The Role of Vichy France During WWII: Governance, Collaboration, and Legacy

When Germany defeated France in just six weeks in 1940, the French government faced a choice that still divides the nation today. Instead of fleeing to London like some other European governments, French leaders decided to stay and work with Nazi Germany.

Vichy France became a semi-independent French state. The regime actively took part in Nazi policies, including deporting 76,000 Jews to concentration camps, all while saying it was protecting French citizens from the worst of the occupation.

This collaboration wasn’t just about survival. Marshal Philippe Pétain and his government created their own anti-Jewish laws, often stricter than what the Nazis demanded.

They ran about two-fifths of France from Vichy, ruling with an authoritarian style that tossed aside France’s ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

The story of Vichy France shows how a defeated nation tried to keep some control while serving Nazi interests. From the government’s formation to its role in the Holocaust, from rationing to the rise of resistance, this period shaped modern France and still makes the country reflect on its past.

The Formation of Vichy France

France collapsed in June 1940, leading to an armistice with Nazi Germany and the end of the French Third Republic.

Marshal Philippe Pétain set up a new government that controlled both occupied and unoccupied French territory, but always under German oversight.

Fall of France and Armistice

Germany attacked France on May 10, 1940. French forces fell apart within six weeks, even though the Maginot Line stood along the eastern border.

The Germans simply bypassed the Maginot Line by going through Belgium and the Ardennes forest. French military resistance collapsed as German tanks closed in on Paris.

Prime Minister Paul Reynaud’s government left Paris for Tours, then Bordeaux as things got worse. Reynaud resigned on June 16, 1940, saying he couldn’t continue the fight.

Marshal Philippe Pétain stepped in and immediately asked Germany for peace. On June 17, Pétain told the French people that France would request an armistice.

They signed the armistice on June 22, 1940, in the same railway car where Germany had surrendered in World War I. For the Germans, it was a symbolic payback for their earlier defeat.

Dissolution of the French Third Republic

The French Third Republic, which began in 1870, came to an end in July 1940. The National Assembly met in Vichy on July 10 to decide on Pétain’s constitutional powers.

Parliament voted 569 to 80 to give Pétain full authority to change France’s constitution. This move basically wiped out the Third Republic’s democratic system.

Pétain now had complete power to make laws without consulting anyone in the legislature. The National Assembly and Senate lost their roles in making laws.

They held the vote in Vichy’s casino because the town didn’t have a proper government building. Hotels in the spa town became makeshift government offices.

Establishment of the French State

Pétain set up the French State (État français) to replace the French Republic. The new government switched the national motto to “Work, Family, Fatherland” instead of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”

The French State pushed conservative, authoritarian values. Pétain blamed France’s quick defeat on liberal policies and what he saw as moral decline in the years before the war.

Vichy became the new capital. The city had plenty of hotel space and sat in the unoccupied zone, which made it practical for government work.

The French State claimed to have sovereignty over all French territory. In reality, German authorities could and did overrule Vichy any time they wanted.

Division of French Territory

The armistice split France into zones, each with its own level of German control.

Occupied Zone:

• Northern and western France
• All Atlantic coastline
• Paris and major industrial centers
• Agricultural plains
• About three-fifths of France

Unoccupied Zone:

• Southern and central France
• Run directly by Vichy
• At first, free of German troops
• Smaller, less important economically

Alsace-Lorraine got annexed right into the German Reich. This area had switched between France and Germany several times since 1870.

The French colonial empire stayed under Vichy control at first. All colonies except French Equatorial Africa stuck with Pétain.

After the Allies landed in North Africa, German troops took over all of France in November 1942. The Vichy government kept going, but it lost whatever independence it had left.

Government Structure and Key Figures

Marshal Philippe Pétain ruled the Vichy government from July 1940 to 1944. Pierre Laval served as his main political deputy.

The National Assembly dissolved itself in July 1940, handing Pétain absolute power to set up the French State.

Marshal Philippe Pétain’s Leadership

Philippe Pétain took over the Vichy regime after France’s defeat in June 1940. The 84-year-old World War I hero became Premier on June 16, 1940.

Path to Power:

• Ambassador to Spain before the war
• Became Vice-Premier in May 1940
• Appointed Premier by President Albert Lebrun
• Signed the armistice with Germany on June 22, 1940

On July 10, 1940, the National Assembly voted to give Pétain absolute power with the Constitutional Law of 1940. This ended the French Third Republic and created the État français.

Pétain set up his government in Vichy, right in the heart of France. He ran the unoccupied zone directly and claimed authority over all of France, even if it was mostly on paper.

The regime promoted Pétain as France’s savior and father figure. His government put anti-Jewish laws in place without German pressure.

French authorities under Pétain sent 75,721 Jewish refugees and citizens to Nazi death camps.

Pierre Laval and Political Influence

Pierre Laval worked as Pétain’s Vice-Premier and became the most influential politician in the Vichy government. He played a big part in shaping the regime’s collaboration with Nazi Germany.

Laval joined Pétain’s cabinet in June 1940 as a Minister of State. He became Vice-President of the Council on July 16, 1940, and led the first Vichy administration.

Key Political Roles:

• Vice-Premier (1940, 1942-1944)
• Main architect of collaboration policy
• Negotiated labor agreements with Germany
• Managed daily government operations

Pétain fired Laval in December 1940 after policy disagreements. Pierre-Étienne Flandin replaced him for a short time, then Admiral François Darlan took over. Germany pressured Pétain to bring Laval back in April 1942.

Laval thought collaboration would get France better terms. He arranged for French workers to go to Germany voluntarily, hoping to avoid forced deportations.

The Role of the National Assembly

The French National Assembly gave Pétain’s authoritarian government its legal cover in July 1940. That final vote basically ended French democracy for four years.

On July 9, 1940, the Assembly voted to revise the constitution. The next day, July 10, they granted Pétain full powers by a vote of 536 to 80.

Constitutional Changes:

• Ended the French Third Republic
• Created the État français
• Got rid of democratic institutions
• Gave Pétain both legislative and executive power

They held the vote in Vichy’s casino and opera house. Many deputies thought they were voting for temporary emergency powers during the war. Instead, they set up a permanent dictatorship.

Charles de Gaulle’s supporters and some republicans opposed the vote. Most Assembly members supported Pétain, hoping he could negotiate better terms with Germany.

The Assembly never met again during the war. Pétain ruled by decree and picked his own ministers, without any legislative checks.

Prominent Members and Collaborators

Several key figures helped shape Vichy’s policies and administration with Pétain and Laval. These officials carried out the regime’s collaborationist agenda in different departments.

Major Government Officials:

Name	Position	Role
François Darlan	Vice-Premier (1941-1942)	Navy minister, negotiated with Germans
Raphaël Alibert	Justice Minister	Drafted anti-Jewish legislation
René Bousquet	Police Chief	Organized deportations of Jews
Marcel Déat	Minister (1944)	Neo-socialist, promoted collaboration

Darlan served as Pétain’s deputy from February 1941 to April 1942. He strengthened military collaboration with Germany and negotiated the Paris Protocols.

Alibert wrote most of Vichy’s anti-Semitic laws. These laws excluded Jews from public service, education, and many professions before the Germans even asked for it.

Bousquet ran the French police from 1942 to 1943. He organized raids that captured Jews for deportation, including the infamous Vel d’Hiv roundup in Paris.

These officials all played a part in Vichy’s policies, though Pétain kept the final say on major decisions.

Territorial Administration and Daily Life

The German armistice split France into zones with different administrative systems. Vichy laws shaped daily life for everyone, and public opinion shifted as shortages and collaboration became impossible to ignore.

Occupied and Unoccupied Zones

Germany took over three-fifths of France, including Paris, the Atlantic coast, and main industrial areas. This occupied zone was run directly by the German military.

The Zone Libre or unoccupied zone covered central and southern France. Vichy stayed in charge here until November 1942.

The split created two administrative systems. German authorities ran the occupied zone, while French officials managed the unoccupied zone, always under German oversight.

Key territorial changes:

• Germany annexed Alsace-Lorraine
• Italian forces occupied parts of the southeast
• Corsica stayed under Vichy at first

After the Allied landings in North Africa, German troops occupied all of France in November 1942. The Zone Libre disappeared, and Vichy’s power shrank further.

Some Vichy officials moved to the Sigmaringen enclave in Germany in 1944-1945. That was the regime’s last chapter.

Vichy Laws and Domestic Policies

Vichy created over 300 anti-Jewish laws from 1940 to 1944. These Vichy laws often went even further than what the Germans demanded.

The October 1940 Jewish Statute banned Jews from government jobs, teaching, and media. A second statute in June 1941 expanded the ban to most professions.

French police enforced these laws everywhere. They did roundups, kept Jewish registration files, and guarded internment camps.

Economic policy focused on helping Germany’s war effort. France paid huge occupation costs, about 400 million francs a day. That drained the economy and led to severe shortages.

Labor policies changed over time:

• Voluntary work programs in Germany (1940-1942)
• Service du travail obligatoire (STO) mandatory labor draft (1943-1944)
• More than 600,000 French workers sent to German factories

French prisoners of war stayed in German camps as bargaining chips. Germany released some only when France increased its collaboration.

Public Sentiment and Daily Life

At first, many French people supported Pétain. They trusted the World War I hero to protect them.

Food shortages quickly became a huge problem by 1941. Ration cards offered as little as 900 calories a day. Bread got staler and contained less wheat.

Jews faced even more restrictions. They got marked ration books and could only shop at limited times. Many shops displayed “Jewish Enterprise” signs before authorities seized them.

Public opinion changed over time:

• In 1941, people noticed things weren’t getting better
• In 1942, mass Jewish deportations shocked many
• By 1943, the STO labor draft led to widespread resistance

People spent hours in line for basics. City folks traveled to the countryside to get food from farmers. The black market thrived, even though it was risky.

The port city of Toulon faced its own problems. The French fleet scuttled itself there in November 1942, showing growing resistance to German demands.

By 1944, only about 2% of the population still actively supported Vichy. Most people just tried to survive.

Collaboration and Relations with Nazi Germany

The Vichy regime didn’t just cooperate with Nazi Germany out of necessity. They made formal agreements, shared some ideological goals, and actively helped with German war efforts.

Vichy’s collaboration included economic integration, political alignment, and enforcement of Nazi policies on French soil.

Diplomatic and Economic Cooperation

The armistice signed on June 22, 1940, laid the legal groundwork for Vichy’s collaboration with Nazi Germany. France got split into occupied and unoccupied zones, with Vichy taking on the role of Germany’s official partner.

Marshal Philippe Pétain and his government worked hard to build closer ties with the German occupation forces. They believed collaboration might bring France more autonomy and even some territorial gains.

Key diplomatic initiatives included:

• Regular meetings between Vichy officials and German administrators
• Joint policy coordination through established communication channels

Vichy and Germany also shared administrative responsibilities in the occupied territories. The economic partnership ran deep and felt pretty systematic.

Vichy France supplied Germany with industrial goods, agricultural products, and labor. French factories churned out materials for the German war effort under official agreements.

The regime introduced the Service du travail obligatoire (STO) program. This forced labor system sent French workers to Germany, filling German factories with needed hands and showing Vichy’s commitment to the partnership.

In July 1942, the Bousquet-Oberg accords formalized police cooperation between French and German authorities. This agreement led to joint operations against resistance groups and coordinated deportations of Jews from French territory.

The National Revolution Ideology

Pétain’s government promoted the National Revolution as its core philosophy. They tossed aside France’s republican values and replaced them with authoritarian principles.

Instead of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” the regime pushed “Work, Family, Country.” This shift echoed fascist movements across Europe.

The National Revolution leaned into traditional Catholic values and corporate state structures. It rejected democratic institutions outright.

Core elements of the National Revolution:

• Authoritarian leadership under Pétain’s personal rule
• Corporate organization replacing democratic unions

The regime emphasized family and religious authority as traditional values. Anti-republican sentiment ran deep, with a clear rejection of parliamentary democracy.

Vichy officials drew inspiration from Action Française, a pre-war monarchist movement. Many in the government had ties to this group and wove its nationalist, anti-democratic ideas into policy.

Pierre Laval, as head of government, pushed for collaboration with Germany as the only way forward. He argued that working with Germany would secure France’s place in a new Europe ruled by fascist powers.

The National Revolution became the regime’s ideological justification for cooperating with Nazi Germany. Collaboration was framed as a patriotic duty, not just submission to foreign occupation.

Anti-Communism and Fascist Alignment

Vichy France set itself up as a barrier against communism, sharing this stance with Nazi Germany and the other Axis powers. The regime saw collaboration as part of Europe’s broader fight against Bolshevism.

Vichy authorities went after communist organizations and their supporters. Police arrested communist leaders and broke up party networks across both occupied and unoccupied zones.

Anti-communist propaganda filled Vichy’s messaging. The regime blamed communists for France’s defeat and painted collaboration with Germany as protection from Soviet influence.

Anti-communist measures included:

• Mass arrests of communist party members
• Seizure of communist property and publications

Executions of communist resistance fighters became common. Propaganda campaigns linked communism to national decline.

Vichy officials didn’t stop at anti-communism. They embraced authoritarianism and ultranationalism, studying fascist models in Germany and Italy for policy ideas.

Some French volunteers joined German units fighting the Soviets on the Eastern Front. The Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism symbolized Vichy’s commitment to fighting communism.

Fascist alignment shaped domestic policies too. The regime persecuted Jews, suppressed labor unions, and set up youth organizations modeled after Nazi examples.

Vichy France and the Holocaust

Vichy France took an active role in the Holocaust through its own anti-Jewish laws and by working with Nazi deportation demands. The regime passed hundreds of discriminatory laws and helped German authorities round up and deport roughly 76,000 Jews to concentration camps.

Anti-Semitic Laws and Policies

Vichy France started passing anti-Semitic laws in October 1940, months before Germany demanded it. The first Jewish Statute restricted Jews from certain professions and allowed authorities to intern or relocate foreign Jews.

By the end of 1941, Vichy had enacted several hundred laws targeting Jews. These laws were often more restrictive than Nazi definitions of Jewish identity.

Key discriminatory measures included:

• Professional restrictions in law, medicine, teaching, and journalism
• Property confiscation through “Economic Aryanization”

Jewish families faced special identification requirements on ration cards. They also had limited shopping hours and were excluded from public spaces and schools.

The regime transferred Jewish-owned businesses and property to non-Jewish hands. This economic persecution devastated thousands of Jewish families across both occupied and unoccupied zones.

Deportation of Jews

In 1942, Vichy France became an active participant in Nazi deportation plans. The regime first targeted foreign and stateless Jews in the occupied zone to meet German quotas.

When numbers fell short, Vichy expanded deportations to French Jews from the unoccupied zone. Major roundups in summer 1942 marked a turning point in public opinion.

Deportation statistics:

• About 76,000 Jews deported from France
• Most sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp

Only around 2,500 survivors returned after the war. The transit camp at Drancy served as the main departure point for deportations.

French authorities managed Drancy and worked with German officials to organize transport trains. They coordinated logistics and made the process run smoothly for the Nazis.

French Police and Gestapo Collaboration

French police worked closely with the Gestapo to arrest and deport Jews. This partnership extended into Vichy-controlled territory, not just the occupied zone.

Local police took part in major roundups, including the infamous Marseille operation in January 1943. They provided manpower, local knowledge, and administrative support.

The collaboration involved:

• Joint planning of arrest operations
• Shared intelligence on Jewish hiding places

Police helped with administrative coordination for deportation logistics. They also performed guard duties at transit camps.

French police often started anti-Jewish actions on their own, without direct German orders. This voluntary cooperation showed Vichy’s commitment to Nazi racial policies—not just compliance under pressure.

Colonies, Military Affairs, and Overseas Involvement

Vichy France controlled vast territories across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. The regime managed tricky military relationships with both Allied and Axis powers.

Naval forces faced direct confrontation with Britain. Millions of French soldiers became prisoners of war after the 1940 defeat.

French Colonies and the Empire

The French Empire mostly stayed intact after France’s defeat in 1940. Vichy held territories in West Africa, North Africa, Indochina, and the Pacific islands.

Most colonial governors pledged loyalty to Pétain’s government at first. This gave Vichy access to colonial resources and military bases across three continents.

Free French forces gradually gained control of several territories. French Equatorial Africa joined Charles de Gaulle in August 1940. New Caledonia and other Pacific islands followed by 1941.

Colonial troops played big roles on both sides. Over 200,000 African soldiers served France during the war, some for Vichy, others for the Free French.

The empire’s split led to strange situations. In 1941, Vichy and Free French colonial troops actually fought each other during Operation Exporter in Lebanon and Syria.

French colonies served as strategic bases. In 1941, Vichy allowed Axis planes to use Syrian airfields, helping German support for Iraqi rebels against Britain.

North Africa and Operation Torch

French North Africa became a major battleground in November 1942. American and British forces launched Operation Torch against Morocco and Algeria.

Vichy forces resisted the Allied landings at first. French colonial troops fought American soldiers at Casablanca and Oran, but the resistance lasted only three days.

Admiral François Darlan commanded Vichy forces in North Africa. His unexpected presence in Algiers during the invasion opened diplomatic doors for the Allies.

Darlan agreed to a ceasefire on November 10, 1942. This decision brought 120,000 French colonial troops to the Allied side.

Key results of Operation Torch:

• End of Vichy control in North Africa
• Access to Mediterranean ports for Allies

The Allies gained a base for future Italian campaigns. The operation split Vichy homeland from its empire.

Most African territories joined the Allies after November 1942. Operation Torch really changed the game for French colonial forces.

The French Navy and Mers-el-Kébir

The French Navy worried Britain after France’s surrender. Churchill feared the ships would end up in German hands.

On July 3, 1940, British forces attacked the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir in Algeria. The attack killed 1,297 French sailors and damaged several warships.

Ships at Mers-el-Kébir:

• Battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg
• Battlecruisers Provence and Bretagne

Six destroyers and other vessels were also present. The attack shocked French naval officers, who saw it as a betrayal by their former ally.

Admiral Darlan used this incident to justify closer ties with Germany. Afterward, Vichy naval forces mostly stayed neutral, avoiding major combat with either side.

When Germans tried to seize the remaining fleet at Toulon in November 1942, French sailors scuttled their own ships. This action kept 77 vessels out of Axis hands.

French Army and Prisoners of War

The French Army’s defeat in 1940 brought lasting military problems for Vichy France. German forces captured 1.5 million French soldiers during the six-week campaign.

Most prisoners stayed in German camps for the rest of the war. This huge loss of manpower weakened France’s ability to defend its colonies and borders.

The Maginot Line failed to stop the German invasion. Wehrmacht forces bypassed the fortifications through Belgium and the Ardennes Forest.

Vichy kept a small army of 100,000 men under the armistice. Germany later disbanded even this force after Operation Torch in 1942.

Colonial forces became France’s main military strength. African troops made up most French combat units by 1943 and 1944.

Germany used the captive French soldiers as political leverage. Hitler pressured Vichy into greater cooperation with Nazi policies by holding these prisoners.

Opposition, Resistance, and Liberation

The occupation of France sparked immediate underground opposition. These efforts grew into organized resistance movements.

Charles de Gaulle led Free French forces from London. At home, resistance groups sabotaged German operations and gathered intelligence.

The French Resistance Movement

Small groups of French citizens began resisting German occupation within weeks of the 1940 defeat. These early resistance cells operated independently across the country.

Key Activities:

• Collecting military intelligence for London
• Creating escape routes for downed Allied airmen

They distributed anti-German leaflets and sabotaged railways and German installations. The French Communist Party joined the resistance in June 1941 after Germany invaded the Soviet Union.

This brought new manpower and organization to the movement. German forced labor policies also pushed many French workers to flee to rural areas rather than report for work in Germany.

These groups formed guerrilla bands called the Maquis. Jean Moulin, representing de Gaulle, set up the National Resistance Council in May 1943.

This council united all major resistance movements under one banner for the first time. By 1944, armed resistance units had grown large enough to support Allied military operations.

They harassed German forces during the Normandy invasion and sabotaged transportation networks throughout France.

Free French Forces and Charles de Gaulle

Charles de Gaulle called for resistance from London on June 18, 1940. Only a handful of French citizens in Britain answered at first.

De Gaulle created Free France as an organization in 1940. He set up the French National Committee in 1941 and claimed it was the legal French government in exile.

Free French Leadership Structure:

• 1940-1941: Based in London under British support
• 1943-1944: Moved to Algiers after North African liberation

By 1944, it became the Provisional Government of the French Republic. De Gaulle faced opposition from American leaders who preferred General Henri Giraud.

The United States brought Giraud to North Africa in 1942 to lead French forces there. Both generals served as co-presidents of the French Committee of National Liberation starting in May 1943.

De Gaulle outmaneuvered Giraud by the end of 1943 and became the sole leader. Even French Communist resistance groups accepted de Gaulle’s leadership by 1943.

This gave him authority over both domestic and overseas resistance forces.

Role of the Allies in Liberation

The Allied invasion of Normandy began on June 6, 1944. French resistance fighters played important roles during the landings and battles across France.

Resistance groups took control of town halls and local government offices as German forces retreated. De Gaulle’s provisional government sent representatives to manage the transfer of power in liberated areas.

Allied Support for Resistance:

• Weapons and supplies dropped by parachute
• Radio communications with London

They coordinated sabotage operations and built intelligence networks. Churchill and Roosevelt often clashed with de Gaulle over his demands for French recognition.

They found his insistence on French sovereignty frustrating during military operations. Paris resistance forces launched an uprising against German occupiers on August 19, 1944.

Free French units under General Jacques Leclerc entered the city on August 25. De Gaulle arrived in Paris that same day and led a victory parade down the Champs-Élysées on August 26.

The United States, Britain, and Soviet Union formally recognized his provisional government in October 1944.

The End of Vichy France

In 1944, top Vichy officials fled east with the retreating German army. Marshal Pétain and Pierre Laval set up a government in exile at Sigmaringen castle inside Germany.

De Gaulle’s provisional government moved in and took control of liberated French territory. The country faced huge problems from the German occupation and a serious lack of resources.

Post-Liberation Challenges:

• Destroyed transportation networks
• 2.5 million French citizens stuck in German camps
• Severe shortages of food and raw materials
• Urgent need to remove Vichy collaborators from government

French resistance groups started carrying out informal executions of suspected collaborators during the summer of 1944. Before formal courts stepped in, these summary killings claimed over 10,000 lives.

Special collaboration courts handled 125,000 cases between 1944 and 1946. About 50,000 people lost their civic rights, 40,000 received prison sentences, and 700 to 800 were executed.

The Vichy regime ended when German forces surrendered in May 1945. France started rebuilding as a democratic republic, with de Gaulle leading the way.

Legacy and Historical Impact

When Vichy France fell in 1944, it kicked off decades of legal battles and national soul-searching. France wrestled with how to balance its wartime collaboration with its image as a nation of resistance.

Trials and Accountability

French courts put Vichy leaders on trial right after liberation in 1944. The French High Court took charge of these cases, not international tribunals like Nuremberg.

Marshal Philippe Pétain returned from Switzerland to stand trial. He claimed that Vichy acted as a “shield,” supposedly protecting France from harsher Nazi demands. The court didn’t buy it and rejected his defense.

Key Trial Outcomes:

• Pétain: Sentenced to death, but the government commuted it to life in prison because he was almost 90
• Pierre Laval: Executed for treason
• Lesser officials: Got sentences ranging from prison to execution

The trials dragged on until July 1949. During the épuration purge, France removed thousands of collaborators from government jobs.

In the 1990s, courts reopened cases for officials who had gotten off lightly for crimes against humanity. These new trials forced France to face its wartime past in a more honest way.

Memory, Controversies, and Political Repercussions

At first, France tried to push the idea that most citizens resisted German occupation. This story helped people avoid facing uncomfortable facts about widespread collaboration.

By the 1970s, that comforting myth started to fall apart. Historians like Robert Paxton exposed the reality of deep French cooperation with Nazi policies. His research showed Vichy officials often went further than the Germans, especially when it came to persecuting Jews.

Political Impact:

• 1981: François Mitterrand became president, even though he had a Vichy past
• 1995: President Jacques Chirac officially admitted French complicity in the Holocaust
• Modern debates: Far-right parties still try to downplay Vichy’s crimes

When people found out about Mitterrand’s service under Vichy, it caused a national uproar. He had worked as a young civil servant for the regime before switching to the resistance. The revelation led to heated debate about the choices people made during the war and the silence that followed.

Vichy France in Postwar France

Vichy’s legacy left a mark on French politics and society that lingered for generations.

During the Fourth Republic (1946-1958), leaders pretty much sidestepped any direct reckoning with collaboration.

Charles de Gaulle built the Fifth Republic partly on resistance mythology. He pushed the idea that Free French forces stood for the “real” France during the occupation.

This narrative made it easier to ignore the more uncomfortable memories of Vichy support.

Lasting Effects:

• France took a long time to recognize its complicity in the Holocaust,
• People grew suspicious of authoritarian government,
• The country’s relationship with French nationalism got complicated,
• Schools reformed how they taught wartime history.

In the 1980s, historians and educators started to push for greater honesty. Schools added lessons about collaboration, not just resistance.

New museums opened up, focusing on deportation and genocide.

Modern France still struggles with this legacy. Political parties argue about immigration and national identity, often through the lens of Vichy-era policies.

The period remains a touchstone for debates about French values and citizenship.