Petain : Verdun to Vichy Book

"Few figures in modern French history have aroused more controversy than Marshal Philippe Petain. In the First World War, Petain rose from obscurity to great fame; his brilliant theories of firepower and flexible defense, as well as his deep empathy for the soldiers of France and the horrific trials they endured daily, mark him as one of the greatest Allied generals of World War I. His military reputation as a soldier who led the French Army through the crucible of Verdun, the morale crisis of 1917, and on to final victory appeared indissoluble." Yet during the dark days of Nazi occupation in World War II, Petain fell into infamy. Handed the reins of power in France in the midst of the disastrous 1940 campaign, he was tasked with seeking terms from Nazi Germany. With the bulk of the French Army already destroyed and Paris itself wide-open to attack, Petain, then eight-four, immediately sought an armistice with Germany to halt further bloodshed. While others fled, Petain took what he considered the braver course by staying and doing what he could to safeguard the remnants of his army and his nation. His leadership of Vichy France from 1940 to 1944 and his postwar conviction of treason and lifetime exile to the Ile d'Yeu would forever taint his reputation and destroy all that he had accomplished and stood for throughout his life.