What is the difference between Free France and Vichy France?

Vichy’s claim to be the legitimate French government was denied by Free France and by all subsequent French governments after the war. They maintain that Vichy was an illegal government run by traitors, having come to power through an unconstitutional coup d’état.

What happened to the milice after the war?

Milice offices throughout France were ransacked with agents often being brutally beaten and then thrown from office windows, or into rivers before being taken to prison. At Le Grand-Bornand 76 captured members of the Milice were executed by French Forces of the Interior on 24 August 1944.

Did the US declare war on Vichy France?

Although France was not specifically included in the congressional war declaration or authorization, the United States and its allies attacked and defeated the military forces of Vichy France in French North Africa, without legal controversy.”

Where was Vichy France?

One was occupied by German troops, and the other was unoccupied, governed by a more or less puppet regime centered in Vichy, a spa region about 200 miles southeast of Paris, and led by Gen. Philippe Petain, a World War I hero.

When did Germany take over Vichy France?

On November 10, 1942, German troops occupy Vichy France, which had previously been free of an Axis military presence. Since July 1940, upon being invaded and defeated by Nazi German forces, the autonomous French state had been split into two regions.

How did Vichy France react to Operation Torch?

The Vichy government had their hands full with dealing with an attempted coup to handle the Allied invasion and by the end of the day the landings at Algiers began the city surrendered to the Allies. All three landings during Operation Torch were extremely successful.

What was Operation Torch in WW2?

Operation Torch (8-11 November 1942) was the Allied invasion of Vichy occupied North Africa, and was the first significant land operation carried out by American troops in the war against Germany.

How did Vichy France lose control of its overseas colonies?

Most of the overseas French colonies were originally under Vichy control, though a few rallied to Charles de Gaulle ‘s Allied-oriented Free France. Following the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942, Vichy progressively lost control of the colonies to Free France.

What was the official postwar French position on Vichy France?

The official postwar French position was that Vichy was a German puppet state. Historians have since the 1970s rejected that position by arguing, “Vichy had a political agenda of its own, which it pursued without the slightest pressure from Germany”.