François Piétri

François Piétri (8 August 1882 - 17 August 1966) was a minister in several governments in the later years of the French Third Republic and was French ambassador to Spain from 1940 to 1944 under the Vichy regime.

Born in Bastia, Corsica to Antoine Piétri, a lawyer and "préfecture" councilman, and Claude Gavini, the daughter of a French National Assembly member. Piétri graduated from the elite "Collège Stanislas" in 1899 and moved on to the "École libre des sciences politiques" for his university education. He was selected for the French Civil Service in 1906 as an auditor ("Inspecteur des finances") and progressed through the ranks to the post of "Directeur général des finances du Maroc" - Director of Finances for Morocco - a role he filled from 1917 to 1924.

In 1924, Piétri was elected to the National Assembly and remained in office there until 1942. During that time, he occupied a number of responsibilities, including:
*Undersecretary of State for Finance ("Sous-secrétaire d'État aux finances") in 1926
*Minister for Colonial Affaris ("Ministre des colonies") in 1929-1930 and again in 1933
*Minister of the Budget ("Ministre du budget") in 1931-1932
*Defense Minister ("Ministre de la défense nationale") in 1932
*Finance Minister ("Ministre des finances") for just one week in early 1934
*Naval Minister ("Ministre de la marine") in 1934-1936
*Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones briefly in 1940 after the German invasionHe remained involved in French politics during the Nazi occupation of France, becoming the Vichy ambassador to Spain from 1940 to 1944.

François Piétri died in 1966 in Ajaccio.

References

* [http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/minefi/ministere/documentation/histomin/ministres/fiche042.html François Pietri] at the French Ministry of Finance website (in French)