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Allan Little explores the troubling legacy of Philippe Pétain’s infamous trial, eighty years on, which shook and divided France to its core.

Poring over archive, we hear how France attempted to reckon with its collaboration with the Nazi regime, the trial acting as a mirror to face up to its dark past. Eight decades of disagreement over Pétain’s crimes reflect not only national trauma, but a country that remains deeply divided over its past, even today.

Little speaks with those who find modern parallels with a resurgent far right, finding contemporary relevance in a country in which Pétainism remains alive and well. He hears from Julian Jackson, historian and author of ‘France on Trial’, who argues that it was the nation itself that was put on trial in 1945. They discuss the key moments and why the event shook the country to its core. Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief for the Economist, sees Pétain as a reference point for a country preoccupied with its past, and a reminder of the dark and painful times. Nabila Radmani, meanwhile, author of ‘Fixing France’, believes the trial remains as relevant as ever, with far right figures rehabilitating Pétain’s image and apologising for his actions. Historian Daniel Lee counts the cost of collaboration on France’s Jewish population, the largest in Europe, then and now. Lee reflects on why the Holocaust was almost completely absent from the trial, despite the Vichy regime having sent thousands of Jews to their deaths.

Presented by Allan Little
Produced by Robbie Armstrong
Executive producer: Mark Rickards
A Whistledown Scotland production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4