Vichy France
Old Guard New Order, 1940-1944
Robert Paxton’s 1972 book, which changed how France understands the occupation. Working from German archives, he showed that Vichy was not a shield reluctantly held against the occupier but a French government pursuing its own programme, volunteering collaboration in the hope of a place in a German-ordered Europe. It remains the most important secondary work on the subject.
Recommended by 1 Person
Tim Bouverie
They also thought they might be able to get this while the war was going on. They thought that by collaborating with the Germans, they were doing the most patriotic thing for France. This was conclusively shown by Paxton in what remains easily one of the most important secondary books on the Second World War.
Interview · June 2026
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