French politician born in Châteldon in 1883. It adheres to SFIO in 1903. It accelerates its political career in " navigate " inthe hemicycle of the extreme left in the right center.
For this period he knows a fast social rise by repurchasing companies in difficulty. The defeat of 1940, which justified its pacifism, enables him to return to the capacity and to exert its rancour against the politicians who fought it.
Named vice-president of the Council on June 27, it undertakes to liquidate the republican system by a constitutional reform which it makes vote by the Assembly on July 10 " the pig mould lived " and Pétain receives the full powerss. Recognized like the designated successor of the marshal, Laval then seems the head real of the government, acting with its own way, taking many initiatives in direction of Germany, offering a true collaboration, even military to him.
By its scorning attitude, it completes to unite against him the hostility of the whole of the government; it is resigned by surprised 13 December 1940 and is placed under house arrest in Châteldon. It remains however in liaison with the Germans, in particular Otto Abetz, ambassador of IIIe Reich in France. Under the German pressure which threatens to place France under the authority of one "gauleiter" (Goering even spoke about "poloniser"), Pétain agree to recall it to the capacity on April 18, 1942.

Appointed head of the government, but also Secretary of State inside, with the Foreign Affairs and Information, Laval this time has reduced Pétain with the role of " vase " that it intended to him in 1940.

It can from now on set up a policy of collaboration narrower and declares with the radio of State on June 22: " I wish the victory of Germany bus without it, the Bolchevism tomorrow would settle everywhere ".
It offers to Germany the workers for which it needs by instituting the " changing " (3 workers against a prisoner), organizes the raid of the Jews in July, and authorizes there Gestapo to continue the resistant ones in free zone creates there Militia by the law of January 30, 1943. It completes to alienate the public opinion by instituting the law on the Service of obligatory work (STO) February 16.
Become a simple civil servant of IIIe Reich, it is constrained to join Sigmaringen in September 1944 when it gives up any political activity. Condemned to died by High the Court of Justice, it is shot on October 15, 1945.