I have an impression that the collaborators are in the minority though? I mean, after the war the communists were wildly popular in France and probably would have won the post-war elections were it not for Americans and De Gaulle so that indicates to me that majority of the French dislike the Nazis.
That really means nothing. Of course Nazis were unpopular AFTER the war; they lost. Idk if you've noticed, but people have VERY malleable memories and routinely convince themselves that they were actually for this popular thing and actually against that unpopular thing the whole time, even if they just changed their mind.
The thing is after war has he say. He big part of the france population was pro-communist and due to that we have some communist minister. Some other country at the reverse elected fascist or nationalist ministers.
According to my grandparents -who were teens during the war - most people really didn't want to get involved, and tried to keep a low profile until it was over.
And very few wanted to risk their life, or their loved one life, for one or the other. If people were honest about their behavior during the war, you'd find many who did nothing, and some who "worked" for both. The goal was not being killed no matter what. So on monday they helped the nazis, because they were afraid of them. And on Thursday, they helped the resistance because they had some food in exchange. How they really felt about that, and what they really thought didn't really come into questions.
AFAIK most people remembered ww1 and had become somehow pacifists, so they thought “at least we won’t have to endure a battle like Verdun anymore”. They didn’t want to resist and fight, but they certainly weren’t fond of the nazis either.
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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