Choices in vichy france by john sweets is about life under the vichy government. This government, which succeeded the third republic, officially called itself the french state etat francais, in contrast with the previous designation, french republic. Vichy france july 1940september 1944, france under the regime of. Jul 10, 2014 village of secrets is a long and often complex book about how the people of the mountainous area of the south massif central in france helped to protect the jews from the nazis and helped many of them to escape to safety. It is a wonderfully researched book based largely on contemporary german and french archives and avoiding, where possible, the selfserving postwar press coverage and trial statements. Vichy france was the government set up by the germans in southern france in 1940 during world war ii. Interesting facts about france during wwii net4war. Vichy france vintage french labor day 1st may roland hugon the lily of the valley was associated with the labor day only under the vichy government when, on april 24, 1941, marshal petain formally inaugurated may 1st as labor and social concord. Was vichy france a puppet government or a willing nazi.
Vichy s hot mineral springs made it one of the foremost spas in europe, with a casino now a convention center and grand hotels. From 1940 to 1942, while the vichy regime was the nominal government of all of france except for alsacelorraine, the germans and italians militarily. Fortyone years after the fall of france, no period in modern french history remains more painful and controversial than the vichy regime set up. On 2 september 44, john ii of france ceded the noble fiefdom of vichy to peter i, duke of bourbon. During the first two centuries ad, vichy became fairly prosperous because of the supposed medicinal value of the thermal springs. Some 30 prominent politiciansamong them edouard daladier and pierre mendesfranceleft for north africa to set up a governmentinexile there. After the french revolution, it created the most important social division in. We are wondering if it is worth going to vichy france. Wwii and vichy france deposition 19401944 david ball. Of the three on offer, napoleon iiis vichy, vichy s architecture or vichy 1940, the last is oversubscribed during the summer season. Vichy france was a puppet government set up by the occupying german forces and free france was the name for a group of french people that continued to fight the german occupation forces. Defying the nazis in vichy france by caroline moorehead a story of wartime bravery and resistance in which a french village helped 3,000 jews to safety elizabeth lowry. The vichy government of unoccupied france during wwii seems to be a huge missing piece in the content of the american educational system.
This book focuses mainly on clermontferrand, which is the largest town near vichy. The term vichyste indicated collaboration with the vichy regime, often carrying a. Actors read great books best audiobooks for kids books narrated by their. The nazi occupation of northern france and the establishment of the fascist and antisemitic vichy regime in the south put france. The german victory left the french groping for a new policy and new leadership. Pages in category military battles of vichy france the following 28 pages are in this category, out of 28 total. An excellent synthesis of the controversies and scholarly literature in english and french that surround the defeat of france in 1940 and subsequent years of vichy and occupation.
Smart news keeping you current france is making thousands of vichy era documents public archives regarding the vichy regimes collaboration with the nazis made freely accessible. It was led by philippe petain, notable for helping to win world war i. Vichy france, formally french state, french etat francais, july 1940september 1944, france under the regime of marshal philippe petain from the nazi german defeat of france to the allied liberation in world war ii. List of books and articles about vichy france online. Shortly after nazi germany invaded france in may 1940, the french government surrendered and signed the second armistice. Laval, originally a deputy and senator of pacifist tendencies, shifted to the. Swiss newspaper report displaying the antisemitic sentiments of europe from the archives. The history of nazi germanys occupation of france during world war ii was quite interesting especially for a person who has minimal knowledge of that time and government. The vichy governments in fact survived for four years by never promulgating a new. Defying the nazis in vichy france by caroline moorehead. Jun 25, 2019 france was divided into occupied and unoccupied zones, germany would have direct control of 35ths of france including the atlantic coast and western france. The parliament also voted to give chief of state marshal philippe petain, a world war i hero, full and extraordinary powers. The history of nazi germanys occupation of france during world war ii charles river.
Since july 1940, upon being invaded and defeated by nazi german forces, the. A woman of no importance the untold story of the american spy who helped win world war ii by sonia purnell. The vichy government continued a shadowy existence, eventually fleeing before the allied advance to sigmaringen, germany, where it collapsed when germany surrendered in 1945. Nazi germany occupied three fifths of frances territory northern france and the entire french atlantic coast and on july 10, 1940 established a new french government based at the town of vichy. In 1940, the nazis wanted only to dump german jews into unoccupied france.
Evacuated from paris to vichy in the unoccupied free zone in the southern part of metropolitan france which included french algeria, it remained responsible for the civil administration of france as well as the french colonial empire. In fact they, for the main part, preferred the germans. Vichy france, or the vichy regime are the common terms used to describe the government of france from july 1940 to august 1944. A history of the jews by paul johnson weidenfeld and nicholson, 1987 vichy france and the jews by michael marrus, robert paxton schocken, 1983 vichy auschwitz by serge klarsfeld fayard. The coolheaded, onelegged spy who changed the course of.
The vichy regime was the french government which succeeded the third republic from july 1940 to august 1944. What happened to the vichy french nazi collaborators after. France during world war ii bonjourlafrance helpful. From 1939 until 1940, the french third republic was at war against germany. Despite vichy frances assurances to the british that the vichy french would not allow the french fleet to fall into german hands, the very real possibility of the french fleet falling into german hand. Vichy france facts in june of 1940, the german army, the wehrmacht, occupied paris, france. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. French and germanlanguage transcriptions vichy government warns jews in france of further antijewish measures. Oct 16, 1997 in reality, the vichy government helped the nazis. Vichy france july 1940september 1944, france under the regime of marshal philippe petain, from frances defeat by nazi germany to its liberation by the allies in world war ii. The guide, jacques, is primed to tell only the facts. Dec 29, 2015 smart news keeping you current france is making thousands of vichyera documents public archives regarding the vichy regimes collaboration with the nazis made freely accessible. On november 10, 1942, german troops occupy vichy france, which had previously been free of an axis military presence. Life in occupied france during the second world war world.
The following article on operation torch is an excerpt from barrett tillmans book on wave and wing. It never rated more than a sentence in any of my history courses. Apr 06, 2020 the government lasted from july 1940 to 1944, when the allied liberation took place. When japan invaded manchuria in 1931, kicking off the sinojapanese portion of world war ii, it wasnt hard to see why japan would want the strategically important region. Yet the vichy government went further and registered its jews. From the author of the runaway bestseller a train in winter comes the extraordinary story of a french village that helped save thousands, including many jewish children, who were pursued by the gestapo during world war ii. Pierre laval, the puppet leader of nazioccupied vichy france, is executed by firing squad for treason against france. The roots of vichy france can be found in the initial german invasion of france, in 1940. We are going to sarlat and wanted to know if we should stay in poitiers on the way down from dinan. Titling my book as i did was meant to invite readers to think about the postwar remaking of the french state in. Englands last war against france by colin smith book. A great and accessible book which gives an overview of europe during the period.
Vichy france is the common name of the french state headed by marshal philippe petain during world war ii. Any recommendations for good books about vichy france. In 1944, the vichy government moved to nazi germany, and later disbanded. To accommodate a traditionalist message for school girls with the fact that joan was a soldier, vichy school books presented her as a meek and frail girl only able. France is making thousands of vichyera documents public. It was proclaimed by marshal philippe petain following the military defeat of france and the july 10 vote by the national assembly to grant extraordinary powers to petain, who held the title of president of the council. On 6 december 74, the last part of vichy was acquired by louis ii, duke of bourbon. The existence of vichy france was one reason why the germans did not invade spain in an effort to capture gibraltar. The vichy government was the regime set up in france by marshal henri petain in july, 1940, subsequent to the francogerman armistice of june 22. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read vichy france. The vichy french did keep their word and sank their own fleet when the germans overran vichy france. An american diplomat in vichy france association for. Vichy, france facts and information on vichy france.
On june 22, 1940, france signed an armistice with germany, and by july 9 parliament had voted 569 to 80 to abandon the previous government, the third republic. Vichy france simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is a spa and resort town and in world war ii was the seat of government of vichy france from 1940 to 1944. After the fall of france during wwii, a puppet regime was established, with its administrative center in the town of vichy, declaring itself the vichy government of france. In addition to bottled vichy water, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and cosmetics are. Until late 1942 much of northwestern africa tunisia, algeria, and morocco was under control of the vichy french government, totaling 125,000 soldiers in the territories, along with 210 tanks, 500 aircraft, and coastal artillery. The 100 year quest to perfect the aircraft carrier. In a quest to defend its territory, france had to put up a spirited fight against the nazis in the wwii. Free and vichy france short documentary history matters. First, though, a few key facts about the jewish community in france and french antisemitism before the war, without which the history of vichy s actions is incomprehensible. The region remained under the control of vichy france after the fall of france 25 june 1940 and until the allied invasion of north africa 816 november 1942. This book by robert paxton has the reputation of being the classic work on vichy france, and deservedly so. Vichy is a midsize place in the region of auvergne in france with a population of approximately 27,019 people and is one of the largest places in france.
The vichy government, which was a satellite state of germany, controlled the unoccupied parts of france until 1942. The germans had pledged not to enter vichy france as one of the terms of the 1940 armistice. Though the country had one of the best modern and motorized army in the region, plus a bountiful of allies on her side, it was not going to be a walk in the park. The prime minister of france at the time, paul reynaud now realized that germany couldnt be stopped and wanted to move the government to frances african territories and continue with its work from there. The prime minister of france at the time, paul reynaud now realized that germany couldnt be stopped and wanted to move the government to frances. The vichy government, which was a satellite state of germany, controlled the southern half of france. Why was vichy france important during world war ii. Life in occupied france during the second world war.
Fighting vichy, 19401942 christopher silvester examines britains battles with vichy france. Life in occupied france during the second world war the nazis maintained a stranglehold over the media in occupied france, where resistance fighters lived. The ostracism and internment of jews in vichy france. Its effective control extended only to unoccupied france and its colonies. Under its terms, the north of france was occupied and directly administered by the nazis, while the south remained nominally independent under a government seated in vichy, but which was still under suzerainty of the nazis. There also doesnt seem to be much available in the popular literature, which makes this book especially valuable.
Many leaders in the vichy government continued to be powerful after the german takeover in 1942, and the period of vichy governance in france was later extensively criticized. A story of wartime bravery and resistance in which a french village helped 3000. The battle of alamein turning point, world war ii by john bierman by john. Military history of france during world war ii wikipedia. First, the author believes that the regime attempts to build a new order. Additionally, these coins illustrate many important themes, and are an indelible part of the overall history of world war ii. The french colonial army was not allied with the axis but they were opposed to any attempt by the allies to seize any part of the french empire. Online access to the reports of the prefects of the vichy government, one of the main sources for the history of occupied france. The remainder of the country would be governed by the french government at vichy with henriphilippe petain as its head. Vichy france, or the vichy regime was the french government of 19401944 during the nazi germany occupation of world war ii, based at and named after the town of vichy. Feb 17, 2011 vichy france and the jews by michael marrus, robert paxton schocken, 1983 vichy auschwitz by serge klarsfeld fayard, 1983 the collapse of the third republic by william shirer pan, 1969. Colin smith rightly subtitles this account of englands battles with france. The best books on the other france five books expert.
The french had ceded autonomy to syria in september 1936, with the right to. The historian offers a strong interpretive, historiographic framework, outlining the major trends in examining vichy since 1945. For france, world war 2 is considered a particularly dark time. Nov 09, 2017 was vichy france a puppet government or a willing nazi collaborator. The authoritarian government led by marshal petain participated in jewish expulsions and turned france into a quasipolice state. First, though, a few key facts about the jewish community in france and french antisemitism before the war, without which the history of vichys actions is incomprehensible. Sep 08, 2009 life in occupied france during the second world war. France surrendered to nazi germany early in world war ii june 24, 1940.
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