ARTICLE: Pétain, Darlan, Laval: An Outside Observer, 1941

Sir Neville Lytton was born in India in 1879. A Bronze medal winner at the 1908 London Olympics in ‘real tennis’, he was also an artist. A veteran of the First World War, where he saw action on the Somme and was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur, he was in his early 60s when war broke out again. He had been living in France, in less than salubrious but not destitute circumstances. A few months ago one of my second-hand bookshop purchases was a slim volume that he wrote entitled: ‘Life in Unoccupied France.’ I thought it was really interesting, because it represents an outsider’s perception of all that was happening. It was published in 1942, therefore the Vichy Government was firmly installed, and we are nowhere near liberation yet. There’s no layer of hindsight on any of this. Today, I thought it might be interesting to reproduce a chapter he wrote observing some of the men running the country, at a point still some way out from their downfall for most of them. He wrote about Pétain himself, Admiral Darlan, and Pierre Laval…

An amusing self portrait (www.jubileegalleries.com)

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During my lectures throughout the country, and during the questions which followed these lectures, I have always been asked to give an account of these Vichy personalities. I propose to take them in reverse order — Laval first. Many people have said to me, “Surely a man could not look like a traitor if he really were a traitor: Laval’s appearance is so villainous that he is almost a public warning.” Strange as it may seem, Laval both looks like a traitor and is a traitor, but his treachery is almost self-avowed and therefore does less harm than treachery which is disguised by the badges of high rank.

Harsh words, but possibly fair. (Wikipedia)

The word “ Laval” can be spelt the right way round or the wrong way round and the result is always the same —Laval. He started life as a barrister in a small way, taking briefs at a low fee to defend people who were not rich enough to pay more-then all of a sudden he became immensely rich and was able to give his daughter, when she married, a dowry of a million francs. Politically he was an advanced Socialist, and among other things Mayor of Aubervilliers, one of the “reddest” boroughs of Paris…

Laval has never been a soldier, having seen service neither in the last war nor in this. His baptism of fire occurred when he was shot at by the young patriot Colette. It is strange that Marshal Pétain, who has such a respect for soldiers, should have used Laval as his right-hand man for carrying out his programme of moral reconstruction. No doubt he would double-cross Hitler if a suitable opportunity occurred. Laval does not care a fig for any political system — Communism, Fascism, Roman Catholicism or Atheism may be employed by him alternately or simultaneously provided that he himself acquires wealth and power.

The other day he announced by radio that he sincerely hoped that Germany would win the war. I could not resist the temptation of writing an open letter which was published in the paper France. Here it is :

“SIR,—I am English, but with complete sincerity, I can say that I have two countries — my own and France. For me, France represents all that is noble and beautiful in the world ; yet France is not perfect since you are a Frenchman.

If it is true, as you said in your last speech, that, in the case of Russia belonging to the victorious nations, it would mean the end of European civilisation, why did you not raise your voice in protest when Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with this selfsame Russia? Speaking of Russia, the Führer said, ‘ Our two great peoples should never have been opposed to one another. All our differences are now settled for the next thousand years.’

“You are not a fool, Monsieur Laval, and you will know that Hitler’s real reason for making an alliance with Russia was to obtain greater facilities for destroying France. Why, therefore, were you not then in the vanguard of France’s fighting forces? Why do you believe now that Hitler is more likely to keep his promises made to you (the Prince of Shirkers) than those made to mighty Russia?

We fully understand why you desire a German victory — it is not to save European civilisation, but to save your own head.

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