Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 - 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain, was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of World War I, during which he became known as The Lion of Verdun (French: Le lion DE Verdun). From 1940 to 1944, during World War II, he served as head of the collaborationist regime of Vichy France. Pétain, who was 84 years old in 1940, ranks as France's oldest head of state.