The vichy government 19401944, was a rightwing authoritarian regime which succeeded the third republic in unoccupied french territory after germany defeated france june 1940 early in wwii. Vichy france, officially known as the french state, was a nazi puppet government that ruled france between july, 1940 and august, 1944. Robert o paxton uncompromising, often startling, meticulously documentedthis book is an account of the government, and the governed, of colaborationist france. I was wondering about the situation in france 1940. Canada between vichy and free france, 19401945 on jstor.
He showed for the first time that vichy was a government of oppression in its. 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. Paxton is best known for his 1972 book vichy france. The state building that created modern france, he suggests, began as early as the third republic 18701940 and continued under vichy 19401944, which, though rightly thought of as an.
While the french later disowned the vichy government with considerable. This book focuses mainly on clermontferrand, which is the largest town near vichy. Vichy france project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Too often, vichy france is represented as a monolithic block, a uniformly bad moment in french history. From 1940 to 1942, while the vichy regime was the nominal government of all of france except for alsacelorraine, the germans and italians militarily occupied northern and southeastern france. Discover librarianselected research resources on vichy france from the.
One month later, in july, the royal navy turned its big guns on the french and killed around 1,300 of them. 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. With a new introduction and updated bibliography, vichy france demonstrates that the collaborationist government of marshal petain did far more than merely. Was vichy france a puppet government or a willing nazi. Fighting vichy, 19401942 every time i see that title, i feel the urge to somehow reach into the publishers graphic design department and rearrange the title to fighting vichy. Basing his work on captured german archives and contemporary materials rather than on selfserving postwar memoirs or wartrial testimony, prof.
It held authority over french overseas possessions as well as the unoccupied part of france. Emerging from frances catastrophic 1940 defeat like a bedraggled and rather sinister phoenix, the french state better known to history as vichy france or the vichy regime after its spatown capital, stands in history as a unique and bizarre creation of german fuhrer adolf hitlers european conquests. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The nature of the vichy france regime was quite different in 1940 and in 1944, and kept evolving during its existence not to mention the vichy france government in exile in sigmarigen, germany after the liberation of france, seemingly taking a le. The vichy government, which was a satellite state of germany, controlled the unoccupied parts of france until 1942. I read this nonfiction book after reading the novel sarahs key, as i wanted to understand how collaborative the vichy government had been with the germans which was quite a bit.
Paxton focuses in on the vichy government during the. Alfred dreyfus, jewish and a colonel in the french army, was wrongly accused. This remarkable change in fortunes is described in detail in a new book, traditional enemies that explains why and how britain waged war against vichy france during the years of 194042. France was occupied by nazi germany between 1940 and 1944, and the exact nature of frances role in the vichy years is only now beginning to come to light. History of france from 19401944, during the german occupation and the role of the vichy government. Filled with international intrigue and largerthanlife characters, canada between vichy and free france adds greatly to our comprehension of canadas foreign relations and political history.
Vichy made their situation worse than it would otherwise have been, first by its own exclusion and discrimination measures in 19401942 and then by abetting german deportations. Germany took control of the northern part of the country while they left the southern part to be headed by petain. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read vichy france. The vichy administration had little choice but to collaborate with the germans. Sophie carraccio works in vichys tourist office, promoting conferences and trade fairs. As an academic specialist on wwii and german history, i found this book to be very.
Precisely because it did have something to lose, the vichy government was always terrified to push its case too far for fear of provoking the germans. In addition to bottled vichy water, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and cosmetics are manufactured. Following the allied landings in french north africa on 8 november. Old guard and new order 19401944 by paxton, robert o isbn. Paxtons classic study of the aftermath of frances sudden collapse under nazi invasion utilizes captured german archives and other contemporary materials to construct a strong and disturbing account of the vichy period in france. The vichy regime was the french government which succeeded the third republic from july 1940 to august 1944.
Like many americans, i have scant knowledge of the workings of french politics and government. Robert paxton vichy france, old guard and new order, 19401944 it was the. Its capital was the town of vichy, auvergne, central france. This last word, nuance, is my key takeaway from fulchers book. Uncompromising, often startling, meticulously documentedthis book is an account of the government, and the governed, of colaborationist france.
Englands last war against france book by colin smith. Vichy france adopted the symbolism of the corporate states, adding the francisque, the frankish axe, to the tricolore. But france 19401944 did exist, and others remember it even if vichy would prefer not to. Basing his work on captured german archives and contemporary materials rather than on selfserving postwar memoirs or wartrial testimony, professor paxton maps out the complex nature of the illfamed vichy government, showing that it in. This masterful book is the first comprehensive reappraisal of the vichy france regime for over twenty years. It gives a detailed, nuanced account of the vichy government and describes all of the many factors at play before and during 1940 1944. This book by robert paxton has the reputation of being the classic work on vichy france, and deservedly so. Vichy france includes pictures profiles the history of the occupation and what life and government was like in vichy france includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading includes a table of contents emerging from frances catastrophic 1940 defeat like a bedraggled and rather sinister phoenix, the french state better known to history as vichy france or the vichy. One of the part was vichy france with own government. Vichy france simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Its effective control extended only to unoccupied france and its colonies.
And in each case, the chapters in fulchers book are more richly developed and more carefully nuanced. French government from 1940 to 1944 during the nazi occupation of france in world war ii. Old guard and new order, 19401944 revised edition by robert o. For instance, i had no idea how seminal the influence of the aftermath of the francoprussian war was to french reactions to 20th century events. The armistice of 22 june divided france in two parts, the occupying forces controlling the channel and atlantic coasts and hinterland, plus the paris region and alsacelorraine. France adopted the motto travail, familie, patrie work, family, fatherland replacing the revolutionary motto liberte, egalite, fraternite. Canada between vichy and free france, 19401945 book description. Vichy france 1940 1 vichy france1940 1944fascism france by carmen mei. In may june 1940 france suffered a catastrophic military defeat. Vichy france, from 1940 to 1944, and its government in exile in 1945. This government made its headquarters in the town of vichy, in the centre of france, and became known as the vichy government. To answer these questions and more, dive into the story of vichy france, the government that ruled from june 1940 till august 1944. In my opinion a very interesting, informative, and useful book.
The parliament also voted to give chief of state marshal philippe petain, a world war i hero, full and extraordinary powers. France was occupied by nazi germany between 1940 and 1944, and the. The axis powers in reality militarily occupied northern and southeastern france. In opposition to the traditional view pioneered by robert aron, he argued that the vichy government was eager to collaborate with nazi germany and did not practice passive resistance to german rule. Some french citizens helped rescue jews, but others denounced hidden jews or participated in aryanization. List of books and articles about vichy france online research. His other books include parades and politics at vichy, europe in the.
From 1940 to 1942, while nominally the government of france as a whole, vichy only fully controlled the unoccupied zone in southern france, while germany occupied northern france. Ppt vichy france 1940 powerpoint presentation free to. Not long after the fall of france in 1940, the french colonials on the island revolted against their provichy governor and declared for the free french, so the island and the harbor at noumea, the colonys capital, became a huge naval repair, troop transit, and logistical nexus for americas armed forces. I know about the situation that the government was almost completely depend. The german victory left the french groping for a new policy and new leadership. The french state was the nominal government of all of france except for alsacelorraine. English name also known as vichy regime or french regime. The vichy leaders actively pursued their own double agenda internally, the authoritarian and racist national revolution, and, externally, an attempt to. 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. The france was basically divided into the two parts. He makes an excellent case noting how the vichy regime was indeed part of a longstanding political tradition in france which went as far back as the ancien regime. The vichy leaders actively pursued their own double agendainternally, the authoritarian and racist national revolution, and, externally, an attempt to.
Vichy government 194045 regime established in france after the defeat by germany in june 1940. List of books and articles about vichy france online. Paxton is mellon professor emeritus of the social sciences at columbia university. Choices in vichy france by john sweets is about life under the vichy government. The best books on the other france five books expert. Vichy france, formally french state, french etat francais, july 1940 september 1944, france under the regime of marshal philippe petain from the nazi german defeat of france to the allied liberation in world war ii. It gives a detailed, nuanced account of the vichy government and describes all of the many factors at play before and during 19401944. 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. Julian jacksons history is the most distinguished account ive read on france during the period from 1940 through 1944. With a new introduction and updated bibliography, vichy france demonstrates that the collaborationist government of marshal petain did far more than merely react to german pressures. I rarely find myself reading history books these days, but vichy france was a totally engaging experience. On november 10, 1942, german troops occupy vichy france, which had previously been free of an axis military presence.
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