At his trial Pétain proclaimed that while Charles de Gaulle had represented the "sword" of France, Pétain had been the "shield" which protected France.
Pada persidangannya Pétain menyatakan bahwa sementara Charles de Gaulle mewakili "pedang" Prancis, Pétain telah menjadi "perisai" yang melindungi Prancis.