''Travail, famille, patrie'' was the tripartite motto of

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It had replaced the republican motto ''

Liberté, égalité, fraternité (; French for , ), is the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti, and is an example of a tripartite motto. Although it finds its origins in the French Revolution, it was then only one motto among others and was not institutio ...

'' of the Third French Republic.

Institution

The Law of 10 July 1940 gave

Marshal Pétain Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated of ...

full powers to draw up a constitution before being submitted to the Nation and guaranteeing "the rights of Labour, of the Family and of the Fatherland". That constitution was never promulgated. In the '' Revue des deux Mondes'' (''Two Worlds Magazine'') of 15 September 1940, Marshal Pétain wrote this repudiation of the motto of the French Republic. ''Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité'' : When our young people ��approach adult life, we shall say to them ��that real liberty cannot be exercised except under the shelter of a guiding authority, which they must respect, which they must obey �� We shall then tell them that equality houldset itself within the framework of a hierarchy, founded on the diversity of office and merits. ��Finally, we shall tell them that there is no way of having true brotherhood except within those natural groups, the family, the town, the fatherland. The motto ''Travail, Famille, Patrie'' was originally that of the '' Croix-de-Feu'', then of the '' Parti social français'' (PSF or French Social Party) founded by Colonel de La Rocque. It has often been written that these three words express the ''

Révolution nationale The ''Révolution nationale'' (, ''National Revolution'') was the official ideological program promoted by the Vichy regime (the “French State”) which had been established in July 1940 and led by Marshal Philippe Pétain. Pétain's regim ...

(RN)'', the National Revolution undertaken by the Vichy regime.

''Travail''

On 24 April 1941, Marshal Pétain officially inaugurated 1 May as the ''fête du Travail et de la Concorde sociale'', the day on which labour and social harmony were celebrated. The regime won over some trades unionists for the drawing up of a Labour Charter. In it, they declared themselves as being against both

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

and

Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...

. The regime advocated the finding of a third way. On 14 March 1941 the Vichy Government set up a retirement system, the allowance for old, waged workers. The new system renewed the old contribution-based retirement system, which had been devalued by inflation and extraordinary expenses.

''Famille''

The regime wrote Mothers’ Day into the calendar. With regard to the family, there had been continuity rather than a break with the family policy of the period of the Daladier government, which continued through the Pétain years and would later continue in the Fourth Republic.

''Patrie''

The

nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

of Pétain, who saw himself as maintaining the tradition of the victorious nationalism of 1918, did not stop his collaborating with the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

. Until he died, he kept a certain degree of Germanophobia of the sort expressed by Charles Maurras. He had no pro-German or anti-British record from before the war. Several times, he restated that he regarded himself as the ally and friend of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

. In his broadcast of 23 June 1940, he reproached

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

for the speech made by Churchill on 22 June 1940, following the signing of the

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...

on that day.''Text of Pétain's broadcast speech of 23 June 1940''
''lignemaginot.com''
(fr), consulted 26 December 2008.

Notes

References

{{reflist

External links

*Study Centre Edmond Michelet
Vichy family policy
on the ''centremichelet.org'' site (fr). *Rennes Academy

on the ''ac-rennes.fr'' site (fr). French political catchphrases National symbols of France Mottos Vichy France World War II political slogans