Leadership Struggle in France during World War II: Structural Oscillation in French Politics from Third Republic to Vichy France

Abstract

Political instability was the main problem in the last period of the Third Republic. The outbreak of the World War II has increased instability in France. Especially, the power struggle in Paris has become more complex within the uncertainty of “Strange War”. Ongoing leadership struggle in this complexity has become more pronounced with the axis of polarization between Vichy and London after the defeat. Visible camps in this polarization were the cadre who collaborated with Germany and the other who continued to struggle with England. This leadership struggle was more complex than it looked, the inside struggles of each camp, as well as de Gaulle’s and Allies’ interventions into Vichy France. It can be considered as an extension of the structural problems in the last period of the Third Republic

Keywords

• France
• Vichy France
• Free French Movement
• Pétain
• de Gaulle

II. DÜNYA SAVAŞI’NDA FRANSA’DA LİDERLİK MÜCADELESİ: III. CUMHURİYET’TEN VİCHY FRANSASI’NA FRANSIZ SİYASETİNDE YAPISAL SALINIM

Öz

Siyasal istikrarsızlık, III. Cumhuriyet’in son dönemindeki temel sorundur. II. Dünya Savaşı’nın başlaması, Fransa’daki istikrarsızlığı daha da artırmıştır. Özellikle, “Tuhaf Savaş” döneminin belirsizliği, Paris’teki güç mücadelesini daha karmaşık hale getirmiştir. Bu karmaşık yapıda devam eden liderlik mücadelesi, yenilgi sonrasında Vichy ile Londra arasındaki kamplaşma ekseninde daha belirgin hale gelmiştir. Bu kamplaşmada açıkça görünen taraflar, Almanya ile işbirliği yapan kadro ile İngiltere’den mücadeleyi sürdüren kadrodur. Dolayısıyla ilk bakışta, Vichy Fransası ile Özgür Fransa arasında ve Pétain ile de Gaulle arasında net biçimde görülebilen bir mücadeleden bahsedilebilir. Oysa hem iki kampın kendi içinde, hem de de Gaulle ve Müttefiklerin Vichy Fransası’na müdahaleleriyle, liderlik mücadelesi göründüğünden daha karmaşıktır. Bu mücadele, işgalin doğal sonucu olarak değerlendirilebileceği gibi, III. Cumhuriyet’in son döneminde ortaya çıkan yapısal sorunların ve kadrolar arası mücadelenin bir uzantısı olarak da değerlendirilebilir

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Fransa
• Vichy Fransası
• Özgür Fransa Hareketi
• Pétain
• de Gaulle

Kaynakça

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