Government of Vichy France

Further information:fr:Historique des gouvernements de la France § État français (dit « Régime de Vichy »)

French State État français(French)
1940–1944
Flag Cartouche
Motto:"Travail, Famille, Patrie" ( "Work, Family, Fatherland" )
Anthem: "La Marseillaise"(official) "Maréchal, nous voilà!"(unofficial) ( "Marshal, here we are!" )
The French State in 1942: Unoccupied zone German military occupation zone French protectorates
The gradual loss of all Vichy territory toFree Franceand the Allied powers
Status	Independent state under partial occupation (1940–1942) Fully occupied byGermany(1942–1944) Government-in-exile(1944–1945)
Capital	Vichy(de factoadministrative) Paris(constitutional)
Capital-in-exile	Sigmaringen
Common languages	French
Government	Provisionalrepublicunder acollaborationistauthoritariandictatorship
Chief of State
• 1940–1944	Philippe Pétain
Prime Minister
• 1940–1942	Philippe Pétain
• 1940 (acting)	Pierre Laval
• 1940–1941 (acting)	P.É. Flandin
• 1941–1942 (acting)	François Darlan
• 1942–1944	Pierre Laval
Legislature	National Assembly
Historical era	World War II
•Second Compiègne	22 June 1940
•Pétaingivenfull powers	10 July 1940
•Operation Torch	8 November 1942
•Case Anton	11 November 1942
•German retreat	Summer 1944
•Vichy laws repealed	9 August 1944
• Capture of theSigmaringen enclave	22 April 1945
Currency	French franc
Preceded by Succeeded by French Third Republic [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|1940: German military administration]] 1942: German military administration Italian military administration 1944: French Government Commission for the Defense of National Interests Provisional Government of the French Republic
Paris remained thede jurecapital of the French State, although the Vichy government never operated from there. Although the French Republic's institutions were officially maintained, the word "Republic" never occurred in any official document of the Vichy government.

TheGovernment of Vichy Francewas thecollaborationistrulingregimeorgovernmentin Nazi-occupied France during theSecond World War.Of contestedlegitimacy,it was headquartered in the town ofVichyinoccupied France,but it initiallytook shapein Paris under MarshalPhilippe Pétainas the successor to theFrench Third Republicin June 1940. The government remained in Vichy for four years, but fled to Germany in September 1944 after theAllied invasion of France.It operated as agovernment-in-exileuntil April 1945, when theSigmaringen enclavewas taken byFree Frenchforces. Pétain was brought back to France, by then under control of theProvisional French Republic,and put on trial fortreason.

Background

Further information:Vichy FranceandPhony war

France under German occupation

Philippe Pétain, a hero of World War I,known for applying the lessons of theSecond Battle of Champagneto minimize casualties in theBattle of Verdun,became commander of French forces in 1917.He came to power in World War II as a reaction to the stunningdefeat of Francein early 1940. Pétain blamed a lack of men and material for the defeat,but had himself participated in the egregious miscalculations that led to theMaginot Line,and the belief that theArdenneswereimpenetrable.Nonetheless, Pétain's cautious and defensive tactics at Verdun had won him acclaim from a devastated military, and poetPaul Valérycalled him "the champion of France".

He became Vice-Premier underPaul Reynaudin May 1940, when the only question was whether the French Army should surrender or the French government should sue for anarmistice.After PresidentAlbert Lebrunappointed Pétain prime minister on 16 June, the government signed anarmisticewith Germany on22 June 1940.

With France fallen to the Germans, the British judged the risk was too high of theFrench Navyfalling into German hands, and a few days later, in theattack on Mers-el-Kébiron 3 July 1940, they sank one battleship and damaged five others, also killing 1,297 French servicemen. Pétain severed diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 8 July. The next day theNational Assemblyvoted to revise the constitution, and the following day, 10 July, theNational Assemblygranted absolute power to Pétain, thus ending theFrench Third Republic.In retaliation for the attack atMers el Kébir,French aircraft raidedGibraltaron 18 July but did little damage.

Pétain established anauthoritariangovernment at Vichy,withcentral planninga key feature, as well as tight government control. French conventional wisdom, particularly in the administration ofFrançois Mitterrand,long held that the French government under Petain had merely sought to make the best of a bad situation. Vichy policy towards the Germans was at least in part founded on concern for the 1.8 million French prisoners of war.As PresidentJacques Chiracsubsequently acknowledged, evenMussolinistood up to Hitler and in so doing saved the lives of thousands of Jews, many of them French.Antisemitism in Francebegan before Pétain, but became a key characteristic of his time in power, as manifested inVichy anti-Jewish legislation.

Third Republic

Main article:French Third Republic

See also:Appeal of 18 June

Léon Gambettaproclaiming the French Republic, 4 September 1870.

Until the invasion, theFrench Third Republichad been the government of France since the defeat ofNapoleon IIIand the end of theFranco-Prussian Warin 1870. It was dissolved by theFrench Constitutional Law of 1940,which gave Pétain the power to write a new constitution. He interpreted this to mean that the previous constitution, outlined in theFrench Constitutional Laws of 1875,no longer constrained him.

In the wake of theBattle of Francethat culminated in the disaster atDunkirk,the French government declared Paris an open city and relocated toBordeauxon 10 June 1940 to avoid capture. On 22 June, France and Germany signed theSecond Armistice at Compiègne.The Vichy government, led by Pétain, replaced the Third Republic. It administered thezone librein the south of France until November 1942, when Germans and Italians occupied the zone underCase Antonfollowing the Allied landings inNorth AfricaunderOperation Torch.Germany occupied northern France and the Atlantic coast, and the Italians occupied a small territory in the southeast.

Transition to the French State

See also:German military administration in occupied France during World War IIandArmistice Army

The Hôtel du Parc, home and office of Philippe Pétain and Pierre Laval from 1940 to 1944.

At the time of the armistice, the French and the Germans both thought Britain would come to terms any day, so it included only temporary arrangements. France agreed to its soldiers remaining prisoners of war until hostilities ceased. The terms of the armistice sketch out a "French State" (État français), whose sovereignty and authority in practice were limited to thezone libre,although in theory it administered all of France. Themilitary administration of the occupied zonewas in fact a Nazi dictatorship. However, the fiction of French independence was so important to Laval, in particular, that he agreed to requisition French workers for Germany to prevent the Germans from doing it unilaterally for thezone occupéealone.

The Vichy régime considered itself the legitimate government of France, butCharles de Gaulle,who had escaped to England, declared agovernment in exilein London, and broadcastappealsto French citizens to resist the occupying forces. Britain shortly thereafter recognized hisEmpire Defence Councilas the legitimate French government. Under the terms of the armistice France was allowed a small army to defend itself and to administer its colonies. Most of these colonies simply recognized the shift in power, but their allegiance to Vichy shifted once the Allies invadedNorth AfricainOperation Torch.Britain however outraged the French bybombing their fleetbecause the British were unwilling to risk it falling intoAxishands.

Alsace-Lorraine,which France and Germany had long disputed, was simply annexed. When Allied forces landed in North Africa underOperation Torch,Germany's response was to annex the free zone inCase Anton.

Pétain administration under Third Republic

Pétain government
Date formed	16 June 1940(1940-06-16)
Date dissolved	10 July 1940(1940-07-10)
People and organisations
President of the Republic	Albert Lebrun
Head of government	Philippe Petain
Member party	SFIO
Status in legislature	Government of National Union 536/608
History
Incoming formation	Fall of France
Outgoing formation	Constitutional Law of 1940
Predecessor	Paul Reynaud government
Successor	Laval 5/Vichy government •Empire Defense Council/Free France

Further information:fr:Gouvernement Philippe Pétain

The Philippe Pétain administration was the last administration of the French Third Republic, succeeding on 16 June 1940 to Paul Reynaud's cabinet. It formed in the middle of theBattle of Francedebacle, whenNazi Germanyinvaded France at the beginning of the Second World War. It was led until 10 July 1940 byPhilippe Pétain,and favored the armistice, unlike Generalde Gaulle,who favored fighting on in theEmpire Defense CouncilIt was followed by the fifth administration ofPierre Laval,the first administration of theVichy Franceregime.

Formation

Paul Reynaud,who had been the FrenchPresident of the Councilsince 22 March 1940, resigned early on the evening of 16 June, and PresidentAlbert Lebruncalled for Pétain to form a new government.

Pétain recruitedAdrien Marquetfor Interior andPierre Lavalfor Justice. Laval wanted an offer of Justice. On the advice ofFrançois Charles-Roux,theSecretary-General for Foreign Affairs,and with the support ofMaxime Weygandand Lebrun, Pétain stood firm, which led Laval to withdraw, followed by Marquet in solidarity. After the armistice,Raphaël Alibertconvinced Pétain of the need to rely on Laval, and the two rejoined the government.

Pétain obtained the participation of the SFIO by bringing backAlbert RivièreandAndré Févrierwith the agreement ofLéon Blum.

The following is a list of the French government ministers in the administration of Pétain under the Third Republic.

Composition

Title	Office holder	Party
Président du Conseil	Philippe Pétain	SE
Vice Presidents of the Council	Camille Chautemps(16 June – 12 July)	RAD
	Pierre Laval(starting 23 June 1940)	SE
Ministers of State
Ministers of State	Camille Chautemps	RAD
	Adrien Marquet(starting 23 June 1940)	SE
	Pierre Laval(starting 23 June 1940)	SE
Ministers
Minister for Foreign Affairs	Paul Baudoin	SE
Minister of Finance and Commerce	Yves Bouthillier	SE
Minister of War	Louis Colson	SE
Ministre of National Defense	Maxime Weygand	SE
Guardian of the Seals, Minister of Justice	Charles Frémicourt	SE
Minister of National Education	Albert Rivaud	SE
Minister of the Interior	Charles Pomaret	USR
	Adrien Marquet(starting 27 June 1940)	SE
Minister of the Merchant and Military Marine	François Darlan	SE
Minister of Air	Bertrand Pujo	SE
Minister of Public Works and Information	Ludovic-Oscar Frossard	USR
	Albert Chichery	RAD
Minister of Transmissions	André Février(starting 23 juin 1940)	SFIO
Minister of the Colonies	Albert Rivière	SFIO
Minister of Labour and Public Health	André Février	SFIO
	Charles Pomaret (starting 27 June 1940)	USR
Minister for Veterans and the French Family	Jean Ybarnegaray	PSF
High Commissioner for French Propaganda	Jean Prouvost(starting 19 June 1940)	SE
Commissioners-General
Commissioner-General for Resupply	Joseph Frédéric Bernard(starting 18 June 1940)	SE
Commissionner-General for National Reconstruction	Aimé Doumenc(starting 26 June 1940)	SE
Under-Secretaries of State
Under-Secretary of State to the Office of the Council President	Raphaël Alibert	SE
Under-Secretary of State for Refugees	Robert Schuman	PDP

End of administration

Further information:Constitutional law of 10 July 1940andVote of absolute power to Philippe Pétain

On 10 July 1940, theFrench National AssemblyAssemblée nationalemet inVichyandvoted to give absolute power to Pétainin theConstitutional Law of 1940,effectively dissolving itself, and ending the Third Republic. TheVichy regimebegan.

Vichy governments

Pétain and the French State

In the French State under Pétain, French authorities willingly enacted and enforced antisemitic laws, unprompted by Berlin. His collaborationist government helped send 75,721 Jewish refugees and French citizens to Nazi death camps.

First Laval administration (1940)

Pierre Laval government
Date formed	16 July 1940(1940-07-16)
Date dissolved	13 December 1940(1940-12-13)
People and organisations
Head of State and President of the Council	Philippe Pétain
Vice-President of the Council	Pierre Laval
Member party	SFIO
History
Incoming formation	Constitutional Law of 1940
Predecessor	Pétain government
Successor	Flandin regime

Further information:fr:Gouvernement Pierre Laval (5)andfr:Pierre_Laval § Régime_de_Vichy

The fifth government formed by Pierre Laval was the first administration formed by Pétain under theVichy regimeafter thevote of 10 July 1940ceded fullconstituentpowers to Pétain. The government ended on 13 December 1940 with Laval's dismissal. This administration was not recognized as legitimate by theEmpire Defense Councilof the government ofFree France,which the British Government had quickly recognized as the legitimate government of France following De Gaulle's radio appeals to the French public.

Formation

The government of Philippe Pétain signed thearmistice with Germanyon 22 June 1940, put an end to theThird Republicon 10 July 1940 by a vote conveying full powers to Pétain and followed up with threeVichy Constitutional Actson 11 July. Meanwhile, on 11 JulyGeneral de Gaullecreated theEmpire Defense Council,which was recognized by the British Government as the legitimate successor of the Third Republic, which had allied itself with Great Britain in the war against the Nazis.

First Vichy government in July 1940. From left to right:Pierre Caziot,François Darlan,Paul Baudouin,Raphaël Alibert,Pierre Laval,Adrien Marquet,Yves Bouthillier,Philippe Pétain,Émile Mireaux,Maxime Weygand,Jean Ybarnégaray,Henry Lémery,François Piétri,Louis Colson.

On 12 July 1940 Pétain namedPierre Laval,second Minister of Stateof the last government of the Third Republic under Philippe Pétainasvice-president of the Council,while Pétain remained simultaneouslyhead of stateandhead of government.Constitutional Act #4 made Laval next in the line of succession should something happen to Pétain.On 16 July, Pétain formed the first government of the Vichy régime and kept Pierre Laval on as vice-president of the Council.

Laval's administration more or less coincides with the arrival in France ofFritz Sauckel,tasked by Hitler with procuring qualified manpower. Until then, fewer than 100 000 French workers had voluntarily travelled to Germany to workRefusal to send 150 000 skilled workers had been one of the causes of the fall of Darlan.Sauckel demanded 250,000 additional workers before the end of July 1942.

Laval fell back on his favorite tactic of negotiating, stalling for time, and seeking reciprocation. He proposed therelève,in which a prisoner of war would be freed for every three workers sent to Germany, and announced it 22 June 1942, after the same day, in a letter toJoachim von Ribbentrop,the German minister of foreign affairs, Laval framing therelèvepolicy as French participation, by providing workers, in the German war effort.

"They give their blood. Give your labour to save Europe from Bolshevism". Nazi propaganda leaflet suggesting French workers travel to Germany to support the war effort on the eastern front (1943)

The voluntaryrelève,was replaced by theService du travail obligatoire(STO) which began in August 1942 throughout occupied Europe. To Sauckel, therelèvehad failed, since fewer than 60 000 French workers had gone to Germany by the end of August. He threatened to issue anordonnanceto requisition male and female manpower. Thisordonnancewould only have had effect in the occupied zone. Laval negotiated a French law covering both zones instead.Laval put workplace inspection, the police and the gendarmerie at the service of forced impressments of labor, and tracking Service du travail obligatoire scofflaws.Forced impressments of workers, guarded bygendarmesuntil they boarded a train, drew hostile reactions. On 13 October 1942 the Oullins incidents broke out in the suburbs of Lyon, where workers at the railway station went on strike.Someone wrote "Laval assassin!" (Laval murderer) on the trains.The government was forced to back away; on 1 December 1942 only 2,500 requisitioned workers had left the southern zone.On 1 January 1943, Sauckel demanded, in addition to the 240,000 workers already sent to Germany, a new contingent of 250,000 men, before mid-MarchTo meet these objectives, German forces organised ineffectively brutal raids, which led Laval to propose to the Council of Ministers on 5 February 1943 legislation creating the STO, under which youth born in 1920-1922 were requisitioned for work service in GermanyLaval mitigated his legislation with many exceptions.

In all, 600 000 men left between June 1942 and August 1943despite what Sauckel denounced in a letter to Hitler as "pure and simple sabotage", after meeting more than seven hours on 6 August 1943 with Laval, who again attempted to minimize the number of requisitioned workers and refused to his demand for 50 000 workers for Germany before the end of 1943.

On 15 September 1943, Reich minister for Armament and War ProductionAlbert Speerreached an agreement with Laval ministerJean Bichelonne— an agreement Laval was counting on to "block the deportation machine".Many businesses working for Germany were removed from Sauckel's requisition.Individuals were protected but the French economy as a whole was integrated into that of Germany. In November 1943, Sauckel demanded,without much success, 900 000 additional workers.On orders from Berlin, French workers stopped leaving for Germany on 7 June 1944, after Allied landings in Normandy.

In the end, the STO caused thousands of youngréfractairesto embrace the Resistance, which created themaquis.In the eyes of the French, Laval took ownership of the measures imposed by Sauckel and became the French minister who sent French workers to Germany.

Initial composition

• Head of the French State, President of the Council,Philippe Pétain.
• Vice president of the Council in charge of Information (18 July 1940)and secretary of state for foreign afairs from 28 octobre 1940 (dismissed 13 décembre 1940): Pierre Laval
• Keeper of the Seals(Garde des Sceaux) and Minister Secretary of State for Justice (until January 1941):Raphaël Alibert
• Minister Secretary of State for Finance (until April 1942):Yves Bouthillier
• Minister Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (until 28 October 1940), then Minister Secretary of State for the President of the Council (28 October 1940–2 January 1941):Paul Baudouin
• Secretary of State for Food and Agriculture, then Minister of Agriculture (December 1940-April 1942):Pierre Caziot
• Minister Secretary of State for Industrial Production and Labour (until February 1941), then Minister of Labour (until April 1942):René Belin
• Minister Secretary of State for National Defence (dismissed from the Government as of September 1940): GeneralMaxime Weygand(then Delegate General inNorth Africaand Commander-in-Chief of the French forces in North Africa until November 1941)
• Secretary of State for War (Army) (discharged from the government as of September 1940: GeneralLouis Colson
• Secretary of State for Aviation (dismissed from the government as of September 1940: GeneralBertrand Pujo
• Secretary of State, then Minister of the Navy: AdmiralFrançois Darlan
• Minister Secretary of State for the Interior (dismissed from the government as of September 1940 as a former parliamentarian):Adrien Marquet
• Minister Secretary of State for Public Education and Fine Arts (dismissed from the government as of September 1940 because he was a former parliamentarian):Émile Mireaux
• Minister Secretary of State for Family and Youth (dismissed from the government as of September 1940 as a former parliamentarian):Jean Ybarnegaray
• Minister Secretary of State for Communications (dismissed from the government as of September 1940 as a former parliamentarian):François Piétri
• Minister Secretary of State for the Colonies (dismissed from the government as of September 1940 as a former parliamentarian):Henry Lémery

Reshuffles

16 July 1940

The following joined on 16 July 1940:

• Secretary General for Justice:Georges Dayras
• Secretary General for Public Finance:Henri Deroy
• Secretary General to the Presidency of the Council:Jean Fernet
• Secretary General for Economic Affairs:Olivier Moreau-Néret
• Secretary General for Public Works and Transport:Maurice Schwartz (politician)

September 1940

The following joined in September 1940, replacing eight dismissed ministers:

• Minister of the Interior:Marcel Peyrouton
• Minister of War (September 1940) and Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces (until November 1941): GeneralCharles Huntziger
• Secretary of State for Aviation: GeneralJean Bergeret
• Secretary of State for Communications (until April 1942:Jean Berthelot
• Secretary of State for Public Education and Youth (until 13 December 1940:Georges Ripert
• Secretary of State for the Colonies (until April 1942: AdmiralCharles Platon
• Secretary General for Youth:Georges Lamirand

18 November 1940

The following were appointed on 18 November 1940:

• Secretary General of the Head of State:Émile Laure

Transition 13 December 1940

Laval was sacked by Pétain on 13 December 1940. This came as a surprise to Laval. He was replaced by a triumvirate of Flandin, Darlan, and GeneralCharles Huntziger.This caused friction with Hitler's representativeOtto Abetz,who was furious about Vichy's insufficient collaboration, and closed thedemarcation linein response.

Flandin regime

Pierre Flandin government
Timecover, 4 February 1935
Date formed	14 December 1940(1940-12-14)
Date dissolved	9 February 1941(1941-02-09)
People and organisations
Head of State and President of the Council	Philippe Pétain
Vice-President of the Council	Pierre-Étienne Flandin
Member party	SFIO
History
Predecessor	Laval government
Successor	Darlan government

Further information:fr:Gouvernement Pierre-Étienne Flandin (2)

The second government ofPierre-Étienne Flandinwas the second government of the Vichy regime in France, formed by Philippe Pétain. It succeeded thefirst Pierre Laval governmenton 14 December 1940 and ended on 9 February 1941.

The Germans were unhappy after the sacking of Laval on 13 December, and suspicious of Flandin and whether he was sufficiently collaborationist. Darlan met with Hitler on 25 December and endured his anger, assuring Hitler that Vichy was still committed to collaboration. There followed several months of intrigue while Flandin was in power, during which Pétain even considered taking Laval back, however Laval was now no longer interested in anything other than supreme power. The impasse was lifted after the Germans had a change of heart with respect to Darlan, although not toward Flandin who they considered insufficiently collaborationist, and this led to Flandin's resignation on 9 February 1941, and Darlan's accession.

Carryovers from Laval

The majority of ministers, secretaries, and delegates were carried over from the Laval government that ended 13 December 1940.

• Head of the French State, Council President: Philippe Pétain.
• Guardian of the Seals and Minister-Secretary of the State for Justice (until January 1941):Raphaël Alibert
• Minister of Finance (until April 1942):Yves Bouthillier
• Minister-Secretary of the State to the Council President's Office (28 October 1940 to 2 January 1941) and Minister of Information (December 1940 to 2 January 1941):Paul Baudouin
• Minister of Agriculture (December 1940 to April 1942):Pierre Caziot
• Minister of Industrial Production and Labour (until February 1941):René Belin
• Delegate General to North Africa and commander in chef of Vichy forces in North Africa (until November 1941): GeneralMaxime Weygand
• Minister of the Marine: AdmiralFrançois Darlan
• Minister of the Interior:Marcel Peyrouton
• Minister of War (September 1940) and Commander in chief of ground forces (until November 1941): GeneralCharles Huntziger
• Secretary of the State for Aviation: GeneralJean Bergeret
• Secretary of the State for Communications (until April 1942):Jean Berthelot
• Secretary of the State for the Colonies (until April 1942): AdmiralCharles Platon
• Secretary General for Justice:Georges Dayras
• Secretary General for Public Finance:Henri Deroy
• Secretary General to the Office of Council President:Jean Fernet
• Secretary General for Youth:Georges Lamirand
• Secretary General of the Head of State:Émile Laure
• Secretary General for Economic Questions:Olivier Moreau-Néret
• Secretary General for Transport and Public Works:Maurice Schwarz

Named 13 December 1940

• Vice-President of the Council and Minister for Foreign Affairs:Pierre-Étienne Flandin
• Minister of National Education:Jacques Chevalier
• Secretary of State for Supplies:Jean Achard (politician)
• Secretary General for Public Instruction:Adolphe Terracher

Named 27 January 1941

• Keeper of the Seals and Minister Secretary of State for Justice (January 1941 - resigned March 1943):Joseph Barthélemy

Named 30 January 1941

• Secretary General for Procurement:Jacques Billiet

Resignation 9 February 1941

Flandin's short period in power was marked by intrigue and Hitler's suspicions about Vichy's level of collaboration with Germany. When it was clear that Darlan had more confidence in Berlin than Flandin did, Flandin resigned on 9 February 1941, leaving the way clear for Darlan.

Darlan regime

François Darlan government
François Darlan,in an undated image.
Date formed	10 February 1941(1941-02-10)
Date dissolved	18 April 1942(1942-04-18)
People and organisations
Head of State and President of the Council	Philippe Pétain
Vice-President of the Council	François Darlan
Member party	SFIO
Status in legislature	none;full powers to Pétain
History
Incoming formation	named by Pétain after Flandin quit
Outgoing formation	Laval accession demanded by Germany
Predecessor	Flandin regime
Successor	Laval government (1942–1944)

Further information:fr:Gouvernement François Darlan

After two years at the head of the Vichy government, Admiral Darlan was unpopular and had strengthened ties with Vichy forces, in an expanded collaboration with Germany which seemed to him the least bad solution, and had conceded a great deal, turning over the naval bases atBizerteandDakar,an air base inAleppoin Syria, as well as vehicles, artillery and ammunition in North Africa and Tunisia, in addition to arming the Iraqis. In exchange Darlan wanted the Germans to reduce the constraints under the armistice, free French prisoners, and eliminate theligne de démarcation.This irritated the Germans. On 9 March 1942, Hitler signed a decree giving France a chief of theSS and police leader(HSSPF) tasked with organizing the "Final Solution",following theWannsee Conferencewith the French police. The Germans demanded the return of Laval to power, and broke off contact. The Americans intervened on 30 March to prevent another Laval administration.

Government on 25 February

Timeline

• 14 May 1941, arrest and detainment of 3,747 Jews in internment camps in theGreen ticket roundup.
• 2 July 1942, Bousquet andCarl Obergsigned an agreement to collaborate in police matters.
• On 16 and 17 July 1942, Vichy police organised theVel' d'Hiv Roundup.
• 19 August 1942, Allies launchedOperation Jubileeon the beach atDieppeto test German defenses.
• On 3 November 1942, GeneralErwin Rommellost thebattle of El-Alamein,halting the Italian-German advance towards theSuez Canaland began the retreat of theAfrika Korpstowards Tunisia.
• On 8 November 1942, the Allies launched landings in Algeria and Morocco (Operation Torch).
• 11 November 1942, theWehrmachtinvaded the previously-unoccupiedzone libre,and occupiedTunisandBizerte,without fighting.
• 19 November 1942, theArmy of Africaagain took up the fight against the Germans in Tunisia, inMajaz al Bab.
• On 27 November 1942, the French fleet sank its ship inToulonand theArmistice Armydissolved.
• On 7 December 1942,French West Africajoined the Allies.
• On 24 December 1942, AdmiralFrançois Darlanwas assassinated inAlgiersby a young monarchist,Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle.
• February 1943 - German troops are surrounded atStalingrad.
• 30 January 1943, Laval created the FrenchMilice(militia).
• March 1943,French Guianajoined the Allies.
• 13 May 1943,Axisforces surrender in Tunisia.
• 24 May 1943, first VichyMilicemember is killed by theFrench Resistance.
• 31 May 1943, Vichy forces pinned inAlexandriajoined the AfricanFree French Naval Forces.
• 15 July 1943,French AntillesjoinedFree France.
• 5 October 1943,Corsicabecame the first region ofMetropolitan Franceliberated by theFrench Liberation Armyand the Italian Armed Forces of the Occupation.
• 1 January 1944,Joseph Darnandis named Secretary-General for Maintaining Order.
• 6 June 1944, Allies launchOperation OverlordinNormandy(D Day).
• 15 August 1944, Allies land inProvenceand move from Normandy towards Paris, and theliberation of Franceaccelerates.
• 17 August 1944, Pierre Laval, head of government and Minister for Foreign Affairs, held his last council meeting in Paris. The Germans wanted to maintain a "French government" in the hope of stabilizing the front in Eastern France and in case they could reconquer it.The same day, in Vichy,Cecil von Renthe-Fink,the German minister-delegate, asked Pétain to travel to the northern zone, but he refused and asked for this instruction to be made in writing.
• 18 August, von Renthe-Fink asks twice more.
• 19 August, at 11:30 am, von Renthe-Fink returned to the hôtel du Parc, résidence of the Maréchal, accompanied by General von Neubroon, who said he had "formal orders from Berlin".Written instructions were given to Petain: "The government of the Reich orders the transfer of the head of state, even against his will".When the maréchal refused again, the Germans threatened to have the Wehrmacht bomb Vichy.After asking the Swiss ambassador,Walter Stucki,to witness the blackmail to which he was subjected, Pétain surrendered and ended the Laval administration.
• 20 August 1944, the Germans took Pétain, against his will,from Vichy to the château de Morvillars near Belfort.

Second Laval administration (1942-1944)

Pierre Laval government 1942–44
Date formed	18 April 1942(1942-04-18)
Date dissolved	19 August 1944(1944-08-19)
People and organisations
Head ofFrench State	Philippe Pétain
Head of government	Pierre Laval
Member party	SFIO
Status in legislature	none;full powers to Pétain
History
Incoming formation	Petain accedes to German demands for Laval's return
Outgoing formation	dismissed by Petain under German orders
Predecessor	Darlan government
Successor	Sigmaringen enclave

Further information:fr:Gouvernement Pierre Laval (6)andfr:Pierre_Laval § Régime_de_Vichy

See also:Pierre Laval § Laval's Ministry in the Vichy Government, 18 April 1942 – 20 August 1944

After two years at the head of theVichy regime,François Darlan's governmentwas unpopular, a victim of the fool's bargain he had made with the Germans. Darlan committed Vichy into furthercollaboration with Germanyas the least bad solution for him, giving up much ground:handover of the naval basesatBizerteandDakar,an air base inAleppo(Syria), vehicles, artillery and ammunition in North Africa, Tunisia, not to mention the delivery of arms toIraq.

In exchange, Darlan asked the Germans for a quid pro quo (reduction of the constraints of thearmistice:release of French prisoners, elimination of thedemarcation lineand fuel oil for the French fleet), which irritated them.

On 9 March 1942, Hitler signed the decree endowing France with a "Higher SS and police leader"(HSSPf) responsible for organizing theFinal SolutionaftertheWannsee Conferencewith the French Police. The Germans then demanded thatPierre Lavalreturn to power, and in the meantime they broke off all contact.

On 30 March 1942, the Americans intervened in Vichy against Laval's return to power.

Composition

• French Head of State, President of the Council:MarshalPhilippe Pétain.
• Head of Government, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of the Interior and Minister of Information:Pierre Laval
• Minister of War:Eugène Bridoux
• Minister of Finance and National Economy:Pierre Cathala
• Minister of Industrial Production:Jean Bichelonne
• Minister of Labour:Hubert Lagardelle
• Minister of Justice:Joseph Barthélemy
• Minister of the Navy:Gabriel Auphan
• Minister of Air:Jean-François Jannekeyn
• Minister of National Education:Abel Bonnard
• Minister of Agriculture:Jacques Le Roy Ladurie
• Minister of Supply:Max Bonnafous
• Minister of Colonies:Jules Brévié
• Minister of Family and Health:Raymond Grasset
• Minister of Communications:Robert Gibrat
• Minister of State:Lucien Romier
• General Delegate of the government in the occupied territories:Fernand de Brinon(de Brinon was later head of theSigmaringen enclave)
• Secretary of State to the Head of Government: Fernand de Brinon
• Secretary General to the Police:René Bousquet
• Secretary General of the government:Jacques Guérard
• Secretary of State for Information:Paul Marion,until 5 January 1944
• Secretary General for Administration of the Ministry of the Interior:Georges Hilaire,until 15 March 1944
• Commissioner General for Sport:Joseph Pascot
• Secretary General for Health:Louis Aublantuntil 17 December 1943
• Secretary General for Supply:Jacques Billietuntil 6 June 1942 and from 15 November 1943 to June 1944.
• Secretary General for Justice:Georges Dayrasuntil 25 January 1944 and from 2 March 1944 to 20 August 1944
• Secretary General for Public Finance:Henri Deroyuntil 1 May 1943
• Secretary-General for Economic Affairs:Jean Filippiuntil 16 June 1942.
• Secretary General of Fine Arts:Louis Hautecœuruntil 1 January 1944
• Secretary General for Youth:Georges Lamiranduntil 24 March 1943
• Commissioner General of the Youth Works:Joseph de La Porte du Theiluntil 4 January 1944
• Secretary General of the Head of State:Émile Laureuntil 15 June 1942
• Secretary General to the Family:Philippe Renaudin
• Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs:Charles-Antoine Rochat
• Secretary General for Public Works and Transport:Maurice Schwartz
• Secretary General for Public Instruction:Adolphe Terracheruntil 2 January 1944
• Secretary General for Labour and Manpower:Jean Terrayuntil June 1942
• Commissariat General for Jewish Questions:Xavier Vallatuntil 5 May 1942

Dissolution and transition

Main articles:French Fourth Republic,Liberation of Paris,Tripartisme,andThird Force (France)

On 17 August 1944,Pierre Laval,head of government and minister of foreign affairs, held his last council of government with five ministers.With permission from the Germans, he attempted to call back the priorNational Assemblywith the goal of giving it powerand thus impeding the communists and de Gaulle.So he obtained the agreement of German ambassadorOtto Abetzto bringÉdouard Herriot,(President of theChamber of Deputies) back to Paris.But ultra-collaborationistsMarcel DéatandFernand de Brinonprotested against this to the Germans, who changed their mindsand took Laval toBelfortalong with the remains of his government, "to assure its legitimate security", and arrested Herriot.

Sigmaringen enclave

Main article:Sigmaringen enclave

On 20 August 1944 Pierre Laval was taken toBelfortby the Germans along with the remains of his government, "to assure its legitimate security". Vichy head of state MarshalPhilippe Pétainwas conducted against his will to Belfort on 20 August 1944. A governmental commission directed byFernand de Brinonwas proclaimed on 6 September.On 7 September, they were taken ahead of the advancing Allied Forces out of France to the town of Sigmaringen, where they arrived on the 8th, where other Vichy officials were already present.

Hitler requisitioned theSigmaringen Castlefor use by top officials.This was then occupied and used by the Vichy government-in-exile from September 1944 to April 1945. Pétain resided at the Castle, but refused to cooperate, and kept mostly to himself,and ex-Prime MinisterPierre Lavalalso refused.Despite the efforts of the collaborationists and the Germans, Pétain never recognized the Sigmaringen Commission.The Germans, wanting to present a facade of legality, enlisted other Vichy officials such asFernand de Brinonas president, along withJoseph Darnand,Jean Luchaire,Eugène Bridoux,andMarcel Déat.

On 7 September 1944,fleeing the advance of Allied troops into France, while Germany was in flames and the Vichy regime ceased to exist, a thousand French collaborators (including a hundred officials of the Vichy regime, a few hundred members of theFrench Militia,collaborationist party militants, and the editorial staff of the newspaperJe suis partout) but also waiting-game opportunistsalso went into exile in Sigmaringen.

The commission had its own radio station (Radio-patrie, Ici la France) and official press (La France,Le Petit Parisien), and hosted the embassies of theAxis powers:Germany, Italy and Japan. The population of the enclave was about 6,000, including known collaborationist journalists, the writersLouis-Ferdinand CélineandLucien Rebatet,the actorRobert Le Vigan,and their families, as well as 500 soldiers, 700 French SS, prisoners of war andFrench civilian forced laborers. Inadequate housing, insufficient food, promiscuity among the paramilitaries, and lack of hygiene facilitated the spread of numerous illnesses includingfluandtuberculosis) and a high mortality rate among children, ailments that were treated as best they could by the only two French doctors, Doctor Destouches, aliasLouis-Ferdinand CélineandBernard Ménétrel.

On 21 April 1945General de Lattreordered his forces to take Sigmaringen. The end came within days. By the 26th, Pétain was in the hands of French authorities in Switzerland,and Laval had fled to Spain.Brinon,Luchaire, and Darnand were captured, tried, and executed by 1947. Other members escaped to Italy or Spain.

Transition

Main article:Provisional Government of the French Republic

Theliberation of Francein 1944 dissolved the Vichy government. TheProvisional Consultative Assemblyrequested representation, leading to theProvisional Government of the French Republic(French:Gouvernement provisoire de la République française,GPRF), also known as theFrench Committee of National Liberation.Past collaborators were discredited andGaullismandcommunismbecame political forces.

De Gaulle led the GPRF 1944-1946 while negotiations took place for a new constitution, to be put to areferendum.De Gaulle advocated a presidential system of government, and criticized the reinstatement of what he pejoratively called "the parties system".He resigned in January 1946 and was replaced byFelix Gouinof theFrench Section of the Workers' International(Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière,SFIO). Only theFrench Communist Party(Parti communiste français,PCF) and the socialist SFIO supported the draft constitution, which envisaged a form ofunicameralism.This constitution was rejected in the5 May 1946 referendum.

French voters adopted the constitution of the Fourth Republic on13 October 1946.

Other

See also:Overseas France,North African Campaign,Tunisian campaign,Italian occupation of Corsica,Jews outside Europe under Axis occupation,French colonial empire,andFrench Committee of National Liberation

After the fall of France on 25 June 1940 many French colonies were initially loyal to Vichy. But eventually the overseas empire helped liberate France; 300,000 North African Arabs fought in the ranks of the Free French.French Somaliland,an exception, got a governor loyal to Vichy on 25 July. It surrendered to Free French forces on 26 December 1942.The length and extent of each colony's collaboration with Vichy ran a gamut however; antisemitic measures met an enthusiastic reception in Algeria, for example.

Operation Torchon 8 Novemberlanded Allied troopsatOranandAlgiers(Operation Terminal) as well as atCasablancain Morocco, toattack Vichy territoriesin North Africa—Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia—then take Axis forces in theWestern Desertin their rear from the east.Allied shipping had needed to supply troops in Africa via theCape of Good Hope,so the Mediterranean ports were strategically valuable.

TheBattle of Dakaragainst theFree French Forcesin September 1940 followed the Fall of France. Authorities in West Africa declared allegiance to the Vichy regime, as did the colony ofFrench GaboninFrench Equatorial Africa(AEF). Gabon fell to Free France after theBattle of Gabonin November 1940, but West Africa remained under Vichy control until the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942.

Jurisdiction and effectiveness

Collaboration with Germany

The German military administration cooperated closely with theGestapo,theSicherheitsdienst(SD), the intelligence service of the SS, and theSicherheitspolizei(Sipo), its security police. It also drew support from the French authorities and police, who had to cooperate under the armistice, to round up Jews, anti-fascists and other dissidents, and fromcollaborationistauxiliaries like theMilice,theFranc-Gardesand theGroupe mobile de réserve.The Milice helpedKlaus Barbieseize members of the resistance and minorities including Jews for detention.

The two main collaborationist political parties, theFrench Popular Party(PPF) and theNational Popular Rally(RNP), each had 20,000 to 30,000 members. Collaborationists were fascists and Nazi sympathisers who collaborated for ideological reasons, unlike "collaborators", people who cooperated out of self-interest. A principal motivation and ideological foundation among collaborationists was anti-communism. Examples of these are PPF leaderJacques Doriot,writerRobert BrasillachandMarcel Déat(founder of the RNP).

Some Frenchmen also volunteered to fight for Germany or againstBolsheviks,such as theLegion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism.Volunteers from this and other outfits later constituted the cadre of the33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French).

Foreign relations

Main article:Foreign relations of Vichy France

See also:Free France,Free French Forces,Battle of Madagascar,andArmistice of Saint Jean d'Acre

The French State was quickly recognized by theAllies,as well as by theSoviet Union,until 30 June 1941 andOperation Barbarossa.However France broke with theUnited Kingdomafter thedestruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir.The United States took the position that Vichy should do nothing adverse to US interests that was not specifically required by the terms of the armistice.Canadamaintained diplomatic relations with Vichy until the occupation of southern France inCase Antonby Germany and Italy in November 1942.

In 1941, theFree French Forcesfought with British troops against the Italians inItalian East Africaduring theEast African Campaign,and expanded operations north intoItalian Libya.In February 1941, Free French Forces invadedCyrenaica,led by Leclerc,and captured the Italian fort at the oasis ofKufra.In 1942, Leclerc's forces and soldiers from the BritishLong Range Desert Groupcaptured parts of the province ofFezzan.At the end of 1942, Leclerc moved his forces intoTripolitaniato join British Commonwealth and other FFF forces in theRun for Tunis.

French IndiaunderLouis Bonvinannounced after the fall of France that they would join the British and the French underCharles de Gaulle.

Nearly 300,000 French Jews, 80% of those remaining, moved to the Italian zone of occupation to escape theNazis.The Italian Jewish bankerAngelo Donatihad convinced the Italian civil and military authorities to protect the Jews from French persecution.

In January 1943 the Italians refused to cooperate with Nazi roundups of Jews living under their control and in March prevented them from deporting Jews from their zone.German foreign ministerJoachim von Ribbentropcomplained to Mussolini that "Italian military circles... lack a proper understanding of the Jewish question."However, when the Italians signed thearmistice with the Allies,German troops invaded the former Italian zone on 8 September 1943 andAlois Brunner,the SS official for Jewish affairs, formed units to search out Jews. Within five months, 5,000 Jews were caught and deported.

Legitimacy

Given full constituent powers in the law of 10 July 1940, Pétain never promulgated a new constitution. A draft was written in 1941 and signed by Pétain in 1944, but never submitted nor ratified.

The United States gave Vichy full diplomatic recognition, and sent AdmiralWilliam D. Leahyas ambassador.President Roosevelt and Secretary of StateCordell Hullhoped to encourage elements in the Vichy government opposed to military collaboration with Germany. The Americans also wanted Vichy to resist German demands for its naval fleet or air bases in French-mandatedSyria or to move war supplies through French territories inNorth Africa.Americans held that France should take no action not explicitly required by the terms of the armistice that could adversely affect Allied efforts in the war. The Americans ended relations with Vichy when Germany occupied thezone libreof France in late 1942.

The USSR maintained relations with Vichy until 30 June 1941, after the Nazis invaded Russia inOperation Barbarossa.

France for a long time took the position that the republic had been disbanded when power was turned over to Pétain, but officially admitted in 1995 complicity in the deportation of 76,000 Jews during WW II. PresidentJacques Chirac,speaking at the site of theVélodrome d'Hiver,where 13,000 Jews wererounded upfor deportation to death camps in July 1942, said: "France, on that day [16 July 1942], committed the irreparable. Breaking its word, it handed those who were under its protection over to their executioners", he said. Those responsible for the roundup were "450 policemen and gendarmes, French, under the authority of their leaders [who] obeyed the demands of the Nazis..... the criminal folly of the occupiers was seconded by the French, by the French state".

The police under Bousquet collaborated to the point where they themselves compiled the lists of Jewish residents, gave them yellow stars, and even requisitioned buses andSNCFtrains to transport them to camps such asDrancy.

The Frenchthemselves distinguish betweencollaborators,andcollaborationists,who agreed with Nazi ideology and actively worked to further their domestic policies, as opposed to the majority of collaborators who worked with the Nazis reluctantly, and in order to avoid consequences to themselves.

The international tribunal at Nuremberg called Vichy régime agreements with the Nazis for deportation of citizens and residents voidab initiodue to their "immoral content".

See also

• 7th Military Division (Vichy France)
• Army of the Levant
• Battle of the Netherlands
• Franc-Garde
• French prisoners of war in World War II
• Liberation of France
• Liberation of Paris
• Maurice Papon
• Milice
• Rene Bousquet
• Service du travail obligatoire
• The Holocaust in France
• Vichy 80
• Vichy French Air Force
• Vichy French Army
• Vichy French Navy
• Vichy Holocaust collaboration timeline
• Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
• Xavier Vallat

References

Notes

Citations

Works cited

• Aron, Robert(1962). "Pétain: sa carrière, son procès" [Pétain: his career, his trial].Grands dossiers de l'histoire contemporaine[Major issues in contemporary history] (in French). Paris: Librairie Académique Perrin.OCLC1356008.
• Béglé, Jérôme (20 January 2014)."Rentrée littéraire - Avec Pierre Assouline, Sigmaringen, c'est la vie de château!"[Autumn publishing season launch - With Pierre Assouline, Sigmaringen, That's life in the castle].Le Point(in French). Le Point Communications.
• Beigbeder, Yves (29 August 2006).Judging War Crimes and Torture: French Justice and International Criminal Tribunals and Commissions (1940-2005).Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff/Brill. p. 140.ISBN978-90-474-1070-6.OCLC1058436580.Retrieved20 July2020.
• Cointet, Jean-Paul (1993).Pierre Laval.Paris: Arthème Fayard.ISBN978-2-213-02841-5.OCLC243773564.
• Cointet, Jean-Paul(2014).Sigmaringen.Tempus (in French). Paris: Perrin.ISBN978-2-262-03300-2.
• Cointet, Michèle; Cointet, Jean-Paul (2000).Dictionnaire historique de la France sous l'Occupation[Historical dictionary of France under the Occupation] (in French) (2nd ed.). Tallandier.ISBN978-2235-02234-7.OCLC43706422.
• Cointet, Michèle(2011).Nouvelle histoire de Vichy (1940-1945)[New History of Vichy] (in French). Paris: Fayard. p. 797.ISBN978-2-213-63553-8.OCLC760147069.

• Cotillon, Jérôme (2009)."Les entourages de Philippe Pétain, chef de l'État français, 1940-1942"[The entourage of Philippe Pétain, French Head of State, 1940-1942](PDF).Histoire@Politique – Politique, Culture, Société(pdf) (in French).8(8): 81.doi:10.3917/hp.008.0081.
• Devers, Gilles (1 November 2007)."Vichy 28. Loi du 12 juillet 1940: composition du gouvernement"[Law of 12 July 1940: Composition of government].avocats.fr.Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2014.Retrieved2 June2020.
• Jäckel, Eberhard (1968) [1st pub. 1966: Deutsche Verlag-Anstalg GmbH (in German) as "Frankreich in Hitlers Europa – Die deutsche Frankreichpolitik im Zweiten Weltkrieg" ].La France dans l'Europe de Hitler[France in Hitler's Europe - Germany's France foreign policy in the Second World War]. Les grandes études contemporaines (in French). Paris: Fayard.
• Jackson, Julian (2001).France: The Dark Years, 1940–1944.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-820706-1.
• Jackson, Julian (15 October 2011)."7. The Republic and Vichy".In Edward G. Berenson; Vincent Duclert; Christophe Prochasson (eds.).The French Republic: History, Values, Debates.Translated by Arthur Goldhammer. Cornell University Press. p. 67.ISBN978-0801-46064-7.OCLC940719314.Retrieved20 July2020.
• Jackson, Peter; Kitson, Simon (25 March 2020) [1st pub. Routledge (2007)]."4. The paradoxes of Vichy foreign policy, 1940–1942".In Adelman, Jonathan (ed.).Hitler and His Allies in World War Two.Taylor & Francis. p. 82.ISBN978-0-429-60389-1.OCLC1146584068.
• Knox, MacGregor(1982).Mussolini Unleashed, 1939–1941: Politics and Strategy in Fascist Italy's Last War.Cambridge University Press.
• Kupferman, Fred(2006) [1st pub: Balland (1987)].Laval(in French) (2 ed.). Paris: Tallandier.ISBN978-2-84734-254-3.
• Rousso, Henry(1999).Pétain et la fin de la collaboration: Sigmaringen, 1944-1945[Pétain and the end of collaboration: Sigmaringen, 1944-1945] (in French). Paris: Éditions Complexe.ISBN2-87027-138-7.
• Sautermeister, Christine (6 February 2013).Louis-Ferdinand Céline à Sigmaringen: réalité et fiction dans "D'un château l'autre.Ecriture.ISBN978-2-35905-098-1.OCLC944523109.Retrieved13 August2020.De septembre 1944 jusque fin avril 1945, Sigmaringen constitue donc une enclave française. Le drapeau français est hissé devant le château. Deux ambassades et un consulat en cautionnent la légitimité: l'Allemagne, le Japon et l'Italie.
• Thompson, Virginia McLean; Adloff, Richard (1968).Djibouti and the Horn of Africa.Stanford University Press.
• Vergez-Chaignon, Bénédicte (2014).Pétain(in French). Paris: Perrin.ISBN978-2-262-03885-4.OCLC896479806.

Further reading

"Ordonnance du 9 août 1944 relative au rétablissement de la légalité républicaine sur le territoire continental – Version consolidée au 10 août 1944"[Law of 9 August 1944 Concerning the reestablishment of the legally constituted Republic on the mainland – consolidated version of 10 August 1944].gouv.fr.Legifrance. 9 August 1944. Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2009.Retrieved21 October2015.Article 1: The form of the government of France is and remains the Republic. By law, it has not ceased to exist.
Article 2: The following are therefore null and void: all legislative or regulatory acts as well as all actions of any description whatsoever taken to execute them, promulgated in Metropolitan France after 16 June 1940 and until the restoration of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. This nullification is hereby expressly declared and must be noted.
Article 3. The following acts are hereby expressly nullified and held invalid: The so-called "Constitutional Law of 10 July 1940; as well as any laws called 'Constitutional Law';</ref>

• Diamond, Hanna, and Simon Kitson, eds.Vichy, Resistance, Liberation: New Perspectives On Wartime France(Bloomsbury, 2005).
• Gordon, Bertram M.Historical Dictionary of World War II France: The Occupation, Vichy, and the Resistance, 1938-1946(1998).
• Jackson, Julian.France: The Dark Years, 1940-1944(Oxford UP, 2004).
• Paxton, Robert.Vichy France: Old Guard, New Order, 1940-1944(Knopf, 1972).online