Language:
German
Year of publication:
2001
Titel der Quelle:
Das Jüdische Echo
Angaben zur Quelle:
50 (2001) 202-206
Keywords:
Pétain, Henri Philippe
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
Describes the almost unanimous respect and trust accorded by the French people to Pétain, as the victorious general of the First World War, when he became president of the Vichy regime. Far from heading a puppet or a mere caretaker regime, he imposed his own ideology and policies; regarding the Jews, these began with legislation excluding them as a foreign element from French society, and ended with their deportation to German concentration camps. He had the support of that large element of the population that was traditionally anti-republican, anti-secular, and antisemitic. His memory has remained controversial: Mitterrand honored him, in keeping with his refusal, shared by most of the French, to acknowledge continuity of French responsibility for Vichy crimes. Chirac has recognized this responsibility, but has failed to change public consciousness.
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