Paul Baudouin

Paul Baudouin ( born December 19, 1894 in Paris, † February 10, 1964 ) was a French politician.

Career and life

Baudouin was a student at the École polytechnique. In 1930 he became director of the Banque de l' Indochine. With the support of Prime Minister Paul Reynaud in March 1940, he was Under Secretary of State and the government of Marshal Pétain in June 1940, Foreign Minister of the Vichy regime. He led key negotiations with the British and Italian governments, but could be on the terms of the armistice with Germany against Pierre Laval and Fernand de Brinon (executed in 1945 and 1947) not prevail and lost his office on the 28th October 1940. Probably came from Baudouin the first official use of the term " collaboration " for the " ongoing cooperation " between Vichy France and the German Empire. The term is found in a memorandum from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 1940. Baudouin served the Vichy government until 1944 in various positions and was sentenced in March 1947 to four years in prison, but released in 1948.