France 1940: Defending the Republic

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By Philip Nord

Published Jan. 29, 2016

The longstanding view of France’s 1940 defeat in World War II is that the country’s collapse was due to military unpreparedness and a decadent national character, according to history professor Philip Nord. Instead, says Nord inFrance 1940: Defending the Republic, France’s failure was due to the abandonment of the Republic by military and political elites who supported the Vichy takeover. 

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