WI: Vichy France, who succeeds Pétain?

Say Germany wins WW2 and France continues to be a Nazi puppet state. Whatever scenario there is for that, I don't really care about. But with a continued Vichy France, who would succeed Pétain?

I understand Pierre Laval would be the obvious possibility, but he was already 62 when he was executed in 1945 so I think he'd not live too much longer afterward anyway (and even more doubtfully to reign after Pétain, who lived until 1951), so I would generally like the next possibility.
 
Admiral D?? who commanded the French Fleet in Algiers. setting the precedent that Vichy France is ruled by senior Military Officials.
 
Pierre Laval comes to mind, but maybe not. Henri Joseph Fenet is a good choice, 32 in 1951, in OTL he was the head of SS Charlemagne, fought in the streets of Berlin, only man to win both the Croix de Guerre and the Iron Cross
 
He's a bit too junior though. Maybe in this tl he gets promoted but in rl he was only a captian and only commanded a battalion i think.
 
Say Germany wins WW2 and France continues to be a Nazi puppet state. Whatever scenario there is for that, I don't really care about. But with a continued Vichy France, who would succeed Pétain?

I understand Pierre Laval would be the obvious possibility, but he was already 62 when he was executed in 1945 so I think he'd not live too much longer afterward anyway (and even more doubtfully to reign after Pétain, who lived until 1951), so I would generally like the next possibility.

You're right about Laval but not quite for the right reason. When he was shot, he was actually dying of stomach cancer.

I reckon that someone like Darnand would be too radical to get the nod. It would have to be an old-school reactionary like Petain himself. Maybe Raphael Alibert or indeed maybe Darlan.
 
Top