Why did pétain collaborate

Philippe pétain cause of death
Philippe pétain ww1
Philippe pétain ww2

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Henri Philippe Pharaoun

Lebanese art collector, sportsman, politician and businessman

Henri Philippe Pharaon (هنري فيليب فرعون; also referred to in some sources as Henry Pharon; 1901 – August 6, 1993), was a Lebaneseart collector, sportsman, politician, and businessman. He played a crucial role in securing Lebanon's independence from France and served as foreign minister and other cabinet positions. He was assassinated in 1993.

Biography

Pharaon was born into a prominent Lebanese Melkite Catholic family that originated in present-day Syria.^[1]^[2]^[3] His father Philippe Pharaon was a wealthy Lebanese merchant in Alexandria, Egypt. Four years later his family moved to Beirut, where he was educated in Jesuit schools. He attended college in Switzerland, and received a law degree at Lyon University in France. Pharaon married Noelie Cassar, heiress of a wealthy Maltese family from Jaffa, in 1922, while he was national tennis champion of Lebanon. They had one son, Naji Henri.

Probably the richest man in Lebanon during much of his lifetim

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Community

Henri-Philippe Petain (1856-1951) was a cautious but successful French army commander. At the start of the war Petain was respected as a theoretician who argued against the then-prevailing doctrine of 'offensive spirit', believing that modern weaponry favoured defence more than offence.

These views somewhat hindered his advance through the army (Foch, for example, believed the opposite to be the case), and he was still a regimental colonel with the Fifth Army at the start of the war and due for retirement. However he thereafter enjoyed rapid promotion: to divisional command during the First Battle of the Marne, and to corps command by October. From July 1915 he led the Second Army, holding the front south of Verdun.

Germany's initial successes at Verdun led Joffre, the Commander-in-Chief, to appoint Petain in direct command of the defence of Verdun on 26 February 1916. Ordered to hold the sector at all costs, Petain delivered upon his famous pledge "Ils ne passeront pas!" ('They

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Spartacus Educational

Primary Sources

(1) Anthony Eden, Memoirs: The Reckoning (1965)

Paul Reynaud received us, firm and courteous despite the strain. We soon got down to discussion across the dining-room table; Petain, Reynaud, Weygand facing Churchill, Dill and me, with interpreters. General Georges joined us later. We talked for almost three hours, the discussion hardly advancing matters. The speakers were polite and correct, but although at that time the Maginot Line had not been attacked, it was soon evident that our French hosts had no hope.
Early in our talks, Weygand described the military situation, explaining how he had attempted to block a number of gaps in the line. He believed he had succeeded and, for the moment, the line held, but he had no more reserves. Somebody asked what would happen if another breach were made. 'No further military action will then be possible,' Weygand replied. Reynaud at once intervened sharply: 'That would be a political decision, Monsieur Ie General.' Weygand bowed and said: 'Certainly.' Georges told us that t