Hitler and Henri Pétain - cartoon illustrated in pencil. France 1941

Hitler and Henri Pétain - cartoon illustrated in pencil. France 1941

An illustrated cartoon in pencil mocking the slackness of French statesman Henri Petten and illustrating how Hitler fooled Patten. Signed 'jo 1941'.

In the illustration, Hitler and Petan are seen negotiating how Petan succumbed to Hitler's demands: "No! But! No kidding ... believe you ..." when finally agreed to "collaboration".

Background: After France's military defeat in World War II, Henry Philip Petten (1856 - 1951) was head of France's Vichy, which cooperated with Nazi Germany. Patten was actually a puppet ruler. On the day after his appointment as French Prime Minister, Petan contacted Hitler through the Spanish ambassador and asked for the terms of surrender. Hitler played with him for a few more days, arguing that he should consult Benito Mussolini, who inspired the defeat of the French army, and also invaded France from its southeastern border. On June 22, 1940, the French signed the surrender document drafted by the Germans. Establishing the Republic of Vichy was the result of a number of interests between Hitler and the French defeat represented by Petan.

Petan's responsibility for the holocaust of the Jews of France is Significantly. The Vichy government was clearly anti-Semitic, taking an active part in the events that led to the destruction of about twenty percent of French Jews during the Holocaust. Under the Patin leadership, the Vichy government passed anti-Jewish laws as early as October 1940. In June 1941, the civil rights of North African Jews were deprived. After Germany's defeat in the war, Petan was tried for treason and sentenced to death, but due His sentence was later suspended for life in prison, during which he died.

Size: 31x21 cm. Stains. Good condition.