Vichy France

Vichy France, or the Vichy regime (in French, now called: Régime de Vichy or Vichy; at the time, called itself: État Français, or French State) was the de facto French government of 1940-1944 during the Nazi Germany occupation of World War II. The Vichy position that it was the de jure French government was challenged by the Free French Forces of Charles de Gaulle, and French governments ever since have held that the Vichy regime was an illegal government run by traitors.

Liberation of France and aftermath

Following the Allied invasions of France, Pétain and his ministers fled to Germany and established a government in exile at Sigmaringen.

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In 1945, many members of the Vichy government were arrested and charged with high treason and other crimes. Trials ensued and some, including Laval and Darnand, were executed. Pétain was sentenced to death but the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Others fled or went into hiding, such as Jacques de Bernonville who went to Québec, while some were not prosecuted for their crimes until much later, or not at all. In 1993, former Vichy official René Bousquet was murdered while he awaited prosecution in Paris following a 1989 complaint for crimes against humanity; he had been prosecuted after the war, but had been acquitted in 1949.http://crdp.ac-reims.fr/memoire/enseigner/rene_bousquet/05_proces.htm In 1994 former Vichy official Paul Touvier was convicted of crimes against humanity.

Related Topics:
1945 - Treason - Jacques de Bernonville - Québec - 1993 - René Bousquet - 1989 - Crimes against humanity - 1949 - 1994 - Paul Touvier

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The official point of view of the French government is that the Vichy regime was an illegal government distinct from the French Republic, established by traitors under foreign influence. While the criminal behavior of Vichy France is acknowledged, and some former Vichy officials prosecuted, this point of view denies any responsibility of the French Republic. However, on July 16, 1995, president Jacques Chirac, in a speech, recognized the responsibility of the French State for seconding the "criminal folly of the occupying country". http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3224,36-395520,0.html

Related Topics:
July 16 - 1995 - Jacques Chirac

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