Oh, Petain: How the Hero of France Became a Convicted Traitor and Changed the Course of History (Charles Williams)

Last updated on: August 6, 2019 at 10:13 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Oh, Petain: How the Hero of France Became a Convicted Traitor and Changed the Course of History (Charles Williams) 2019-08-06T22:13:57-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

He was the Victor of Verdun and if he had died an old man, he would be one the great French heroes, but instead he died a very old man and so ruined all that came before his fall. He lived too long and in hard times, his flaws, greater it turned out than his many virtues, were there waiting, and destroyed him.

Petain had been ready to retire when World War I came. He did his duty and helped save Europe from German Imperial domination. Petain was a strategic thinker, risen from the peasantry. As an old man he rethought defensive warfare and helped win the Battle of Verdun, renew the morale of the army, and win the war. As an older man, he served well, anticipating much that was coming, but growing fearful when France refused to prepare.

He also had flaws, deep, persistent vices, that made him unfit for an even greater challenge that was coming: Hitler. France fell, as Petain prophesied, but then Petain tried to work with Hitler to save France. He did worse and worse as his vices consumed him and so consumed innocent Jewish people, France, and everything he loved.

He never betrayed France, he was not a traitor, but he was worse in the end: a bad man made from the wreckage of what might have been a good man.

So Charles Williams argues, or pleads, in this gripping story of a rise and fall of a Frenchman. This book would be more comfortable if it attempted an apology for Petain for that could be dismissed. The old general stood on the wrong side of Hitler and there is and should not be redemption after that terrible choice. If only, as I was taught, Petain had been a doddering fool when he slid into compromise and Vichy France, but he was not quite that. There is no justifying Petain, but also this, he was no traitor.

Of all his crimes, the careless anti-Semitism that allowed tens of thousands to be killed by the Germans, the refusal to pick a side, most were motivated by an attempt to play both sides in order to save France. One cannot pity Petain: he made his choices. One should save pity for those his bad choices harmed: the Free Masons, Jewish people, French Freedom Fighters. Yet he is a warning: we are, most of us, not nearly so great as Petain was, but could become just so bad.

Of all his errors, the greatest was making a god of his nation: France. One should love one’s people and France has much greatness in which to glory. The nation was also caught under the Nazi heel and there was a role for a man who could try to stand between France and that hideous regime. If Hitler had won the War, then that government might have had to continue for decades doing what could be done.

Yet Petain did not do what could be done, because Petain even at his best, acted for an abstraction, France, at the cost of the person: that French Jew, French Free Mason, even French communist. Petain was faithful, if he was faithful to anything, to his vision of France and so there is a cruel justice that he was declared a traitor in court after the War.

Charles Williams, in this wonderful little book, argues that this is the one thing he surely did not do and this is true if treason is intention. However, by betraying individual Frenchmen, incarnate France, Petain accumulated enough small human betrayals that I think the judgment was just.

May we, not one of us, ever betray our deepest and best principles by sequential sacrificing those who hold those principles. May we not play God and decide which of the many must die to uphold the sacred idea. Petain lived in perilous times that made him and then lived longer to worse times that broke him. We cannot love our nation in general if we unjustly destroy part of her body, a citizen, in the particular.

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on this Republic in this time.

Culture

On Books

Previous Post

August 5, 2019

Joining Vichy

Next Post

August 7, 2019 Catholic for You, Not Me: A Lesson about Vichy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I mocked a prophet for his baldness and was mauled by bears for my disrespect. Who are we?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Philistines Youths Children of Israel Boys from Bethel

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »