London and Paris declared war the day after the invasion of Poland, having failed in their attempt to keep the peace through appeasement. This marked the start of the “Phoney War”. The armies massed against each other but no major battle took place. This ended when the German troops entered into attack.
From 1940 onwards, while other European governments went into exile to continue fighting, Marshal Pétain engaged France in collaboration with Germany. He claimed to want to “mitigate its misfortune” and the constraints of the armistice, protect the French, and secure a strong position for France in a Nazi, fascist Europe. For the Germans, the aim was above all to ensure the safety of the occupying troops and to exploit France’s resources. For Pétain, the armistice and collaboration enabled him to pursue his political agenda: the “National Revolution”.
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