Anti-Semitism in Vichy France

Paper Summary:

This paper studies the actions and decisions of the Vichy government in France during World War II. The author of this paper asserts that French anti-Semitism -- particularly toward non-French Jews -- rivaled even that of the Nazi's. The paper chronicles specific decisions, including deportation orders, against children and the elderly, in particular. The author also looks at cultural and societal anti-Semitism, as manifested in posters/advertisements and public demonstrations.

From the Paper:

"Three episodes involving Jewish children are remembered: The first and largest was the roundup at the Velodrome d'Hiver, where more than 4,000 Jewish children were arrested and kept in this cycling venue of the Paris region. "It was carried out exclusively by the French police in the summer of 1942. "None of the thousands of children deported following these police raids survived." The second was a roundup of Jews in Lyon, headed by the now infamous Klaus Barbie. They took 44 Jewish children, all of which were murdered. The third episode was the raiding of Jewish Children's homes in the Paris area. This happened shortly before the liberation of Paris. 250 children were seized, deported and murdered, only weeks before Paris was freed."

More papers on Anti-Semitism in Vichy France:

• Essay # 74462 : "Anti-Semitism in France"
• Essay # 85005 : "Anti-Semitism in Communist Czechoslovakia"

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