Darlan, François

Darlan, François ( Jean Louis Xavier Darlan ) ( 1881 – 1942 )
French admiral. He became Minister of Marine in the Vichy government in 1940 and was regarded by the British as pro-fascist. His secret order to his commanders to scuttle their vessels should the Germans attempt to take them over was not known to the British. When the Allies invaded North Africa in 1942 he was in Algiers, where he began negotiations with the Americans. He ordered the Vichy French forces to cease fire and was proclaimed Head of State in French Africa. A month later he was assassinated.