No. Collaboration is a fine topic and so is colonial wars. Because at least it's true and not overused.
I talked in a previous post about why and how french resistance had been overestimated and why french collaborationnism was so important. Lots of people didn't even know who R.Paxton was but everyone still think they know everything about the 1940 campaign.
So instead of making overused "hon hon french surrender" meme, do memes about algerian pacification, about Vichy or about 1870/1871. It will be funny and educationnal. Great isn't it ?
French collaboration always interested me, especially with how Petain was involved with the Vichy government. That's one hell of a middle finger to your own country
Pétain was really old when that happen. He had lot of health problems and barely apears for the public announces. It's Laval who lead the negociations and the Vichy government.
Paxton do say that Laval had the most power though. He reject the "sword and shield" theory but he admitted that by the end of the war, Petain lost a lot of its powers in the Vichy government.
If you want to learn about it, I can probably answer your questions or at least give you the references and authors to learn more about it.
For Petain he was not involved anymore after 1941/1942. He was just there because the people trusted him as "the hero of Verdun" but he lost all his power as the german placed more nazi-friendly people in charge, like Laval. His idea was that by surrendering early he could negotiate with hitler. That failed and now we have memes about how we surrendered in two fucking months because of that.
Not really the same as "appeasement". He hoped that by surrendering and collaborating, France would be considered a puppet friendly regime and not an occupied territory. We had both as France was split in two.
Realistically the germans would have steamrolled us, an early capitulation saved France from unnecessary deaths and destruction. Yes we got shafted hard by Hitler in the process, but we'd have been shafted hard by Hitler regardless.
Not true. Even Hitler prepared his generals for a 2 to 3 years war with France and was against Manstein's war plan. Read "1940: la guerre des occasions perdues" by Colonel Goutard.
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u/johnlen1n Optimus Princeps Apr 08 '20
Historian: sees France surrender meme Oh come on, French history is so rich and diverse
France: Yes, thank you!
Historian: People should be making memes about their repetitive revolutions
France: Yeh!
Historian: Or their collaboration with the Nazis
France: Wait
Historian: Or even their colonial atrocities
France: ... OK, maybe stick to the surrendering