France

The famous tricolor flag that was used as the official state flag of France, until it's collapse in 1940

## Geographic Information

### Climate

Cool winters and mild summers and mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean

### Terrain

Mostly flat plains and gently rolling hills in the north and west, mountains in the south and the east in Metropolitan France and various throughout Overseas France

## Political Information

### Language

French (official) Several other common languages

### Affiliation

Allies

France or the French Republic, officially known as the French Third Republic, was one of the major nations that fought with the Allies against Nazi Germany until the eventual collapse of the country following the German invasion in 1940

Notable engagements that France was involved in included the Phoney War, during which, the only engagement that was made throughout the whole period was the Saar Offensive by the French and the Western Front of World War II, during which, Nazi Germany invaded the Lowland countries to go around the Maginot line that the French had built to stop the Germans from invading, with the campaign eventually ending in the collapse of the French Third Republic on the 10th of July, 1940 and the establishment of 2 separate states of France, which would come to be known as Vichy France and Free France

## **France before the war**

Before the outbreak of war, France found itself in severe political turmoil during the Interwar period. The government consisted mainly of 2 political alliances, the *Bloc National* and the *Cartel des gauches*. Both party coalitions had very different views on the future of France, therefore not all of the politicians in the government got along very well, couple this with severe public debt and inefficient taxation policies and it was truly a disaster. This got even worse when the Great Depression struck France in 1931, much earlier than most other nations in the world. Even thought the Great Depression didn't affect France as much as most other nations, it still made some impact on the nation

On February 6th, 1934, far-right leagues took to the streets to protest, which eventually turned into a riot near the *Place de la Concorde*, close to the seat of the French National Assembly, with 15 demonstrators dying throughout the riot. The French public became afraid that this was an attempted *coup d'état*, which was intended to install a new fascist government in France. In response to this, many anti-fascist groups formed in France

In 1920, the Socialist movement in France had experienced a split, with the majority of the split forming the French Communist Party, while the minority retained their name and had managed to outnumbered the French Communist Party. Eventually, a popular socialist front was formed in France, made up of the Socialist and Radicals, complete with support from the Communist Party. The popular front had managed to win the 1936 French legislative elections, with a 57% vote. During their time in power, the party mainly focused on labor law changes, which were all mainly sought by the trade unions

## **The Phoney War**

After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the Phoney War had begun, which was an eight month long period of military silence between the Allies and Nazi Germany. The only major military exchange between the 2 sides would be the Saar Offensive, which was conducted by the French Army on the 7th of September, 1939, the point of which, was to help relived Poland from German pressure. During the offensive, the French only managed to inflict about 196 German casualties, wounding 356 Germans and making another 114 go missing. The French also managed to destroy about 11 aircraft. After some time however, the French decided to withdrew from the Saarland as they did not see any more point in fighting as Poland was nearing collapse. French forces officially fully withdrew on the 17th of October, with the French sustaining about 400 casualties, with 1,600 soldiers being either wounded or missing and 4 tanks being destroyed by the Germans. No other major military actions would be taken by either side until the Western Campaign A.K.A. the Western Front of World War II

## **Western Front of World War II**

Eventually, Nazi Germany would go to strike once again. This time, at the vulnerable country of France. On the 10th of May, 1940, Germany began the Western Campaign, which would be one of the first major campaigns on the Western Front of World War II. This campaign by the Germans, was intended to go through the Lowland countries of Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, which all fell within only 19 days of the German invasion. After the Lowland countries fell, Nazi Germany had managed to encircle a large number of Belgian, British and French soldiers at the French harbor city at Dunkirk, with those soldiers then having to be evacuated over a 9 day period, to avoid capture and possible annihilation by the German Army. When the soldiers were all evacuated, a good portion of those soldiers were the main defense for the whole of France, therefore, France now stood severely outnumbered against the Germans

Eventually France would fall in the next few months, with the French Third Republic officially ceasing to exist on July 10th, 1940

## **The downfall of the French Third Republic**

After France had signed the Second Armistice at *Compiegne*, a new French State would arise from the ashes of the old French Third Republic. This state would officially become known as the "French State" but would more popularly be known as Vichy France. It was led by an old World War I marshal, Marshal Philippe Pétain throughout most of the middle and later stages of World War II and maintained a policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany as an officially semi-independent country

Even though France had fallen after the German invasion, the fight was not over for some brave French. A famous French officer by the name of Charles de Gaulle, refused to accept the defeat of France and had broadcasted a speech on the 18th of June, after running away to England. This speech would become known as the Appeal of June 18th, which called onto French citizens to not accept the defeat and keep on fighting. This speech would mark the beginning of the French resistance, which would later form into a state which would become known as Free France, which would mainly end up fighting against the Axis in Africa and later on help liberate the French mainland in 1945

## Vichy France

The official personal standard of the Chief of State of Vichy France, used throughout World War II

## Geographic Information

### Location

South France and a majority of French Africa, except French Equatorial Africa

### Climate

Predominantly Mediterranean, with long hot dry summers, warm springs and autumns and clear mild winters

### Terrain

Mountainous in the south of Massif Central and the Pyrenees and mountainous in the east along the Alps

## Political Information

### Notable Cities

Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Arles and Saint-Tropez

### Government

A puppet regime, under an unitary, authoritarian, dictatorship

### Affiliation

Axis

After the Fall of France, Nazi Germany established a puppet state in the south of France, which would become famously known as Vichy France or officially known as the French State. It was a minor ally of Nazi Germany throughout the later stages of the war, who helped the Germans with systematically prosecuting and murdering thousands of Jews and other "undesirable races" in France

Vichy France was mainly led by Philippe Pétain, and old World War I marshal, who gained the nickname "The Lion of Verdun", for his bravery shown during the nine long month Battle of Verdun. Pétain's cruel reign across the French State would have been felt for years to come. He was given full powers as the new Chief of State on the 10th of July, 1940. He would go on to use his newfound powers to help Nazi Germany find and eradicate any "undesirable races" in Metropolitan France and across some regions of French Africa

Throughout the majority of the war, Vichy France wouldn't provide much support to the Axis, as they were a very minor nation and didn't posses a strong military, unlike the Germans and the Italians. In fact, the Vichy France army, which became known as the Armistice Army, only included about two military corps, three separate commands and three separate divisions

After Operation Torch, which was an operation carried out by the Allies in North Africa to occupy French Morocco and French Algeria, succeeded on November 16th, 1942, the Germans had ordered an immediate invasion and occupation of Vichy France by both German and Italian troops, which would be nicknamed Case Anton. This operation was executed to prevent easy Allied landings in southern France and potentially risking opening up another front for the Germans to worry about. Case Anton began with the Italian occupation of the French island of Corsica and lasted from the 10th to the 27th of November, 1942, with the end result being German and Italian troops dividing Vichy France among themselves and the disbanding of the Armistice Army, the former army of Vichy France. The end of Case Anton marked the end of Vichy France as an independent state, though it was still allowed to operate as a puppet government under the German Military Administration of France

Vichy France officially ceased to exist on he 26th of April, as Pétain was captured by French authorities in Switzerland, with Pierre Laval fleeing to Spain. Other former government figures of Vichy France such as Brinon, Luchaire and Darnand were all captured, tried and executed by 1947. Other former governmental figures of Vichy France escaped to either Italy of Spain

## Free France

The official state flag of Free France used throughout World War II

## Political Information

### Capital(s)

Paris (de jure), London (de facto, before November 1942), Algiers (de facto, after November 1942)

### Government

Government-in-exile (before November 1942), Provisional government of unoccupied and liberated French territories (after November 1942)

### Affiliation

Allies

Seeing the horror of German occupation of their land and the systematic eradication of certain races in their home country, some brave French individuals didn't want to accept the surrender of France and because of that, Free France was established in the remaining parts that the French government officially held, which were mostly located in French Equatorial Africa. Free France acted as the official government in exile and later on, provisional government of the unoccupied and liberated territories of French Africa and later on, the French mainland. They were a major ally to the Allies, with whom they helped to fight the Axis in various parts of Africa throughout the later stages of World War II

After Philippe Pétain, began negotiations with Nazi Germany to restore a semi-independent French State in the south, various parties in the French government heavily opposed this. One notable figure that opposed this was a French army officer by the name of Charles de Gaulle. Instead of choosing to surrender alongside Phillipe Pétain and his government, de Gaulle instead chose to run away to England and from there, he broadcasted the Appeal of June 18th, which urged the French public to resist German occupation and rise up and keep on fighting. The broadcast somewhat worked and soon, all of French Equatorial Africa would rise up against Vichy France and Nazi Germany, which would lead to the area becoming the main headquarters of Free France for some time until the liberation of French Algeria and French Morocco by the Allies in 1942

After the successful Operation Torch, which was orchestrated by the Allies on November 8th, 1942 and lasted until the 16th of November, the whole of French Algeria and French Morocco were liberated from the grip of Vichy France and the Axis and because of that, Free France's seat of government would then officially relocate to the city of Algiers in French Algeria and would act as an official provisional government for any unoccupied and liberated territories of France from there on out

Free France would continue to help out the Allies with certain operations conducted against the Axis, with one of the last major offensives being the Normandy Landings. After the liberation of France by the Allies, the Provisional Government of the French Republic interim government would be established on the 3rd of June, 1944 by Charles de Gaulle himself and this would eventually pave the way for the formation of the French Fourth Republic on the 27th of October, 1946