The Pierlot IV Government, also known as the Pierlot Government in London, was the government in exile

Government in exile

A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...

 of Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 from May 1940 until 1944, during the Nazi occupation of Belgium. The government was led by Hubert Pierlot

Hubert Pierlot

Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot was a Belgian Walloon politician and jurist, the 32nd Prime Minister of Belgium between 1939 and 1945 .-Biography:He was a representative of the Catholic Party Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot (23 December 1883, Cugnon (Bertrix) – 13 December 1963, Uccle)...

.

On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

 had invaded Belgium (see Battle of Belgium

Battle of Belgium

The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War...

). King Leopold III

Leopold III of Belgium

Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...

 had personally assumed control of the military; in a meeting with the King on 24 May, the Cabinet urged him to leave the country with the Cabinet; Leopold refused, stating that he must remain with his troops. The Cabinet took this as an indication that Leopold would be willing to establish a new government under Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...

. On 27 May, Leopold surrendered the Belgian forces to Germany, without the advice of the Cabinet. Pierlot regarded this act as unconstitutional, and in a speech in Limoges

Limoges

Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....

 he deprived the King of his powers.

The ministers of the Cabinet made their separate ways to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 in late 1940, where they worked closely with the Free French Forces

Free French Forces

The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...

.

Composition

Minister	Name	Party
Prime Minister – Public Education and Defence	Hubert Pierlot Hubert Pierlot Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot was a Belgian Walloon politician and jurist, the 32nd Prime Minister of Belgium between 1939 and 1945 .-Biography:He was a representative of the Catholic Party Hubert Marie Eugène, Count Pierlot (23 December 1883, Cugnon (Bertrix) – 13 December 1963, Uccle)...	Catholic Catholic Party (Belgium) The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
Foreign Affairs, Information and Propaganda	Paul-Henri Spaak Paul-Henri Spaak Paul Henri Charles Spaak was a Belgian Socialist politician and statesman.-Early life:Paul-Henri Spaak was born on 25 January 1899 in Schaerbeek, Belgium, to a distinguished Belgian family. His grandfather, Paul Janson was an important member of the Liberal Party...	POB Belgian Labour Party The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
Financial and Economic Affairs	Camille Gutt Camille Gutt Camille Gutt , born Camille Guttenstein, was a Belgian economist, politician, and industrialist. He served as the first Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund from 6 May 1946 to 5 May 1951...	none (technical expert)
Colonies and Justice	Albert de Vleeschauwer	Catholic Catholic Party (Belgium) The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
Minister without Portfolio	August De Schryver	Catholic Catholic Party (Belgium) The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
Minister without Portfolio	Henri Denis	none (technical expert)
Minister without Portfolio	Paul-Emile Janson Paul-Emile Janson Paul-Emile Janson was a Belgian liberal politician.Born in Brussels, Janson was the son of liberal statesman Paul Janson . He studied law at the Free University of Brussels , practised as a lawyer, and also taught at the university...	Liberal Liberal Party (Belgium) The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
Minister without Portfolio	Léon Matagne	Liberal Liberal Party (Belgium) The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
Minister without Portfolio	Eugène Soudan	BWP Belgian Labour Party The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
Minister without Portfolio	Arthur Vanderpoorten Arthur Vanderpoorten Arthur Pieter Frans Vanderpoorten was a Belgian liberal politician and minister. Vanderpoorten was the father of the later minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the grandfather of the later ministers Patrick Dewael and Marleen Vanderpoorten.-Career:Vanderpoorten was executive-director of a company...	Liberal Liberal Party (Belgium) The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
Minister without Portfolio	Charles d'Aspremont Lynden	Catholic Catholic Party (Belgium) The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...

Changes

• 19 February 1942
  • Julius Hoste (Liberal
    Liberal Party (Belgium)
    The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
    
    ) becomes Undersecretary for Public Education
  • Henri Rolin (BWP
    Belgian Labour Party
    The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
    
    ) becomes Undersecretary for Defence
  • Gustave Joassart (technical expert) becomes Undersecretary for Aid to Refugees, Labour and Social Welfare
• 2 October 1942
  • Antoine Delfosse (Catholic) becomes Minister for Justice, National Information and Propaganda
  • Henri Rolin (BWP
    Belgian Labour Party
    The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
    
    ) resigns as Undersecretary for Aid to Refugees, Labour and Social Welfare
• January 1943
  • Arthur Vanderpoorten
    Arthur Vanderpoorten
    Arthur Pieter Frans Vanderpoorten was a Belgian liberal politician and minister. Vanderpoorten was the father of the later minister Herman Vanderpoorten and the grandfather of the later ministers Patrick Dewael and Marleen Vanderpoorten.-Career:Vanderpoorten was executive-director of a company...
    
     (Liberal
    Liberal Party (Belgium)
    The Liberal Party was a Belgian political party that existed from 1846 until 1961, when it became the Party for Freedom and Progress, Partij voor Vrijheid en Vooruitgang/Parti de la Liberté et du Progrès or PVV-PLP, under the leadership of Omer Vanaudenhove.-History:The Liberal Party was founded...
    
    ) is apprehended by the Nazi occupiers
• 6 April 1943
  • August De Schryver becomes Minister for Interior Affairs and Agriculture
  • August Balthazar (BSP
    Belgian Socialist Party
    The Belgian Socialist Party was a democratic socialist party which existed in Belgium from 1945 to 1978.The BSP was founded by activists from the Belgian Labour Party , which was the first Belgian socialist party. It ceased to function during the Second World War, while Belgium was under Nazi...
    
    ) becomes Minister for Public Works and Transport
• 16 July 1943
  • Gustave Joassart (technical expert) resigns as Undersecretary for Aid to Refugees, Labour and Social Welfare
• 3 September 1943
  • Joseph Bondas (POB
    Belgian Labour Party
    The Belgian Labour Party, called Belgische Werkliedenpartij in Dutch and Parti Ouvrier Belge in French, was the first socialist party in Belgium, founded in 1885.-History:...
    
    ) becomes Undersecretary for Aid to Refugees, Labour and Social Welfare
  • Raoul Richard (technical expert) becomes Undersecretary for Supplies
• 30 March 1943
  • Paul Tschoffen (Catholic
    Catholic Party (Belgium)
    The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
    
    ) becomes Staatsraad
• 6 June 1944
  • Paul Tschoffen (Catholic
    Catholic Party (Belgium)
    The first Catholic Party in Belgium was established in 1869 as the Confessional Catholic Party .-History:In 1852 a Union Constitutionelle et Conservatrice was founded in Ghent, in Leuven , and in Antwerp and Brussels in 1858, which were active only during elections...
    
    ) becomes Head of the Mission for Civil Affairs