| I cannot agree that there was something sinister the way that The Two Frances, ie "Les Deux Frances" found themselves on opposite sides.One was for a free France and the other had the mistaken belief that Hitler's Germany would be the dominant power in Europe where there would be little if any Anglo Saxon influence.However the path that the opposition took to become resisters is complex.
On the right were the followers of Nazism, the Vichy Government whose leader,Petain seduced the majority of France that the way forward was to ally themselves with the new European Order.An order which was based on anti Semitism and anti Communism.Petain, the "Victor of Verdun" was the man that the majority thought they could trust but they failed to understand that Vichy and Germany were far from equal partners.Furthermore as the war continued,Vichy would never be able to resist any demand asked of it by the occupier. Meanwhile France industry prospered and collaboration paid off at least for the businesses that were undertaking work for the Germans and others who had personal or political ambitions.The lower ends of society had a different deal coming,that of Vichy's STO,the conscription for forced labour in Germany.
Laval shared in the Berlin euphoria as victory upon victory was heralded and was happy to remark "I hope for a German victory because without it, commumism will reign throughout Europe".Laval was a leading collaborator and anxious to contribute to the New Order.Vichy encouraged French manpower to work in Germany on the basis that French POWs would be repatriated, one POW to be returned for each man volunteering for work in Germany.The Germans never honoured the understanding such was their shortage for war manpower and put further demands on French labour.Vichy responded with the STO,the Service de Travail Obligatoire which was nothing more than forced labour in the German war machine in which young men were required to register for work in Germany.This forced labour requirement resulted in the flight of thousands of young men who took to the countryside to join the FTP or the Maquis.STO was to be the best recruiting agency for the resistance movement and resulted in the occupiers losing control of the countryside.
From the days of the Armistice,there were those from a varied background who were prepared to resist but were uncoordinated and lacked the resources to resist.Coordination, amalgamation and the provision of resources to these groups only came about when De Gaulle and Jean Moulin were able to forge unity across these groups and be recognised by the British as the basis for De Gaulle's "Free French" to play a part in the liberation of France.
Until June 1941,the French communists were happy to stay on the sidelines,afterall in their eyes Russia was an ally of Germany,the Hitler- Stalin Pact of August 1939 was their assurance that they should not take a part in resisting the occupier.The war, they claimed was the result of British imperialism.The dramatic event of 22 June 1941 changed their attitude to one of active resistance.The communist resistance groups tended to be a law un to themselves and through their FTP (Francs- Tireurs et Parisans) were largely uncoordinated.There is no doubt that they were very brave men who ultimately were heavy involved in the Resistance and who saw themselves as patriots but were seldom coherent groups.
(De Gaulle sensed that the Communists could pose a problem on the liberation of France and seize power,this being one of the reasons why he was deliberate in ensuring that his FFI took the surrender of the Germans in Paris in August 1944.)
Vichy's existence floundered on 11 November 1942 when German occupied the whole of France,its being virtually collapsed,it had tried to avoid direct German rule but had clearly failed.Moreover, German defeats in North Africa and the defeat at Stalingrad indicated the tide was turning against Germany while the Japanese were finally shown that they were not invincible in the Pacific.From then on, Vichy lost its credibilty but surprisingly there was still an abundance of collaboration right up to the end by the Vichyites and suchlike.
I think the point regarding sealed files is true.De Gaulle after prosecuting the leading Vichyites at the liberation saw his duty to France as one of reconcillation as much as possible.For instance there were a large number of Alsasians involved in Das Reich unit which carried out the atrocity at Oradour.These had been press ganged into the SS and were not pursued on the matter for the post war Oradour war crime trial.
While French files may be closed for a hundred years,the British Government chose the same route when it closed adverse files until 2020, ie 75 years.These were files from debriefing British combatants,post war who had been betrayed by collaborators within France while on war service.
Finally,Collaboration. We British have never been tested.Perhaps we are fortunate. |