German occupation

German-occupied France from 1940 to 1944

War & ConflictPolitics & Government

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Overview

What happened

The Military Administration in France was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and wes...

Date

June 6, 1944

Key people

General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Outcome

Over 4,000 Allied troops died on Normandy's beaches in France on June 6, 1944, as General Eisenhower's forces turned the tide of World War II in Europe…

Why it matters

This article provides a detailed and comprehensive account of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, including the planning and execution of the invasion, the bravery and sacrifice of the A...

What was German occupation?

The Military Administration in France was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. This so-called zone occupée was established in June 1940, and renamed zone nord ("north zone") in November 1942, when the previously unoccupied zone in the south known as zone libre ("free zone") was also occupied and renamed zone sud ("south zone"). Its role in France was partly governed by the conditions set by the Armistice of 22 June 1940 after the blitzkrieg success of the Wehrmacht leading to the Fall of France; at the time both French and Germans thought the occupation would be temporary and last only until Britain came to terms, which was believed to be imminent.

Background and consequences

For instance, France agreed that its soldiers would remain prisoners of war until the cessation of all hostilities. The "French State" (État français) replaced the French Third Republic that had dissolved in defeat. Though nominally extending its sovereignty over the whole country, it was in practice limited in exercising its authority to the free zone. As Paris was located in the occupied zone, its government was seated in the spa town of Vichy in Auvergne, and therefore it was more commonly known as Vichy France. While the Vichy government was nominally in charge of all of France, the military administration in the occupied zone was a de facto Nazi dictatorship, where the actual sovereignty of the French government was seriously limited.

Why it matters

Nazi rule was extended to the free zone when it was invaded by Germany and Italy during Case Anton on 11 November 1942 in response to Operation Torch, the Allied landings in French North Africa on 8 November 1942. The Vichy government remained in existence, even though its authority was severely reduced. The German military administration in France ended with the Liberation of France after the Normandy and Provence landings. It formally existed from May 1940 to December 1944, though most of its territory had been liberated by the Allies by the end of summer 1944.

Related on thisDay

Allied Invasion of Normandy Begins — June 6, 1944

Over 4,000 Allied troops died on Normandy's beaches in France on June 6, 1944, as General Eisenhower's forces turned the tide of World War II in Europe…

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Date article: Allied Invasion of Normandy Begins — June 6, 1944 Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“German occupation.” thisDay, thisday.info/history/german-occupation/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

APA

German occupation. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/german-occupation/

Chicago

“German occupation.” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/german-occupation/.

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