The story of this place
After France's defeat in June 1940, the collaborationist government of Marshal Philippe Pétain established its capital in the spa town of Vichy, chosen for its many hotels to house ministries in the unoccupied southern zone. On 10 July 1940 the National Assembly, meeting in Vichy's Grand Casino, voted to grant Pétain full powers, effectively ending the Third Republic. The 'État Français' pursued a policy of collaboration, passed antisemitic laws, and deported some 75,000 Jews. Germany occupied the southern zone too in November 1942, hollowing out Vichy's authority. Liberated in 1944, the elegant town has struggled ever since with the dark weight its very name now carries.