1881-1942. French admiral and politician. He 
entered the navy 1899, and was appointed 
admiral and commander in chief 1939. He 
commanded the French navy 1939-40, took part 
in the evacuation of Dunkirk, and entered the 
Petain cabinet as naval minister. In 1941 he 
was appointed vice-premier, and became 
strongly anti-British and pro-German, but in 
1942 he was dropped from the cabinet by Laval 
and sent to N Africa, where he was 
assassinated.