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synarchy movement of empire book ii - Pierre Beaudry's Galactic ...

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intelligence, which was flowing regularly from American collaboration<br />

inside <strong>of</strong> the Vichy government, and which had to be maintained.<br />

7.2 LAVAL RETURNS TO POWER (APRIL 1942)<br />

The Germans brought Beast-man Laval back into power on April 15,<br />

1942, almost two years after Marshal Petain had demoted him. Hitler<br />

personally felt that the ill-fated Riom Trials, which had been rigged to<br />

convict top leaders <strong>of</strong> the Third Republic, namely, Blum, Daladier and<br />

Reynaud, among others, were a complete fiasco. The trials were such a<br />

farce, and the defendants were so brave and effective in presenting their own<br />

cases, that the Germans themselves forced the trials to shut down. The Vichy<br />

government and Petain's national revolution were so completely exposed<br />

and discredited that the population began to restore its honor and pride<br />

again. That was bad news for the Axis power. Was fascism loosing its<br />

authority in France? Was that political experiment going to be a fiasco?<br />

Hitler knew that if France were to fail, the rest <strong>of</strong> Fascist Europe would fall<br />

apart. Things were going so badly for the Germans in France, that even<br />

Petain no longer had any influence.<br />

On March 23, 1942, it was reported that in Paris, one could read<br />

inscriptions scribbled on walls, saying: "Petain au dodo, Darlan au poteau,<br />

De Gaulle au boulot." (Petain to bed, Darlan to the firing squad, de Gaulle<br />

to work). Collaboration with the Germans had become everywhere<br />

inexistent. So, the Germans decided to bring back Laval the Beast-man to<br />

exercise his authority. But was Laval able to fill the gap? As an American<br />

correspondent wrote to his New York Chief: "Laval is hated, vomited by<br />

France. It is easy to predict that if he does go through with this, and does<br />

form a cabinet, he will be an early target for an assassin. His policy <strong>of</strong><br />

collaboration, which he is trying to revive for the benefit <strong>of</strong> Germany, after it<br />

has been buried for months, is detested by 99% <strong>of</strong> Frenchmen." (Langer, Op.<br />

Cit., p. 246.)<br />

President Roosevelt also realized what was happening and sent an<br />

immediate message to Petain stating: "The appointment <strong>of</strong> M. Laval to an<br />

important post in the Vichy government would make it impossible for<br />

America to continue its present attitude <strong>of</strong> helpfulness to France." However<br />

shocking and definite this statement was, there was nothing that Petain could<br />

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