Was Vichy France an Ally of Nazi Germany?

Was Vichy France an Ally of Nazi Germany?

Alexandra Rouva

Index

Introduction

Development

Conclusions

References

Introduction

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." – Flannery O’Connor France’s role in WWII remains highly debated: Resistance vs. Collaboration Key question: Was Vichy France merely a survivalist government or a willing partner of Nazi Germany?

Philippe Pétain and Adolf Hitler at Montoire-sur-le-Loir on October 24, 1940. ©AFP - INP / AFP

What Defines an Ally?

Defining an Ally in Wartime

• Traditional alliances involve formal treaties, military cooperation, and ideological alignment.
• France never officially joined the Axis, but Vichy’s actions mirrored those of an ally.
• Thesis: The Vichy regime politically, militarily, and economically supported Nazi Germany.

Propaganda poster for the Vichy Regime's Révolution nationale program, 1942

Zones of Occupation in France from 1940 to 1944:

• Initially, in July 1940, the country was divided into four parts: the Occupied Zone, the Free Zone (separated by the Demarcation Line), Alsace and Lorraine, which were de facto annexed by the Reich, and two northern departments under the German military administration of Brussels.
• In November 1942, the German-occupied zone expanded: in addition to the initial northern zone ("Zone Nord"), most of the Free Zone ("Zone Sud") was occupied; at the same time, Italy took control of most territories east of the Rhône and Corsica.
• In October 1943, following the Italian withdrawal, German forces occupied the entire country, but Corsica was liberated.
• During the summer of 1944, starting June 6, most of France was liberated by Allied forces and the French Resistance.

Vichy France vs. Axis Allies (Italy & Japan)

Political Collaboration with Nazi Germany

• June 22, 1940: France signed the Armistice with Germany.

• Pétain’s government actively sought collaboration.

• Pierre Laval (1942): "I wish for a German victory because, without it, Bolshevism would spread everywhere."
• Vichy’s National Revolution promoted authoritarian, anti-Semitic, and anti-communist policies.

https://mediaclip.ina.fr/en/i19172195-speech-by-pierre-laval.html

Military Cooperation and Support for Nazi Germany

• French forces fought against the Allies:

a) July 1940: French Navy fought Britain at Mers-el-Kébir.b) 1942: Vichy troops resisted U.S. forces during Operation Torch.

• The Milice (1943): Vichy's own SS, which hunted Jews and Resistance members.

• Vichy allowed Nazis to use French military bases in Africa and the Mediterranean.

French Milice guarding detainees

French Police registering new inmates at the Pithiviers camp

23 January 1943: German-Vichy French meeting in Marseilles. SS-Sturmbannführer Bernhard Griese, Marcel Lemoine (regional préfet), Rolf Mühler [de] (Commander of Marseilles Sicherheitspolizei); laughing: René Bousquet (General Secretary of the French National Police created in 1941), creator of the GMRs; behind: Louis Darquier de Pellepoix (Commissioner for Jewish Affairs).

Economic Support for Nazi Germany

• 400 million francs per day: France paid for the German occupation.
• Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO): 650,000 French workers forced into German factories.
• French industries (Renault, Peugeot, Michelin) produced war materials for Nazi Germany.

Departure of STO workers from the Paris-Nord station in 1943

Propaganda poster: "They give their blood. Give your work to save Europe from Bolshevism."

Vichy-era poster calling for volunteers to work in Germany in exchange for French prisoners of war.

Vichy’s Role in the Holocaust

• Vichy’s own antisemitic laws (Statut des Juifs, 1940-41) enacted before Nazi demands.

• Vel'd'Hiv Roundup (July 1942):

• 13,000 Jews (including 4,000 children) arrested by French police, not Germans.

• French-run camps (Drancy, Gurs, Compiègne) sent over 75,000 Jews to death camps.

Two Jewish women in occupied Paris wearing yellow badges before the mass arrests

Deportation of Jews, Arenc train station, Marseille, January 24, 1943.

Drancy Camp, August 1941.

Conclusions

Political collaboration, military cooperation, economic aid, and Holocaust complicity confirm its role.

Vichy was never an official Axis member, but its actions made it a de facto Nazi partner.

The Free French complicate the narrative, but Vichy was the ruling government, and it enabled Nazi rule.

Questions?