Vincent Jules Auriol (27 August 1884 – 1 January 1966) was a French lawyer and socialist politician who served as the first president of the Fourth Republic from 1947 to 1954. He entered politics as a deputy (representative) for Muret in the Chamber of Deputies in 1914, a position he held until 1942. He also served as Minister of Finance (1936-1937) and as Minister of Justice (1937-1938). After France fell to Nazi Germany, Auriol was one of 80 deputies voted against the extraordinary powers given to Prime Minister Philippe Pétain on 10 July 1940. He was placed under arrest by the Vichy France government until October 1942, when he escaped and joined the French Resistance. He fought with them for a year, until he fled to London.