Tials of the French Foreign As Well As Domestic Policy of the Last Two Years
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THE "I duire Germany'" victory," _id Pierre Laval, tM C1aaef of the Frencla flo ..,.,..,.,,1'11, a few My' ago, alrnolrt uocay two year, after Fronce "igmd the M ",UIiCe willa G8n",Jn.y in the forut of OompUfI1.e. In thue tlllO year" France Ittu noe Aeld tM limelight of 'corld politiu. The (,ltention of tAe world ,me diret:l«l mainly at the statu Mill int'Olved in the 6lruwle or tAOIre about to eraler it. Only II0W fwd agaill did "he appear on the front .r:ge, whcn Onm and Dal.'ar, Syria 'md Madaga«a1' Illere attacked, w1aerl bam"" fel on Parill, or whel~ Lawl entered Vichy. During the biUc1' year" Jolloteing a military caIa4lrophe, Fr(/nce wa, occupied in building 60mtlAing MW Jrom the wrec1«Ige and, above all, in trying to Jind hu bfariftp. The rood from the trod~ oj 1789 to co-openUion in a totaWana.. Burope, tIwl cJaotu '*-n old ide.u wlaidt, tAough ditlCndiJm, ,lJfjre 6liU dear to them, and the ncognition oJ new faeu, were "" etUY Jor tIwl people aJ Fro,,". Willa their former enemic8 there i, an an"iMice, noe yet peace. Their f- frictl~ are d~p ping bot""" OIl II,wI and, piece by pi_, are robbing tJle only tAillfl tAey managed to «It'tl uMCOthed from the roUapl&-lMtr coIcmial empire. France', path during thue two year" .. ducrih«l here with great ouluItJrd rutra'i'IIt, u:h·ich fllaku tM" artick appear ol1OO8t like a dooumellt, (md at the 8Q1IIe time leilA deep imler emotioll. It '" written by a young aulhor lilling in EMf Ana, who air a French patriot render" in it all account of thue two year". Importalal documetll" relalm to the artic~.· to which Wll particularly call the attention of OUT reader", will be foulld in the appendtz.-K.M. PRELUDE tion, skillfully maintained and exploited, F one wishes to understand the essen frequently of foreign origin but all too tials of the French foreign as well as often amply justified by the selfishness I domestic policy of the last two years, and narrow-mindedness of the leading it is worth while bearing in mind some of class. the previous tendencies of French public France was tom into many camps. opinion. This was characterized by three There were those who supported "war at main trends: fl,st, an Anglophile intel any price" or "the war to end war"; lectual orientation, a consequence of the those whom propaganda managed to Franco-British alliance of 1914-18, per convince of an inevitable war and who msting in spite of a certain anti-English preferred to have it at once, all the more feeling on t.he part of those who were so since they hoped-thanks to the well acquainted with their own and Maginot Line and the blockade-that it England's history; secondly, a very strong would be without real fighting. There anti-German sentiment among many war were those who accepted Munich, not as vetel'lU18, to whom the victory of 1918 did a disastrous "capitulation," but as a not bring the realization of the promises step towards new agreements, towards a which it was held to contain and who readjustment of international relations, wa.tched with anguish the specter of a either out of sympathy for the new forms new conftict arise; thirdly, social agita- of government of the neighboring coun- 10 THE XXLh CENTURY tries or, above all, out of a reflex of the the Franco-German frontier. But on instinct of preservation, because they May 10, 1940, the German attack began. vaguely seD8ed the weakness of French The German armies moved with un preparedness and the danger of Anglo expected speed, and within a few days Saxon selfishness. Finally there were the position of the Allies became critical. thoee of no fixed opinion-a dangerous New leaders were needed. On May 16, majority which let itself be tossed about Marshal Petain, Frenoh Ambassador in and maneuvered from one direction to Spain, was summoned to the Government another, and which believed in tum in by Paul Reynaud. On the 18th he was the SUcce88 of all policies, from Briand's in Paris. On May 21, General Weygand, to poincare's, from Pierre Laval's to recalled from Syria, took over the High Leon Blum's, and which rejected them Command of the Allied forces. He im in tum with the same haste, usually mediately realized the hopelessness of the without awaiting the results. In these situation. But just as in 1938-39 there masses, most of them of the working had been a party of "war at any price," class, one tendency was discernible: "We so in May and June 1940 there was a have tried everything except Communism. party of "war to the bitter end." It Why not this?" was against this party that the Marshal Beside these currents others were flow had to support General Weygand's point ing which were expressed by the follow of view regarding the request for an ing violent feelings: armistice. Urged as inevitable by Wey Against Laval who made himself un gand since May 25, it was demanded in popular by his policy of deflation and by writing on June 6 but constantly refused the signing of the !talo-French agree by Paul Reynaud. ments; It would be useless to look for anything Against the Jews, who, through the in the request for an armistice but a coming into power of their coreligionist military necessity. No one will deny Leon Blum, were enabled rapidly to the absolute sincerity, frankness, and invade the brain of the State-Ministeries, loyalty of the Marshal, especially as they Chief Administrations, etc., and against are confirmed over and over again by the Freemasons, who were compromised events. We ~U his opinion: by the Stavisky Scandal; "What must be emphasized first is Finally, against the regime itself, of the profound illusion which France, to which the most reasonable among com gether with her allies, had concerning petent French politicians had for many their true military strength and the years urged that reform was indispensable. efficienoy of economic weapons at their Arising from these contradiotory cur disposal," said Marshal Petain on June rents of thought France successively saw 25, 1940, the day after the armistice; and the bloody demonstrations of February several months later, on October 11, he 6, 1934; the attempted reform and fall added: of the Doumergue GoveJ;llDlent in the "On a day in September 1939, without same year; the campaigns for and against even having dared to consult the Cham the policy of sanctions against Italy bers, war was declared, a war praotioaUy during the Abyssinian war; the elections l08t in advance. We knew neither how of 1936 with the slogan, "Bread, Peace, to avoid it nor how to prepare for it." Liberty," and their result-the Popular Against the coalition of "to the bitter Front; the strikes and the military oc end-ists," Marshal Petain and General oupation of factories; the Munich agree Weygand succeeded, thanks to their ments; the war of 1939; and the catas firmness and perseverance as well as to trophe of 1940. the tragic rhythm of events, in getting together a majority even among the THl!l STRUGGLE FOR THllI ARMlSTICBI members of the Cabinet led by Paul For eight months after the outbreak of Reynaud. On June 11 the Government the war, very little had happened along moved to Tours. Up to the last minute, FRANCE UNDER THE ARMISTICE II Paul Reynaud allowed the French to deprive the Marshal of all constitutional hope for a resistance which the military authority. leaden had recognized as impossible and It was during those tragio days that in which he did not believe himself. On the political support of Pierre Laval June 13, in the face of the inadequacy of made it po88ible for the Marshal to .British aid, Paul Reynaud made a last frustrate all intrigues. On June 23 he -and vain appeal to America and ad demanded from President Lebrun the dressed a telegram to President Roosevelt. nomination of Laval as Minister of State. On June 14, the Government reached Without the IIpOntaDeowl _mbly 01 the memo ben 01 the Chambers, 8nt at the Town Hall of Bordeaux. There were no signa of BordeaWl:. then at the Municipal Atheluleum. American aid. The following day, Paul without the reeulting majority, without the in· Reynaud resigned. His place was taken aiatent, ardent, imp6llioned action of Laval, the invuion would have been total and Franoe deprived by Marshal petain. of her leaden in the hour 01 her greateet Deed. TIIlI ROAD TO OOKPIBaNE Thus wrote Deputy Jean Montigny in his book, The Truth About a Tragic The first government of Marshal Petain, M ontA in Our History. constituted on June 15, 1940, at 11 p.m., But simultaneously England stepped was a government in. On June 22, of circumstance. Churchill addressed Formed by a re the French Govem shuftle of the Rey ment ininexcusable naud Cabinet, from terms, dissociating which the support in advance the en of "war to the French people from bitter end" had its Government and been excluded and appealing to them replaced by mem todesert. Thesame bers of the Cham day, over the same ben who had been radio station, the presentatBordeaux former Under and who approved secretary of State the request for an for National De armistice, it was fense of the Rey constituted with the naud Govemment, utmost urgency in General de Gaulle, order to induce the who was on a mis enemy to com sion to London and mence the pour who had refused to parler8 which had return to France, already been too 10Il8 deferred.