Elsbeth Kasser Foundation
France during the Second World War
On 10 May 1940, the German armed forces launched what is known as the Western Campaign. The neutral countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg fell to the German army in a matter of days. On 22 June 1940, France was also defeated. General de Gaulle's Free French Forces continued the fight from exile with the support of the Allies.
France was divided into two parts. Germany occupied the north of the country The northern half of France, including the industrial regions and Paris as well as the French Atlantic coast as far as the Spanish border, was placed under German military administration. In the south not occupied by the Wehrmacht (around 40% of French territory), a new French government was set up under Henri Philippe Pétain. The capital became Vichy. The so-called Vichy regime was de facto dependent on Germany. Collaboration was therefore very close.
It was at this time that the Jews were deported to Gurs, in the unoccupied part of France. However, during the persecution and deportation of the Jews, the French authorities were more than willing to cooperate by registering and interning them. Around 76,000 Jews deported from France were victims of the Nazi genocide. With the invasion of German troops on 11 November 1942, the previously unoccupied part of France was also placed under German military administration.