Pétain and the Vichy Regime

A dark day in the history of France: 10 July 1940: the National Assembly voted a set of bills which gave all government powers to Marshall Philippe Pétain.

Philippe Pétain was a hero of WWI and therefore a trusted figure in France. The power he was given allowed him to set up a new constitution and therefore a new regime.

The new government set its base in the spring resort town of Vichy and is known as the Vichy regime which collaborated with Nazi Germany.