Past Present Future Politics on Trial: France on Trial – Pétain vs De Gaulle
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Nov 9, 2025 Julian Jackson, a noted historian of modern France, dives into the dramatic treason trial of Marshal Pétain in 1945. He explores how Pétain's return to face trial reflected deep questions about French identity and accountability. Topics include de Gaulle's ambivalence toward the trial, the complex charges against Pétain, and the trial's dual nature as both a genuine legal proceeding and a potential spectacle. Jackson illuminates the historical implications of Pétain's legacy and France's moral and political reckoning after World War II.
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Trial As National Reckoning
- The Pétain trial functioned as a national reckoning that questioned who could legitimately speak for France.
- It treated Pétain as a symbolic embodiment of the nation, so prosecuting him equaled putting France itself on trial.
Pétain's Return And Public Rebuff
- Pétain insisted on returning from Swiss refuge and presented himself at the French frontier to 'face the music'.
- He was met without the expected honors and pelted with stones, which shocked him into seeing public hostility.
Trials For Legitimacy And Risk
- De Gaulle wanted trials for legitimacy and catharsis but feared Pétain's presence would complicate matters.
- He preferred an absent trial because Pétain's emotional stature risked undermining the new regime's moral clarity.
