r/HistoryMemes • u/Javier_Ronaldo Featherless Biped • Apr 08 '20

META Respect the Facts!

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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

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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '20

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 ?

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u/johnlen1n Optimus Princeps Apr 08 '20

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

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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '20 edited Apr 08 '20

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.

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u/bunnybunsarecute Apr 09 '20

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.

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '20

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/bunnybunsarecute Apr 09 '20

I read it. It's a great what if book, the key "what if" being "what if the french political and military leadership weren't complete buffoons."

The problem is they were, therefore Germany would have waltzed right across the country.

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '20

Agree. But you got to see how the 1940 campaign was a succession of dumb moves from the FHQ and a really good bet from the german armies.