Francois Picot
MUSIC - La Marseillaise |
Biography of PicotSurprisingly little is recorded about the French diplomat who signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Francois Georges Picot, who lived from 1870-1951, is almost exclusively known for his role in diving up the Middle East in 1916. Encyclopedias such a the World Book and Encyclopedia Britannica include no entry for Picot and examination of articles that make mention of him provides meager additional information, such as the fact that Picot served as a consul general in Beirut and was connected to a shady execution in Lebanon. It is likely that more information about Picot is available in French, his native language. Certainly the English speaking world appears not to take much interest in Picot. It is safe to say that the most politically significant and memorable action of Francois Picot's life was his participation in creating the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Few other details of his life may be remembered, but he will live on in history, perhaps in infamy, for the Agreement that bears his name. |