The Association for the Defence of Marechal Petain has spent 23,000 euros on his desk at an auction is the Vosges. They are hoping to include it in a museum dedicated to the French historical figure who still causes enormous controversy.
In the First World War, Petain was seen as a hero - he seemed to bring action and motivate the troops, and lead France to utimate victory. As an old man he headed the Vichy government that collaborated with the Nazis, ruled over the Southern half of france for several years, and implemented many Nazi policies. Indeed this desk was itself confiscated from a Jewish family in Alsace. To the Petain defence association, he is seen as a national hero who took on the role of leading France during the Occupation as a means of minimising the suffering of the French. But to many people he was seen as a traitor and a collaborator. He died in prison in 1951.
The Association has strong links to the extreme right wing party, the Front National.
Tags: france, Front National, National Front, Petain, Vichy
