Was the Vichy government legitimate?
The Vichy régime considered itself the legitimate government of France, but Charles de Gaulle, who had escaped to England, declared a government in exile in London, and broadcast appeals to French citizens to resist the occupying forces.
What was the difference between Vichy and Free France?
Vichy’s claim to be the legitimate French government was denied by Free France and by all subsequent French governments after the war. They maintain that Vichy was an illegal government run by traitors, having come to power through an unconstitutional coup d’état.
What is Vichy France known for?
Vichy is renowned as one of the largest spas in France. The town, largely modern and with a profusion of hotels, is separated from the river by parks surrounding the two extensive bathing establishments. Known to the Romans as Vicus Calidus, Vichy acquired fame for its alkaline springs in the 17th century.
Is Vichy water German?
A naturally effervescent mineral water from springs at Vichy in France. Etymology: in France. Any sparkling mineral water resembling it. Etymology: in France.
What does Vichy mean in French?
Vichy in British English
(French viʃi , English ˈviːʃiː ) noun. a town and spa in central France, on the River Allier: seat of the collaborationist government under Marshal Pétain (1940–44); mineral waters bottled for export.
Why did France surrender to Germany?
France surrendered to the Nazis in 1940 for complex reasons. The proximate cause, of course, was the success of the German invasion, which left metropolitan France at the mercy of Nazi armies. But the German victory opened profound rifts in French society.
Is Vichy in the Massif Central?
Geography and geology. Vichy lies on the banks of the river Allier. The source of the Allier is in the nearby Massif Central plateau which lies only a few miles to the south, near the region’s capital, Clermont-Ferrand.
What was the free zone 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.
Who owns the Rhineland?
The occupation of the Rhineland took place following the Armistice with Germany of 11 November 1918. The occupying armies consisted of American, Belgian, British and French forces. Under the Treaty of Versailles, German troops were banned from all territory west of the Rhine and within 50 kilometers east of the Rhine.
What side was France on in ww2?
World War II the chief Allied powers were Great Britain, France (except during the German occupation, 1940–44), the Soviet Union (after its entry in June 1941), the United States (after its entry on December 8, 1941), and China.
What is the demarcation line in a French village?
The French demarcation line was the boundary line marking the division of Metropolitan France into the territory occupied and administered by the German Army (Zone occupée) in the northern and western part of France and the Zone libre (Free zone) in the south during World War II.
Was all of France occupied during ww2?
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.
How much of France did Germany occupy?
Germany occupied three-fifths of mainland France: the areas with the most economic potential and the Atlantic and Northern coasts. The Militärbefehlshaber in Frankreich (MBF) (the German Military Command in France) was set up in to administer this “occupied zone.” Otto von Stülpnagel took control of it in October 1940.
What is the border between France and Germany called?
The River Rhine
The River Rhine is the physical border
As the Rhine meanders from its source in the Swiss mountains, it physically demarcates the border between Germany and Switzerland, as well as the border between Germany and France.
Was Strasbourg ever part of Germany?
The city reverted to France after World War I. It was occupied by Germany again (1940–44) during World War II. The city gained international status with the opening there in 1979 of the European Parliament.
Why is Alsace French?
Alsace is not Germany, but not quite France either
In 1871, Alsace was annexed to the new German Empire following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The occupation lasted until 1918 when, after Germany’s defeat in the First World War, the region was ceded to France under the Treaty of Versailles.
Why did France want Alsace?
Well, initially Germany mainly wanted Alsace-Lorraine to act as a buffer zone in the event of any future wars with France. The area contains the Vosges Mountains, which would be much more defensible than the Rhine River if the French ever attempted to invade.
What language do they speak in Alsace?
The official language of Alsace is French. That makes sense, as it’s in France. German, however, is taught in all schools, simply because the proximity to Germany means it’s a very practical necessity.
What is Alsace-Lorraine called now?
Alsace–Moselle
Alsace–Lorraine is a historical region, now called Alsace–Moselle, located in France. It was created in 1871 by the German Empire after seizing the region from the Second French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War and Treaty of Frankfurt.
Who controls Alsace-Lorraine today?
France
The Peace of Westphalia (1648) concluding that war gave control of Alsace-Lorraine to France.
Is Alsace-Lorraine part of Germany or France?
Alsace-Lorraine, Area, eastern France. It is now usually considered to include the present-day French departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, and Moselle. The area was ceded by France to Germany in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War.
What country left the Triple Alliance?
Italy
In 1914, the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente (France, Russia and the United Kingdom) started World War I. In 1915, Italy left the alliance and fought against Austria-Hungary and Germany from 1916.