What was France Libre?

Free French, French Françaises Libres, in World War II (1939–45), members of a movement for the continuation of warfare against Germany after the military collapse of Metropolitan France in the summer of 1940.

What was happening in the 1940s in France?

Between 9 May and 22 June 1940, a remarkable German assault on north-west Europe, known as the Battle of France, resulted in the capture and subjugation of not only France but three other countries – Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.

What was the free zone in France during WWII?

The zone libre
The zone libre (French pronunciation: ​[zon libʁ], free zone) was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940.

What part of France was occupied in ww2?

Vichy France
After capitulation, France was governed as Vichy France headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain. From 1940 to 1942, while the Vichy regime was the nominal government of all of France except for Alsace-Lorraine, the Germans and Italians militarily occupied northern and south-eastern France.

Why did France collapse in 1940?

Its failure was a result of a hopelessly divided French political elite, a lack of quality military leadership, rudimentary French military tactics. On the battlefield, France faced a vastly more prepared German army that utilized both more advanced weapons and sophisticated tactics.

What was going on in France 1945?

8 May – World War II ends in Europe. 23 July – Marshal Philippe Pétain, who headed the Vichy government during World War II, goes on trial, charged with treason. 31 July – Pierre Laval, fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.

How was France divided during WW2?

France was roughly divided into an occupied northern zone and an unoccupied southern zone, according to the armistice convention “in order to protect the interests of the German Reich”. The French colonial empire remained under the authority of Marshall Pétain’s Vichy regime.

What is the zone libre in France?

The zone libre (French pronunciation: ​[zon libʁ], free zone) was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940.

When was the zone libre invaded by Germany?

In November 1942, the zone libre was invaded by the German and Italian armies in Case Anton, as a response to Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa.

What was the Free France and its Free French forces?

Free France and its Free French Forces (French: France Libre et les Forces françaises libres) was the government-in-exile led by Charles de Gaulle during the Second World War, and its military forces, that continued to fight against the Axis powers as an Allied nation, following the Fall of France.

How did Vichy France treat Jews in the zone libre?

Jews in the zone libre were directly targeted by antisemitic legislation from the Vichy government. Though the free zone was not under direct Nazi control from 1940 to 1942, many of the laws made in these years mirrored the policies of Nazi Germany and German-occupied France despite their completely French origin.

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