Macron's Plan To Pay Tribute To Nazi Collaborator Petain Stirs Anger

[appalachiablue]

Source: The Guardian

Reuters, 9:33 EST. Marshal Ptain was a first world war hero, but later disgraced as head of Vichy France.

The French president has said it is "legitimate" to pay tribute to Marshal Philippe Ptain, who led the French army to victory in the first world war but decades later collaborated with Nazi Germany.

Emmanuel Macron's plan to honour Ptain alongside seven other French marshals who directed military campaigns during the first world war, which ended 100 years ago on 11 November, has unleashed criticism from Jewish groups, political opponents and on social media.

"I consider it entirely legitimate that we pay homage to the marshals who led our army to victory," Macron said in the eastern town of Charleville-Mezieres that once lay on the frontline between French and German troops. "Marshal Ptain was a great soldier in world war one."

Renowned as a "soldier's soldier," Ptain was promoted to commander-in-chief of the French armies in mid-1917, after victory at Verdun, rebuilding troop morale after a series of mutinies and other setbacks. - More...

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/07/nazi-collaborator-phillipe-petain-world-war-stirs-anger

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"It is shocking that France can pay tribute to a man deemed unworthy of being French in a trial held in the name of the people," said Francis Kalifat, the president of Crif, the body that represents France's 400,000 Jews.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, the head of the hard-left France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, wrote on Twitter: "Marshal Joffre was the military victor of the 1914-18 war. Ptain was a traitor and an antisemite. His crimes and his betrayal cannot be erased from history. Macron, this time, you've gone too far." Ptain died in prison in 1951 aged 95.

DW, 'Emmanuel Macron Honors Nazi Collaborator.' The French president has praised Philippe Petain as a WWI hero, "shocking" France's Jewish leaders. Petain later collaborated with the Nazis and was responsible for the deportation and death of tens of thousands of Jews. Nov. 7. 2018.
https://www.dw.com/en/emmanuel-macron-honors-nazi-collaborator/a-46197361







French Marshal Petain with Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering and other officials in World War II.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring

[Pope George Ringo II]

1. Petain makes Nixon look mediocre and forgettable.

His highs were awesome. His lows were horrible.

[David__77]

2. Good lord. I agree with Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Petain was an anti-Semite and willing partner of Nazi terror.

[Marcuse]

3. History doesn't repeat, but it rhymes.

[harumph]

4. Benedict Arnold was pretty great at Saratoga as well.

Oh, and fuck Macron.

[Solly Mack]

5. That's fucked up of Macron.

.

[Yosemito]

6. What was he thinking

[appalachiablue]

7. A terrible idea that was cancelled today.

The French government has backed down over apparent plans to pay tribute to Marshal Philippe Pétain -- who collaborated with the Nazis in the deportation of Jews from France during World War II -- as part of commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

French President Emmanuel Macron came under fire Wednesday after he said it was "legitimate" to honor Pétain's role as a "great soldier" in World War I.

Hours later, French government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said in a Facebook post that no tribute would be paid to Pétain in Saturday's ceremony.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/emmanuel-macron-row-nazi-collaborator-philippe-p%c3%a9tain-wont-be-honored/ar-BBPtXlm?ocid=HPCOMMDHP15