Past Present Future Politics on Trial: France on Trial Part 2 – Vichy vs the Jews
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Nov 12, 2025 Historian Julian Jackson joins to dissect the complex legacy of Marshal Pétain and the Vichy regime. He challenges the notion of Pétain playing a double game with the Nazis, examining the scandalous antisemitism present in Vichy policies. The discussion also delves into the marginalized fate of France’s Jews during Pétain's trial, exploring public attitudes and the ambient anti-Semitism of the time. Jackson connects these historical threads to modern French politics, analyzing attempts to rehabilitate Vichy's image in today's far-right discourse.
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The 'Double Game' Claim Fails
- The defence claimed Pétain played a 'double game' to subvert Nazi aims while collaborating publicly.
- Julian Jackson rejects this as fantasy, saying Vichy believed the war was over and backed German victory.
The Professor Who Met Churchill
- Professor Louis Rougier went to London as a supposed Pétain emissary and met Churchill after Montoir.
- Jackson calls Rougier an ineffectual fantasist whose visit later fueled conspiracy myths about a Pétain–Churchill secret pact.
Armistice As Accidental Help To Allies
- Vichy defenders later argued the armistice unintentionally helped Allied success in North Africa.
- Jackson says this is an unintended consequence but not a valid defence of collaborationist intent.
