France, 1940–1944

Autocracy · Republic · External rule · Western Europe · World War II era

This period was governed by an outside power. Its factor profile describes the political order imposed on the territory, not one chosen by it, and its sovereignty score reflects that.

After the June 1940 armistice the Pétain government received full powers from the National Assembly, dissolved parties and unions, issued the statuts des juifs barring Jews from public life, and its police took part in deportations from the 1942 Vél’ d’Hiv roundup onward.

Military collapse in June 1940 brought full powers to Pétain and an armistice dividing the country. Vichy pursued a “National Revolution”, anti-Jewish statutes and collaboration that included deportations. Occupation levies and forced labour extracted resources while resistance networks grew from 1942–43. The end of occupation in 1944 restored the republic, followed by trials and purges.

Open France 1940–1944 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • External Expansion
  • Economic Crisis
  • Personalist Rule
  • Revolutionary Risk
  • Militarization

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power66
Media Control58
Repression61
Nationalism76
Militarization54
Economic Stress97
External Conflict88
Cult of Personality72
Elite Fragmentation68
Institutions52
Social Polarization89
Corruption & Patrimonialism27
Ideological Mobilization58
External Sovereignty8

Economy & society

GDP per capita$4978 (intl-$)
GDP growth-12%/yr
Population40.8M people
Share of world population1.7%
Life expectancy53 years

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles France 1940–1944, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Korea, 1910–1945 – similarity 61/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Militarization
  2. Syria, 2011–2019 – similarity 57/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization
  3. Democratic Kampuchea, 1975–1979 – similarity 55/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Personalist Rule, Militarization
  4. China, 1937–1945 – similarity 55/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization
  5. German South West Africa, 1884–1915 – similarity 53/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization
  6. Rwanda, 1990–1994 – similarity 52/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization
  7. Haiti, 1791–1804 – similarity 52/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization
  8. Ottoman Empire, 1908–1918 – similarity 52/100 · shared: External Expansion, Economic Crisis, Revolutionary Risk, Militarization

What followed

  • End of occupation and fall of the regime.
  • Restoration of the republic.