21 Times Trusted Historical Protectors Became the Villains

The French people worshiped Marshal Pétain as a national hero after his firm defense during World War I. When France faced military collapse in 1940, the desperate nation turned to the old soldier for protection. Instead of fighting, Pétain surrendered to Adolf Hitler. He destroyed the democratic French Republic and established the authoritarian Vichy regime, actively collaborating with the Nazi occupiers.