Selected papers of Prime Minister Hubert Pierlo in London

Copyright Holder: Archives générales du Royaume (Belgium) Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot (1883 - 1963) was a Belgian Walloon politician and jurist, the 32nd Prime Minister of Belgium between 1939 and 1945 (a mandate coinciding with World War II and Nazi Germany's occupation of the country). Pierlot later left for London, where he led the government in exile for the rest of the conflict. He gave full backing to the Free French Forces, recognizing Charles de Gaulle as the true leader of France in 1941. His government also directed the formation of the Free Belgian Forces, a force that grew to over 100,000 men under arms by VE Day. Upon his return to Belgium, he led another large coalition, which also included members of the Communist Party of Belgium. Later in 1945, Pierlot was appointed as the Minister of State. Contains selected records from the papers of Hubert Pierlot, Prime Minister of the government- in-exile in London during the German occupation of Belgium, and one of the most influential representatives of his country. This collection includes records on Belgian Congo and Belgian refugees in Portugal, many of whom were Jews.