Military Administration (Nazi Germany)During World War II, the government of Nazi Germany set up military-led regimes in occupied territories which were known as a Military administration or Military administration authority (German: Militärverwaltung). These differed from Reichskommissariate which were led by Nazi Party (NSDAP) officials. A Military administration was normally led by a "military commander" (Militärbefehlshaber, official acronym MilBfh.). RanksOfficials of the Military administration, regardless of service in the Wehrmacht, war ec...
French prisoners of war in World War IIAlthough no precise estimates exist, the number of French soldiers captured by Nazi Germany during the Battle of France between May and June 1940 is generally recognised around 1.8 million, equivalent to around 10 percent of the total adult male population of France at the time. After a brief period of captivity in France, most of the prisoners were deported to Germany. In Germany, prisoners were incarcerated in Stalag or Oflag prison camps, according to rank, but the vast majority were soon transferred to work ...
French Third RepublicGovernment of France from 1870 to 1940 This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "French Third Republic" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2026) (Learn how and when to remove this message) French RepublicRépublique française1870–1940 FlagMotto: Liberté, égalité, fraternité("Liberty, Equality, Fraternity")Anthem: La MarseillaiseThe French Republic in...
Armistice of 22 June 1940The Armistice of 22 June 1940 (French: Armistice du 22 juin 1940; German: Waffenstillstand vom 22. Juni), sometimes referred to as the Second Armistice at Compiègne, was an agreement signed at 18:36 on 22 June 1940 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the French Third Republic. It became effective at midnight on 25 June. Signatories for Germany included Colonel General Wilhelm Keitel, head of the German armed forces (OKW), while those on the French side held lower ranks, led by General Char...
Battle of FranceBelligerentsGermanyItaly (from 10 June)FranceBelgiumUnited KingdomNetherlandsPolandCanadaCzechoslovakiaLuxembourgCommanders and leadersWalther v. BrauchitschHermann GöringGerd von RundstedtFedor von BockWilhelm von LeebMaurice GamelinMaxime WeygandGaston Billotte†Georges BlanchardBenoît BessonLord GortLeopold IIIUnits involvedAxis armiesArmy Group B18th Army6th ArmyLuftflotte 2Army Group A4th Army12th Army16th ArmyPanzer Group KleistLuftflotte 3Army Group C1st Army7th ArmyFrom 10 June in the Alps: Army Group...
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany, officially 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 dictatorship. The Third Reich, meaning "Third Realm" or "Third Empire", referred to the Nazi claim that Nazi Germany was the successor to the Holy Roman Empire (800–1806) and the German Empire (1871–1918). The Third Reich, which the Nazis referred to as the Thousand-Year Reich, ended in May 19...
WehrmachtThe Wehrmacht (German pronunciation:, lit.'defence force') were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force). The designation "Wehrmacht" replaced the previously used term Reichswehr (Reich Defence) and was the manifestation of the Nazi regime's efforts to rearm Germany to a greater extent than the Treaty of Versailles permitted. After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, one of Adolf Hitler's most overt and bellicos...
Zone libreThe zone libre (French pronunciation: [zon libʁ], lit. 'free zone') was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during World War II, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on 22 June 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered by the French government of Philippe Pétain based in Vichy, in a relatively unrestricted fashion. To the north lay the zone occupée ("occupied zone"), in which the powers of Vichy France were severely limited. In November 1942, the zone lib...
VichyVichy (, French: [viʃi]; Occitan: Vichèi [viˈtʃɛj]) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the de facto administrative capital of Vichy France. Its population is about 25,000. Known for its mineral springs since the Roman times, Vichy had become a major destination for the French nobility and the wealthy by the late 18th century. The town developed further under the patronage of Napoleon III. Following ...
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied ...
BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg (lit. 'Lightning Warfare') is a German term used to describe a combined arms surprise attack, using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with artillery, air assault, and close air support. The intent is to break through an opponent's lines of defense, dislocate the defenders, confuse the enemy by making it difficult to respond to the continuously changing front, and defeat them in a decisive Vernichtungsschlacht...
ParisParis is the capital and largest city of France, with an estimated city population of 2.04 million in an area of 105.4 km2 (40.7 sq mi), as of January 2026, and a metropolitan population of 13.3 million (2023). Located on the river Seine in the centre of the Île-de-France region, it is the largest metropolitan area and fourth-most populous city in the European Union (EU). Paris is nicknamed the "City of Light", partly because of its role in the Age of Enlightenment. Administratively, Paris is divided into twent...*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.