The Execution Of France's HATED WWII Prime Minister

At the end of the Second World War, there were many collaborators who were executed for their crimes who worked with the German authorities. Inside of France, collaboration was seen as the worst crime someone could commit and they even shaved the heads of women for sleeping with the enemy. But one man who was executed by a firing range in the months after the war was Pierre Laval the former Prime Minister of France.
Laval was a man who collaborated with the German occupation and his actions led to the slaughter of thousands inside of concentration camps. He also tried to convince people not to join the French Resistance and he led the Milice, the militia who executed and arrested as well as tortured members of the Resistance.
Join us today as we look at, 'The Execution Of France's HATED WWII Prime Minister'
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[@Treblaine]

"how us your trial going?" "Well, the jury is hurling abuse at me but I expect to be acquited."

[@serpens8]

Just look to todays Paris and say he wasn't right, he did not love his country!

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

@@serpens8 kinda sounds like thats a thing he did love

[@admiralcraddock464]

There were thousands and thousands just like him: opputunists who collaborated with the Germans. Laval was the sacricial goat to help deflect prying eyes into their treachery, indeed many went on to have long careers in the French gonverment after the war.

[@TheEvertw]

He went well beyond mere collaboration. He actively prosecuted Jews and terrorised his People, beyond what was required of him by the Germans.

[@michaelwhalen2442]

Laval is a good example of the French definition of the term "collaborator." Someone that collaborated more than you did.

[@drmodestoesq]

Russian resistance? The Russians provided the N@zis with millions of tonnes of strategic materials to build up their military industrial complex. Especially the oil. All the fuel in the N@zi planes, tanks, submarines, ships and trucks was provided by the Russians. And Russia sent a letter congratulating the N@zis on their defeat of France. @@dennisivan85

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

On the German side, there were many MANY Germans that should've gone to the gallows but instead were able to resume their normal life in the German government and cushy jobs. The war for them was just a few years of unpleasantness and they were basically rewarded for being evil.

[@clushdelga4831]

⁠@@dennisivan85 the French resistance was not “played up” as you questioningly call it. The French resistance was a REAL threat to German soldiers during the occupation and were responsible for some of the Allied war crimes. They were certainly important enough for the British to send operatives over to assist them and they certainly went above and beyond after Germanys defeat to hunt down and execute or shame those who were complicit with the Germans. Much of which is heavily well documented.

[@user-de6jz5kn6f]

Moral of the story: Running with the hare and hunting with the hound has consequences.

[@TheCerebralDude]

A lot of us Americans like to rag on the French over collaboration with the Nazis during the war, but it’s not an exclusively French disease. If an enemy army ever overran America, there would be plenty of Americans who would also willingly work for the occupation if doing so would benefit them personally.

[@libertinarey]

Why the need for an enemy army? P,enty of americans gladly collaborate with foreign enemies and work to destroy your country from within, and they do it for free.

[@erichammond9308]

There is currently a political party in the US whose leader has openly declared himself an enemy of the Constitution of the United States, yet far too many people support him.

[@dopejoel]

The United States also didn't have WW1 in their backyard. If we had Jewish Holocaust numbers of casualties just a few years prior to WW2, we'd be less enthusiastic about "fighting to the last man at any cost!"

[@MichaelDNelson]

It’s already happening in America without a foreign occupation. US senators meeting with Putin on July 4th a few years ago is just one example of domestic enemies that are personally enriching themselves instead of serving the public. USA has its fascists - apparently in large numbers looking at the last few election results

[@benoitbvg2888]

Just look at all the people in US and EU today that support Russia...

[@DMS-pq8]

Seems like he was more an opportunist than a true believer who embraced whatever gave him power

[@TheEvertw]

This is the case for most fascists. Because fascism is based on a lie. The lie that a Leader who does as he pleases and rules through terror will be a better leader than one who abides by the Rule of Law. All who become leaders in a fascist organisation are opportunists who try to con the People into giving them power. None actually believe that the Leader is some god-like saviour who will make everything right, if only he is allowed to break the Law. The underlings, they believe the lies and worship the Leader. But not the high level leaders. They see far too many faults in the Leader.

[@jimjam51075]

That is probably half of the people that joined the party KZbin shadowbans people for naming.

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

Most Nazis could make that argument, too. It doesn't make them any less evil and deserving of punishment.

[@lamogio7938]

@@Skank_and_Gutterboyopportunism probably makes you worse than people who actually believe in an ideology At least they have the justification of believing in a cause , opportunists are just dogs.

[@rathertiredofthemess2841]

Just as guilty. Doesn’t matter why you collaborated or joined the Nazi party…historians remember you as Nazis.

[@harrydonnison5343]

He was named 'man of the year' by Time magazine in 1931. Hitler was 'man of the year' in 1938 and Stalin in 1939.

[@rathertiredofthemess2841]

Not for being heroes however. Remember these men were headline news. We see history from the aftermath. They were living through history with no idea how it would work out. Like now.

[@helifanodobezanozi7689]

Yes, Time magazine itself doesn't consider the "Man of the Year" title as an honor. It's more a measure of the impact of a person's actions on the news.

[@gteixeira]

@@rathertiredofthemess2841 So why wasn't Bin Laden the man of the year in 2001?

[@Mrdoom26]

​@@gteixeiralmao 😂

[@gteixeira]

@@Mrdoom26 This is not funny, that is a serious question.

[@heidimelendez5623]

He made his choices, and he earned his punishment. He sent trains to Poland when he didn't have to. He sent men and women to slavery in Germany.

[@marcblank3036]

Men were sent to work in Germany

[@heidimelendez5623]

@marcblank3036 Certainly they were to work 18 hour days with minimal food and barracks to sleep in. Pay was promised, but especially in the late stages of the war not delivered.

[@gameburn178]

He gave mountains of food to the Germans, virtually starving areas of Northern France. That food allowed Germany to extend the war and fight to the end. There are always means of sabotaging food, reducing quotas. He didn't even try. None of the Vichy tried. Canada's Quebec maintained relations with the Vichy throughout the war. Many sympathizers of the Vichy in Quebec.

[@fanpim]

@@marcblank3036 You mean like the Jews the Nazi sent to the concentration camps to work.Do you know that when the Jews arrived at those camps, there was a sign that say "Arbeit macht frei" which means "Work will set you free"?

[@CommanderLongJohn]

Almost like heavy alliedmbombing raids destroying railroads and factories and supply trains had something to do with that ​@@heidimelendez5623

[@konekillerking]

Sent thousands to their deaths, didn’t think he got a fair trial. You can’t make this stuff up.

[@ltmund]

It's always needed to hear the accused side of the story. Disclosure: full on devil's advocate here. We don't know what choice he really had. He could have done all he could to minimise the deaths, whist still maintaining his position. He could have known who his replacement would be, and feared the murder would be far greater. You have to remember, you only did what the National Socialists didn't want once.

[@653j521]

People make this stuff up all the time.

[@michaelboggus9993]

After it all he was convinced he was right no matter his crimes. Zealots can convince themselves of anything

[@tancreddehauteville764]

He didn't send anyone to their deaths. He had no choice but to do what the Germans asked.

[@andreascj73]

@@johnnolan2557 Frenchmen nonetheless.

[@wixom01]

There were no tears shed for Pierre Laval.

[@BasicModelling]

There were no sheds torn either..

[@kevin-parratt-artist]

How is it that his name has slipped onto the void, whereas Vidkun Quisling of Norway, for doing the same, has been immortalised in dictionaries of the World, as 'Quisling', meaning 'traitor'. Each was executed by firing squad at about the same time.

[@thierrymorales9797]

In France the name of Pierre Laval hasn't fallen into void

[@raskzak3313]

Well, the last name "Laval" is pretty common, as well as the name Pierre, so it's hard to make a word out of this and we certainly didn't forget him, well, i don't, but the majority of collabos' names aren't really remembered, except for Petain of course, Pierre Laval probably comes second

[@franc9111]

@@raskzak3313 Papon, Touvier, Darquier de Pellepoix.............

[@raskzak3313]

@@franc9111 honestly don't know them, or don't recognize them When conflicts/events are so massive, names tend to be forgotten, only the top ones get remembered

[@heidimelendez5623]

There is one significant difference between the two. Quisling invited Nazi Germany into his country so that he could become its leader. Laval wanted peace with the Nazi but he didn't unlock the gates so to speak. They both used Nazi invasion to get the power they desired.

[@lorenzbroll0101]

Once a certain type gets a taste for power, they would sell their own mother to the devil to keep it.

[@thehumancanary131]

I tried to sell my mother....but there's just no market for 'em....😭😭😭

[@lorenzbroll0101]

@@thehumancanary131 Maybe your father then, or sister/brother?

[@thehumancanary131]

Father ran away from home. My brother married my sister...no-one left to sell..😢😢😢 @@lorenzbroll0101

[@UnintendedConsequences]

Welcome to the New World Order. They all meet that criteria.

[@mrwhatever9025]

A little-known fact - He was a very good cricketer and once scored a century for France against England in cricket.

[@sid2112]

Oh then he had to go.

[@joekavanagh7171]

He went out to a Yorker in the end

[@AB-ye7bw]

Educational, I had no idea. Well done.

[@TyuHeyheyhey]

Same

[@AQ-uc4bb]

Thanks for sharing

[@Romcom356]

An excellent vid. Thank you. I didn’t know about this at all.

[@lauriemayne7436]

Like America, France elects people who sat near the back of the class at school. So what do they expect? Blood from a stone?

[@PrimarisBlackTemplaDraven]

Imagine if they gave him the revolution special instead of the firing squad.

[@Chardonbois]

I didn't know this story. Thanks for sharing!

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

I've heard so much about the post-war trial and execution of Nazi officials and those that escaped it by suicide. I've never heard this story, well done!

[@mabdub]

The French people know that Laval saved Paris and the French are thankful that the city was spared. In reality, the Jews were sacrificed so that Paris and the majority of its inhabitants could live, at least temporarily. After the war monumental guilt was felt by the French people so they killed Laval to try and absolve their guilt for supporting him while he was the Prime Minister. If it hadn't been for Laval, Paris would have been leveled by the Nazis and the French people are well aware of that.

[@warriorgaming1604]

What’s funny is Borman and Hitler escaped the Argentinian government is in process of releasing every document pertaining to it when borman died his body was smuggled back into Berlin and buried in a area of rubble there was a picture of his grave in Argentina

[@michelguy5569]

Yes, for us (I am french), Pierre Laval is considered as a traitor, collaborating with the ennemy, partner in crime of very important crime. In a time of war, this sort of act is logically punish by death. Marechal Petain could be executed too, but in my memory, he was partially pardoned by De Gaulle, not punish by death, because of his old age and heroic past for France during WW1. The WW2 was a very painfull period of French history. Lots of bad things (but also admirable things) were done on the territory. I have grand parent on the both side of the country, free and occupied part, and one of my grand father was a soldier. Petain his a very controversial character, a hero during WW1 and a "savier" but collaborator and criminal against humanity during WW2. For Laval this is more simple. Not very much doubt. Opportunist, unscrupulous. De Gaulle in his memory have an ambiguous judgement about Laval, recognizing some talents but infamy too. It seems Laval, even at the end, don't understand the extent of his crimes. For him, he was not guilty, and refuse that his lawyer ask the "pardon". He was so sure that he has commit no crimes that he believed he could restart is political career after the war. A very strange man. A sort of extrem opportunism.

[@Intreductor]

I am curious about Paul Reynaud. How come his reputation was unschathed after he resigned during France's be-all and end-all moments in 1940? He was not considered a coward for resigning?

[@nickedname7048]

Any non-high ranking condecorated soldier would have been executed for collaborating with the enemy. Why should have been different for high-ranking officials such as Pétain? Très simple: it would have marked a precedent for any present and future French heads of state, including De Gaulle. DG just looked after his own, plus ça change...

[@pierren___]

The french state was not an axis member. Many collaborators used their power to protect people, including resistants. Petain was elected.

[@bartbotsimpson]

"cheese eating surrender monkeys"

[@aaronstorey9712]

​@@nickedname7048 Petain was not well enough to have been fully aware of what happened under the Vichy government. He was down to around 4 hours of lucidity a day 4 hours in which he may have been aware of anything and then all forgotten by the next day

[@mariedecosta3859]

Merci , excellente vidéo et histoire vraiment authentique. Mais il ne faut pas oublier Pétain, Dreux la Rochelle...et tant d'autres qui ont pactisé avec le Diable. Happy New Year for all team.🫶🇲🇫

[@jeanpatrice3548]

drieux la rochelle

[@laurentdevaux5617]

Laval à fait plus que pactiser, il a même, trop souvent, devancé les désirs des Allemands quand il n'est pas allé au-delà. Il était tellement lâche qu'il a même essayé de s'empoisonner pour ne pas faire face au peloton d'exécution, c'est dire ! En lui accordant cette mort, la justice a été bien trop clémente, il aurait dû être fusillé à genoux et dans le dos, comme le traître qu'il était

[@lauriemayne7436]

Pactisé? Cela veut dire quoi exactement?

[@laurentdevaux5617]

@@lauriemayne7436 C'est une façon polie de dire collaborer, ça vient du mot pacte, tout simplement. Et en général, c'est négatif, alors que le verbe collaborer n'a pas forcément cette notion négative

[@FlorentPlacide]

@@laurentdevaux5617 Un collègue ingénieur d'étude, féru des guerres mondiales, m'avait appris l'expression "se porter au devant des demandes de l'ennemi", voulant dire "collaborer avec enthousiasme".

[@BHuang92]

Those associated with Vichy France has been a controversial subject in France. Its often glossed over what happened to those guilty of collaborating with their occupiers.

[@dolinaj1]

Not so. There are masses of documentation apropos what happened to French collaborators with Nazis. Perhaps you don’t read French and/or German?

[@clarencearnold2137]

Yes. The collaborators. The story of the underground was promoted which was real. But the number of collaborators was swept under the rug for decades or never looked at by the allies because we left it to France. People wanted to get on with their lives. Believe more of it started coming out with the younger generation of historians and journalists. Assume many records are still sealed.. esp those who helped the jewish deportations..

[@franc9111]

@@clarencearnold2137 The film "Le Chagrin et la Pitié" which was made for French TV in 1969 by Max Ophuls, was banned by Giscard after he had had a visit by le Comte de Chambrun, who was Laval's son-in-law and who managed to persuade Giscard that it shouldn't be shown on French national TV. The film was only shown on French TV much later when François Mitterand had become President. Other French films and photographic evidence that described the Collaboration in France were similarly censored. For example there was a now infamous still photo taken at the Camp of Beaune-la-Rolande, a transit camp for Jewish and other internees, showing a French policeman who was easily identifiable because he was wearing a képi. That was banned.

[@wesleybarton3871]

Same with Francis supporters They had Germans war machine help in the Spanish Civil War.

[@BStrapper]

glossed over? yes but far less than in any other land occupied by the Nazis...

[@SnakeKoRn]

I'm half French, and I asked my mom (who's French), if we had family members who were in the resistance, and I'm glad to hear we had one! Also, my grandfather (who sadly died last week) had a nazi coming at his house when he was very young. He blurted out "Bastard!", after which his father quickly hushed him, since it could obviously cause them a lot of trouble.... but.... hehehehe, good kid :D

[@SylvesterStaline.]

Rip to your grandpa, im sure he had amazing stories ❤

[@P.L.BScatandco.]

How many Algerians did he rape and kill?

[@SnakeKoRn]

@@SylvesterStaline.Thank you!

[@user-vd5uq4uc9b]

Petan sold his country fo 30 pieces.

[@Mike-nzuk]

Very interesting thank you

[@JanuszKrysztofiak]

Perhaps, at first, he might have genuinly thoght (or deluded himself) he was sparing the French worse occupation. It is a slippery slope, you start to cross more and more levels of collaboration and in the end you are just a traitor complicit in crimes. The problem was it was not just one Laval, but quite a large number of French politicans and officials that took that route too. They faced little-to-none prosecution. In one notable case (René Bousquet), justice came late and had to be extrajudicial.

[@epaminon6196]

If the French had fully cooperated with the German occupational forces, they would have had less trouble. They could have had it almost as good as the Danish.

[@leftin74]

Yes the rest of the French government pissed off to England and left this guy and petain to pick up the pieces. After the war ended, it was found that every French man and woman had been in the resistance, everyone got a medal. Amazing

[@lawLess-fs1qx]

If laval had escaped to switzerland. He would have been the first president of the European Commission by 1958.

[@Sacto1654]

I am not so sure. The French-speaking population of western Switzerland would probably not have approved of him….

[@Krzyszczynski]

At 75 years old? Don't think so.

[@olivierpuyou3621]

@@Krzyszczynski He was so hated by the French that he had a "Putin-style accident"... De Gaulle at the time would have launched his secret services to eliminate him, discreetly.

[@franc9111]

Absolute rubbish. At the end of the War, the Swiss expelled anyone who was part of or associated with the Vichy Regime, including Pétain. Darquier de Pellepoix escaped to Franco's Spain and there was a Breton Nationalist collaborateur who found refuge in the Irish Republic.

[@AixlaachenPax1801]

They didn't expelled the dozens of thousands of tons of gold stolen from France, Belgium, Netherland, Poland, strangely @@franc9111

[@ratarsed666]

i don't normally agree with death penalties but for offences like treason somtimes exceptions have to be made because if not these people can gain sympathy and cause future problems ....

[@susangutrugianios2241]

You have filled in so many empty lines on this man Thank You well done In everything I did read up on him his crimes were never clear

[@harrisdizdarevic5797]

Thank you

[@romo9122]

I didnt know this bit of WOII history. Thanks for educating me😊

[@legiran9564]

2:31 "With this change in fortunes he then turned his back on socialism" Like they all do. They all do.

[@robertwilliamson922]

@legiran9564 Smart people turn their back on socialism, and they also turn their back on fascism and all other forms of totalitarianism and tyranny.

[@legiran9564]

@@robertwilliamson922 REAL smart people turn their back on socialism unconditionally. People who turn their back on socialism only AFTER they get rich are merely opportunistic vultures deserving of contempt.

[@robertwilliamson922]

@@legiran9564 Yes….true. 👍🏼

[@me67galaxylife]

@@robertwilliamson922 fascism is also socialist.

[@Bass_Playa_Two_Point.O]

Calling Mr. Sanders, Mr. Bernie Sanders! Calling Mr. Moore, Mr. Michael Moore!

[@davedruid7427]

Never heard of Laval until this KZbin Presentation.

[@thierrydesu]

Even in France "they" try to erase hide him and his "comrades" more and more. The left has a hard time rewriting history in order to make French people forget that most collaborators were from the left.

[@barryobee1544]

Good video

[@sullivannix4509]

I am happy that I have stumbled upon a channel with a Mark Felton-esque style of quality!

[@danij5055]

Mark Felton, TheUntoldPast, World History, and The People's Profile. These are the main four channels I watch for content like this. All absolutely amazing!

[@Karpp1nen]

Maybe "esque", but have to remember that Mark Felton is an actual historian. This channel is clearly run by someone who is not.

[@danij5055]

@@Karpp1nen How so? Could you elaborate on that?

[@Karpp1nen]

@@danij5055 ehh this just seems like a more entertainment oriented one

[@captainpoptarts]

If I've ever learned anything about French history, its that you don't piss off the people and wrong them as a government official in France. There's a much higher chance of public execution than not. Oh and that one incident of surrender that will haunt the country for decades.

[@MrAlex_Raven]

I am checking out the rest of your content. I feel like Admiral Darlan also goes up there with Laval in terms of awfulness.

[@wonjubhoy]

At least darlan's last act was to help the allies.

[@thierrydesu]

@@wonjubhoyDarlan never meant to serve the allies. He was Petain's designated successor. When the Allies landed in North Africa, Darlan was there by coincidence to visit his dying son and the resistance arrested him. They handed him over to the Americans who talked to him into giving the order to cease fire. Then the Americans tried to make him the leader of the French resistance in order to get rid of de Gaulle but he was murdered on Dec 24th, 1942 by a royalist.

[@franc9111]

@@thierrydesu Yes absolutely right.

[@landrecce]

Very well told. Cool voice too.

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

Petain got away and pinned the blame on Laval

[@kissmyaspergers2706]

Petain did not get away, he went to prison. He was sentenced to death but De Gaulle commuted it to life in prison

[@TheAngryXenite]

Petain was a senile old man, you're not convincing me it was all his doing.

[@aaronstorey9712]

Petain was not well. He was down to about 4 hours a day where he was lucid.

[@naradaian]

@@aaronstorey9712better than Biden then…

[@thelastjohnwayne]

FACT France has a very long history of Executing their leaders.

[@thierrylaval4449]

It’s dangerous to look after the well-being of the people there. Sad.

[@johnwright291]

I didn't know much about Laval. Thank you.

[@user-qm2li8zx2d]

This part wasn't told to me in school or I just wasn't paying attention.

[@thierrydesu]

Not "prime minister". "President of the Council". Primer minister comes with the 5th republic. A gaffe in the very first seconds.

[@onEmEmbErstudios]

Imagine you tried to die but got back to life to be killed later

[@johncitizen3927]

Sadly less than 4%, were punished.

[@andrewhart6377]

Punished for what ? look what is going on now in the Middle-east, non stop.

[@SylvesterStaline.]

4 %of what?

[@jovialgent9963]

Everyone's a Socialist until they get their hands on all that money! 😂

[@jujuUK68]

Everyones a tory when they receive unearned income......

[@williamfurman2042]

Very interesting. Papillon was sent to Devil's Island, presumably a French prison along the order of Alcatraz. He may have ended up there, I imagine.

[@DJ-tt7tq]

The scary part is,that there are still plenty of people like this still with us today.

[@davidowen9671]

You are probably one such.

[@DJ-tt7tq]

I can safely assure you I'm not.Possibly,you are.

[@koolaidblack7697]

@@DJ-tt7tq They all thought of themselves as righteous as well, DJ. You are no different.

[@DJ-tt7tq]

@@koolaidblack7697 You couldn't be more wrong.

[@wonder528]

The story of two lawyers, both from the same era; one was a traitor to his country and people, the other quietly fought for justice and became the father of his.

[@anitameza3960]

He tried to take the cowards way out.

[@mykofreder1682]

I never heard of the guy, why did Pétain skate who most would consider a lot more responsible. A general responsibility to not commit treason is far greater than a businessman and politician.

[@aaronstorey9712]

Cause Petain was not all there during the Vichy years he was down to about 4 hours or lucidity a day

[@raskzak3313]

Do this guy had sons ? Because if he did I'm scared to ask who my grandfather was 💀

[@cedricliggins7528]

Same

[@AmirSatt]

Lmao

[@genngeorge9909]

You don't hear much about this story for some reason.

[@erickborling1302]

9:12 Charles duGalle "pressurized" the Spanish and Franco... 🤣 You didn't catch that? COME ON, MAN

[@theoneandonlysoslappy]

Dang. Even his one attempt at a final "triumph" in poison was defeated.

[@fundamentos3439]

It's a complicated story. A convinced pacifist , who maintained that everything could be settled at the negotiating table. He argued that his country had to accept the new reality , and wait for better times. He failed , and paid for it.

[@rtsesmelis]

I was tempted to believe he was a useful idiot, more naive than evil. But then, participating so actively in the rounding up of Jews......, that's not naive, just pure evil.😡 What on earth was this pacifist thinking?

[@helenejampierremarsh1896]

Never been a big fan of De Gaulle. He had a luxury war in London and went on to judge others on their participation of the colonies, WWII etc.. Good document, thank you.

[@whoobibi]

De Gaulle was a snake, as his own countrymen would later discover.

[@SylvesterStaline.]

Luxury war? You could say that about most generals. Excluding the ones trapped like in russia, there is no point in having your leaders being exposed. And he was the one that make it possible to maintain France as an independant and cohesive country instead of an american lapdog. He was the type of man that a nation only have very few every centuries.

[@franc9111]

He had a pretty hard time of it in London. His relations with Churchill and the Americans were far from easy. He also had to try and bring together the various French factions whether still operating in France behind German lines or elsewhere. The Americans had initially envisaged a plan for France after the War, where they were going to take over absolute control, something De Gaulle had get them to change their minds on. There were various other French generals vying for top job, such as Giraud who for a short while got the backing of the Americans, then there were opportunists such as Darlan, though he got shot and rightly so.

[@99somerville]

Someone always has to fall on the sword. Whether they want to or not.

[@docvaliant721]

Victors write the history books.

[@bond207]

He look like and Indier ..was he that 😮

[@user-ti3fv6nn9b]

If the idea is that French nazis were punished, it is wrong. Only a few high ranking politicians and writers were. But the most important guys, in finance, industry, administration, were never threatened. The same freemasons ruled the country before, during and after the war. It changed nothing.

[@thierrydesu]

Just because the people you are mentionning simply didn't exist.

[@user-ti3fv6nn9b]

@@thierrydesu You mean there was no finance, industry, administration ? You are an extremist...

[@paulbarber1960]

My french teacher told us all occupied countries collaborated and france more so. Many french citizens did very well financially from the war.. War makes so many opportunities available that wouldn't normally be there..

[@4ager505]

'They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. ' Benjamin Franklin - You can't make a deal with the devil and expect him to honor it.

[@bobfinkenbiner2539]

where were the soviets who collaborated with the Nazi's to partition Poland in 1939? Should they also have seen justice for collaborating with the NAZIS? where was the "justice" of Nuremberg? or was is victors revenge? the guilty escaped justice, and the justice was unjust.

[@whoobibi]

Stalin was the ultimate Nazi collaborator. But because he changed sides he got to sit with the victors.

[@parrmik]

Three quarters of france collaborated. Russia did until it was attacked. Britain stood alone, 70years later ,look at britain now !

[@brianmacc1934]

Britian was never alone ; it had an empire behind it

[@h.wenger6804]

@@brianmacc1934 Churchills Book about the situation: The last Lion, Alone

[@guzy1971]

Three quaters ! It’s a nonsense you should read books before posting I wonder how France had the best proportion in occupied Europe of the Jews who escaped the extermination with three quarters of the population collaborating with the nazis

[@jeremywade9287]

If we in Britain had been invaded some would have collaborated, Oswald Mosley for one.

[@Ayeshteni]

@@h.wenger6804 "History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it" -Churchill, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature on the History of the War, which he wrote.

[@wymple09]

Justice.

[@phillipward2741]

Thousands of french people were just like him.. 😢. Looked after there own interests. But needed the allies to take back there country for them.. only the true patriotic assisted the alien.. the rest just hid

[@ranjandasgupta2995]

His family were shopkeepers & the fellow typically looks like that.

[@simonpotter7534]

"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."

[@wrongtracksuit]

So is being a traitor and a quisling.

[@alphaomega938]

Who did he send, who did he imprison? And why ? The questions no one asks

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

Jews, because his masters wanted him too

[@alphaomega938]

@@jonathanwilliams1065 why send some to jail tho ?

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

@@alphaomega938 because the Nazis asked him too

[@alphaomega938]

Why tho

[@Tripperchris]

While Pierre Laval was tried and executed, the French government didn’t touch Philippe Pétain, because He was a marshall of France and a war hero from WW1.

[@hisoverlorduponhigh90]

Do not forget, the Communists murdered 30,000 Polish in The Katyn Forest massacre. It was blamed on Germany until 1990.

[@AmirSatt]

How is it related?

[@1aikane]

Curious story. I see there are several books on him available. Wander if he had no other choices. He may have made things less terrible. No way to know.

[@dolinaj1]

No way to know? You need to read the relevant history.

[@1aikane]

@dolinaj1 agree. But the first casualties of war is the truth

[@raskzak3313]

@@dolinaj1 history is always biased

[@653j521]

@@raskzak3313 Biased but not necessarily a lie.

[@olivierdastein2604]

No, there are many ways to know, such as archives, testimonies, and...his own statements during the war. And it's known. He had choices, he made them, and he led a policy of active collaboration with Nazi Germany, rather than simply abiding by German demands because he had no choice. His government offered to deport Jews whose transfer hadn't even be demanded by Germany, encouraged people to join the SS and fight for Germany, created an armed militia to help the Gestapo and the German army in their missions, insisted that young people should go work in Germany, engaged in massive pro-Nazi propaganda, openly wished for a Nazi victory, etc..

[@jkf1052]

Austria voted 99% in 1938 for German annexation ….

[@andrewhart6377]

Reminds one of Goya's famous painting with French soldiers shooting Spanish prisoners. I guess they would have had the Guillotine out working if it did not attract so much attention.

[@fanpim]

Not only was he a monster, worst, he was also a traitor. He gave a speech in which he said loud and clear that he wish Germany would win the war.

[@whoobibi]

Laval was a pacifist who felt that France had bungled it's way into war with foreign entanglements and felt that his actions could be justified if he was permitted to present a defense. De Gaulle had no intention of allowing him any such fair trial, and his political show trial and execution was the result. To this day, the conduct of the French government immediately after WWII was a disgrace. There was a lot of settling of scores and covering up of inconvenient truths, and in the end De Gaulle proved treacherous to allies and supporters alike, as the Algerian veterans could testify.

[@franc9111]

Absolute rubbish.

[@whoobibi]

@@franc9111 Simple facts, readily available to anyone who looks at the original sources and competent histories.

[@ernestclements7398]

But what happened to the equally hated Field Marshall Petain?

[@1NYCHombre]

The French serve Justice well. Long Live France! 🇺🇸

[@jamesloring7186]

Communism, fascism, 2 sides of the same coin

[@thenaturalmidsouth9536]

Nope. Fascism usually allies itself with organized established religion and corporate power. Communism usually rejects both. The 2 are usually alike in being highly authoritarian in nature.

[@clarkelliott5389]

Same for Globalism. Control of the many by the few.

[@geraldperyman6535]

What coin?I would think two extremes of the political spectrum.

[@lorpot]

Very simple thought for simple minds.

[@clarkelliott5389]

@@geraldperyman6535 Heads or tails don't matter, you still lose.

[@jusufagung]

Pierre Laval looks more like an Indian than French.

[@aaronstorey9712]

No he is French.

[@inhocsignovinces1081]

Meanwhile, France mulled what measures to take against the horizontal collaborators.

[@orientlover1]

Pierre Laval has Asian facial features. At times he looks like young Gandhi. Did he have any Asian ancestors?

[@simongills2051]

The Resistance was opposed by most French people because of the reprisals that any sabotage would bring. Until 1943 the Nazis were winning so why antagonize them? De Gaulle was seen as a British puppet and there was, if any, more support for Frenchmen still living in France or her colonies who were anti Vichy. France was a mess during WW2 and its people didn't know who to turn to who were French and maybe it would have been better if Vichy had never existed and the whole of France had been occupied so no part of it could "collaborate".

[@romad357]

France should not have been treated any differently than other countries that were occupied. It should not have been considered equal to the UK and these United States any more than Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands were. Of all countries occupied by Germany, France provided more support to their occupiers.

[@Andrew-mj5rf]

The government of France was exiled to Britain and absolutely did not help the Germans in any way. A few French Nazis helped, the rest of the population suffered. Your BS opinions will not be backed up by any British soldier that fought alongside them, only by couch and pub historians.

[@olivierdastein2604]

France had declared war on Germany, contrarily to all the nattions you list, and had had much more KIA than any of them. 100K, that you can compare to the 300K of the USA, who had fought for much longer and on a much larger scale. Of all the countries occupied,France had also paid the higher cost. Also, none of the other occupied countries had a figurehead as famous and popular as de Gaulle was. The Americans originally wanted France to be militarily occupied like other liberated countries were, with the allied authorities in charge. But it was pretty much impossible given the stature of de Gaulle, the French population would have reacted extremely negatively to such a situation, and De Gaulle, without a doubt, would have actively opposed an allied administration and would have received a large popular support. A government led by de Gaulle was also seen as preventing the very worrying alternative : a communist government, a very real possibility in France at the time. Undermining him risked to reinforce the already large influence of the French communist party. But anyway, the way France was dealt with also had a lot to do with geopolitical realities. It wasn't about rewarding deserving countries and punishing countries that had been bad. France was inevitably to become again a major power after the war and an essential element in the cold war to come. It had to be treated as such. The UK also specifically wanted France to be on par with other powers (in particular in the UN) because France and the UK had common interests that other victorious nations, and in particular the USA, didn't share, namely their situation on the European continent and their colonial empire. The UK wished to restore French position as soon as possible.

[@JeanFoutre-yi5us]

The UK and the US always want to be the top dog And then they remember that if they're alone then it means that they will actually have to fight, for real 🤣. I wonder if the cold war would have ended the same way if they had you to guide them with your bs 🤣

[@Solveig.Tissot]

Average Virgin Cringe Brainless Fatherless Anti France Troll Fanboy taking Copium over here ⬆️

[@margaretash9706]

And now many in France supporting fascism.

[@inuitplus]

Thanks. We must not forget nor have history reported by revisionists. Slava Ukraini from Canada

[@user-xg5vr9ry6z]

Vae victis

[@luminousnutria3555]

Why is that guy chopping down a tree at 8:19

[@billcook4768]

They are building road blocks to slow the Germans.

[@pippa212]

I thought Petain was the prime minister of the Vichy government

[@Karl-nv5ok]

He was the Chief of State,but also held the position of Prime Minister till 1942.

[@dozwhald6546]

The amount of misinformed French bashing in this comment section is frankly embarrassing

[@jeffjacob4900]

He didn’t have any option other than to collaborate if he had resisted France would have suffered more like Poland. Charles de Gaulle resisted while he was safe in England. Why did he leave France ?

[@AixlaachenPax1801]

Sadly France suffered in the same way but by the "allies" bombing razing entire cities thousands of years old and killing hundreds of thousands. Americans and British assured that France would lose just as much as the rest of Europe so they could colonize them easily, yet again De Gaulle was here to stop their greasy muricans and teethIess brits ambitions

[@whoobibi]

True. De Gaulle accomplished very little but claimed much.

[@SylvesterStaline.]

​@@whoobibiduring ww2 yes, but at the end he was essential for the aftermath. Thx to him we didnt became USA lapdog and remain an united country.

[@wonjubhoy]

General de Gaulle left his country and his dying mother to continue the fight for France's freedom. He was always a bitter enemy of Nazi Germany. Charles De Gaulle is the greatest Frenchman of all time.

[@guyosborn615]

My French grandfather left France and became a captain in the British army (acting major) No Frenchman was ever promoted above captain.(By the way, he knew de Gaulle, who asked him to join the Free French just after he had joined the British army, to which my grandfather replied "Vous etiez trop tard, mon général." De Gaulle left to continue his fight, as the British did at Dunkirk.

[@thebigerictbe5267]

Me being a hoi4 player and seeing the dude who I consider to be the basic French leader at the start was a fucking hesrtstomper

[@justiceforall6412]

EVERY ethnic group, EVERY country has traitors-to-their-own. The more I know people, the more I love my dog

[@gmicg]

I never understood why he did not accept the offer of Ireland to give him political asylum.

[@lamogio7938]

People really act as if they were crazy collaborators Like come the fuck on , what were they meant to do? Believe that even though the Germans have taken Paris and have beaten every enemy on the mainland the British will somehow turn it around? Even though it happened it sounded like nonsense , the war was lost , the French army had disintegrated and the British had started bombing French cities to hit German units. De Gaulle wasn't some sort of government in exile , he was just a rogue army who drew authority from Britain , you really can't blame the French for just trying to make sure that they didn't suffer further.

[@jimjam51075]

People who truly believe their innocence don't go around with a bottle of poison up their .... for years.

[@davidowen9671]

If they don't trust the government in power they might.

[@mrjoe5292]

What kind of nonsense logic is that? He feared he'd be executed or possibly even tortured. Whether he considered himself innocent is irrelevant. How many people who worked against the Nazis do you think had "suicide solutions", just in case of the worst? By your logic they'd also consider themselves guilty.

[@jimjam51075]

@@mrjoe5292 Espionage agents on certain levels are expected to have that kind of thing on their person. Innocent politicians, on the other hand, typically would not. There is a difference between one involved in espionage and a supposed representative of the people. But I guess all members of congress and my mayor do carry around the stuff. Huh, ya learn something new every day. Silly me and my logic.

[@koolaidblack7697]

@@jimjam51075 Jimjim you're letting your low-IQ emotions cloud your judgment here. If I thought I was going to get tortured to death by rabid political opponents I might also have a suicide capsule.

[@alistair1978utube]

Prime Ministah

[@peterrichards931]

Could depend on what he did and what he didn't. Someone had to be in charge of France; a true anti-nahtzie would have minimally cooperated with Germans, while indirectly-supporting sabotage by the resistance. I guess this guy didn't even try to be against the nahtzees

[@MARKETMAN6789]

De Gaul FLED TO Britain ,then went back when it was safe and called Britain Britain allowed him here ,and he fled here to safety ,Another one who took what Britain had to offer ,and then bashed Britain It's a good job Churchill didn't desert Britain,I was told by a good sauce Churchill told de Gaul you don't win wars by running away from the enemy and blew his cigar smoke in his face ,and de Gaul didn't like it

[@dolinaj1]

Read history, please: DeGaulle led the French opposition from England. Otherwise, he would have been summarily executed by the Nazis. I am not a fan, but comprehend his motives.

[@jackpirie7382]

What a load of rubbish

[@MARKETMAN6789]

@@jackpirie7382 you don't need to listen to me ,I'm not a french racist I loved Charles Aznavour ,and Maurice chavilier singing thank heaven for little girls ,and I loved bridget bardot ,and les miserables ,but DEGAUL FLED FROM FRANCE TO SAFETY IN BRITAIN,THEN Disrespected britain every time he opened his mouth Ps I also loved eric CANTONA Some people don't like listening to the truth ,

[@thierrymorales9797]

​@@MARKETMAN6789Do you mean De Gaulle, Maurice Chevalier and Brigitte Bardot ?😉😉😉

[@MARKETMAN6789]

@@thierrymorales9797 you could be right with your spelling ,I never learnt french ,but I was good at adding up and taking away ,and dividing and multiplying In Fact my teacher thought I would be a scientist ,until my Bunsen burner exploded in my science lesson and set David fishwick clothes on fire