pierre Laval, once a socialist politician and prime minister of France, became one of the most infamous collaborators with Nazi Germany during World War II.Pierre Laval’s legacy remains one of the most controversial in French history. Once a respected socialist and prime minister, Laval transitioned into one of the most infamous collaborators of Nazi Germany during World War II. Following France’s defeat in 1940, he emerged as a central figure in the newly formed Vichy regime, believing collaboration with Hitler’s Germany could secure France’s future in a Nazi-dominated Europe. As Prime Minister under Marshal Pétain, Laval endorsed and implemented policies that aligned France with the occupying German forces. His cooperation included the forced deportation of tens of thousands of Jews, including children, to extermination camps such as Auschwitz. Under his leadership, the Vichy government also supplied French laborers to work in Nazi Germany, intensified suppression of the Resistance, and aligned its political objectives with the German war effort. Laval’s calculated pragmatism and rhetoric—such as his infamous 1942 broadcast expressing hope for a German victory to prevent Bolshevism—fueled public outrage. Despite being briefly dismissed from office, he returned with even greater authority in 1942 and deepened France’s complicity in Nazi crimes. His decisions contributed to the deaths of over 77,000 Jews from French territory. After the liberation of France, Laval fled but was captured and returned for trial. In October 1945, he was sentenced to death for treason and collaboration. Despite a failed suicide attempt, Laval was executed by firing squad, his final words being “Vive la France.” Laval’s political journey—from socialist idealist to architect of collaboration—represents a cautionary tale of ambition, ideological surrender, and moral compromise during one of Europe’s darkest chapters.This episode is part of the series High Ranking Fascist Collaborators: Politicians.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv