Would any country other than France have the gall (pardon the pun) to name so many things in Paris after people and battles from World War Two, as if they'd actually pulled their weight during that conflict? I grew up on movie and TV tales of the French resistance, the brave Free French, Vichy soldiers who inevitably changed sides... we didn't get a lot of Laval, and Darlan, and the anti-Semites and Anglophobes who made things so difficult for the Allies.
This book tells, and tells well, an important story of two year plus period where Vichy France were not only of poor help to the Allies, but a borderline ally of the fascists. British (and Australian and American and others) troops clashed with the French often, notably in Somalia, Dakar, Morocco, Lebannon, Syria, Algeria, Iran and Madagascar. These are not campaigns particularly well known, despite the casualties involved: Australia's participation in the Syria-Lebannon campaign was one of our biggest fights in the war but it was completely played down at the time out of political necessity (no one wanted to advertise the fact we were fighting our former allies). That attitude seems to have lingered - no one really wants to talk about it.
Well Smith did, and he's researched the book superbly. He's not anti French either, frequently praising French generals and leaders (the Vichy defence of Syria and Lebannon was particularly inspired, apparently) and taking umbrage with Allied Franco-phobia.
However reading the book I felt angry because so many of the fighting was pointless. The French seemed to display far more enthusiasm defending their colonies from the Allies than their homeland from the Germans. So many of the battles weren't justified on any political or military grounds, it was just for "honour". When going from the battle I kept thinking "if only" and "why couldn't they have sucked it up". I can kind of understand why Darlan didn't flee with the French Navy and continue the fight against the Nazis - his country was occupied - but the others: the stupid French submarine officer who defended his sub against occupying Britishers, killing some of them (the officer lived, and was unrepentant); the skillful defence of Syria against the Allies so that.... what? the Nazis would have better access to the Middle East?; the pointless defiance of the French admiral at Mers-el-Kebir; the equally pointless resistance in Madagascar. So often people died because the French couldn't suck it up and remember what the war was about.
Plenty of incidents and anecdotes; I could have done with more maps though (there were plenty, but so many exotic places and names I needed more). An excellent book.
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