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In the meantime,
civilian anti-semites and Vichy officials aided in the
concentration and persecution of Jews, in particular
those of foreign citizenship. The Nazi German
occupation proved costly, however, as Nazi Germany
appropriated a full one-half of France's public sector
revenue.
On
the other hand, those who refused defeat and
collaboration with Nazi Germany, the Free French,
organised resistance movements in occupied and Vichy
France and the Free French Forces. The Free French
Forces started in exile in and with the support of the
UK.
They were led by
Charles de Gaulle, under-secretary of state for war
and national defence, whose role in the resistance was
to pave the way for his immense impact on the future
of France, as leader of its provisional government and
first President of the French Fifth Republic.
After the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation
Torch) the German Army occupied southern France as
well, leading to the scuttling of the French Fleet at
Toulon.
After four years of occupation and strife, Allied
forces, including Free French Forces, liberated France
in 1944.
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