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11.07.

1940: Marshal Pétain Becomes the Chief of the French State

1940: Marshal Pétain Becomes the Chief of the French State
Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons/Pétain meeting Hitler in October 1940

Story Highlights

  • Historical event
  • 11 July 1940
  • Marshal Pétain was given virtually absolute power in Vichy France. In fact, he even had the legislative power, which in democratic countries belongs to the parliament, not an individual. Certainly, his France functioned as a kind of vassal state of the Third Reich.

On this day Marshal Philippe Pétain took over the function of Chief of the French State (French: Chef de l’État Français).



In practice, he was the head of the so-called “Vichy France“(the part of France that the Germans did not directly occupy, but was allowed to function as a kind of vassal state of the Third Reich).

Marshal Pétain was given virtually absolute power in Vichy France.

In fact, he even had the legislative power, which in democratic countries belongs to the parliament, not an individual. The motto of France was changed from “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” (Freedom, equality, brotherhood) to “Travail, famille, patrie” (Work, family, fatherland).

As a personal emblem, Pétain chose a double-edged throwing axe – the so called Gallic francisca (Francisque gallique). This ax was depicted on propaganda posters, and even on the Vichy France banknotes.




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