Artifacts of the Second French Republic, Vichy, and Resistance

The Second French Republic came out of the First World War as a strong European power, but it had been thoroughly shellshocked by the horror experienced in places such as Ypres, Verdun, and along the Meurs River. During the Interim period leading up to the Second World War, France looked towards a rebuilding of its international empire, and constructing new defenses against future German aggression in the form of the Maginot Line of fortifications. Within less than twenty-five years after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the Second French Republic would collapse under the weight of the Nazi War machine, and it would not be until 1945 that a French Tricolor would again fly over Paris. The Third French Republic has endured to this day, and it continues to make its influence known across the globe, both as a serious European power, and as a cultural icon. Within this folder are artifacts from The Second French Republic, items from Vichy Occupied France, and from the French government in exile before the birth of the Third Republic in 1945. These include items such as an Escape from Dunkerque Service Medal, a Croix de Guerre Second Class, and a small collection of Vichy French currency.