Courage and Conscience during the German Occupation of France

The indescribable mistreatment of Jews and other refugees, both French and foreign, during the german occupation from 1940 to 1944 is a chapter of france's history that many people have difficulty coming to terms with even today. Building upon the influence of pre-existing Anti-Semitism, the Vichy government that existed during the period systematically stripped innocent people of their rights, eventually holding large groups of them in internment camps; families were often separated, and ultimately men, women, and children alike were deported to concentration camps where the vast majority of them were killed. While the French government collaborated with the Germans and often orchestrated these roundups and deportations, there were Frenchmen as well as foreigners who recognized injustice and chose to act against it by helping to save these refugees, especially children, as seen in historical records and in the documentary film, The Children of Chabannes (Lisa Gossels and Dean Wetherell, 1999).