Vichy France and Postwar Economic Modernization: The Case of the Shopkeepers

Abstract

One of the most interesting debates in contemporary French history is on the significance of the Vichy regime, notably the impact of its social and economic reforms on postwar France. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Vichy was regarded with shame as a regime which had slavishly carried out the whims of the occupying power. It was convenient for the alliance, swept into power at the Liberation, to think of the Vichy period as four lost years, the annees noires, during which all reform efforts were merely German impositions which failed to reflect French social realities. The Liberation had wiped the slate clean, and a reunited nation could begin to enact the changes to enable it to regain its old grandeur in a changing world. More recent historical work has brought about a reassessment of Vichy, placing much more emphasis on the continuity between Vichy and postwar France.' The aim of this article is to contribute to