Appeal of General de Gaulle posted in the streets of London. United Kingdom, 1940 © Shoah Memorial.
When September 1, 1939 began what would become World War II, France was made up not only of the metropolis but also of a huge colonial empire.
Considered the world’s leading military power, it seems to be able to stand up to Nazi Germany and its plans. The country’s defeat in June 1940, after a month of fighting, was a shock of rare magnitude.
It is in this context that Marshal Pétain takes power. Few understand from the outset the nature of a regime controlled by a man who has been given full powers and intends to implement a policy breaking with the Republic and democracy. Hitler’s Germany triumphs and dominates Western Europe.
In the summer of 1940, only the United Kingdom was still standing up to him. The Third Reich then seemed all-powerful and destined to last. Those who refuse the Nazi yoke or that of his collaborators are only a handful and engage in a resistance which seems vain and without issue.
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