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The article is a book review of "France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain" by Julian Jackson. The book focuses on the trial of Philippe Pétain, the head of the Vichy French State during World War II, and explores the choices and paths taken during that time. The author emphasizes that the trial was politically inevitable and provides evidence that it was a significant opportunity for the French people to reflect on their history. The review also discusses Pétain's background, his role in the French military, and his subsequent exile in Germany. The text discusses the trial of Marshal Pétain, the leader of Vichy France during World War II, for treason. The trial was significant because it aimed to hold Pétain accountable for his collaboration with the enemy. However, there were challenges in pursuing the trial, including the dissolution of the Third Republic and the difficulty of finding untarnished judges. Pétain returned to France from Switzerland to face trial, but his defense team faced difficulties in preparing his defense due to his evasive and unhelpful responses. The trial raised public opinion, with a significant portion supporting the death penalty for Pétain. The second document discussed in the text is a telegram congratulating Hitler on repulsing the Anglo-Canadian landing at Dieppe in 1942. The author highlights that during the same month, over 11,000 Jewish individuals were arrested by French police for deportation to Auschwitz. The revised indictment against Petain [Extracted from the article]

This article is a book review of "France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain" by Julian Jackson. The book focuses on the trial of Philippe Pétain, the head of Vichy France, and examines the choices made during France's darkest period in the 20th century. The trial was politically inevitable and allowed the French people to reflect on the traumas of war. The article discusses the trial itself, the challenges faced, the public opinion, the defense team, and the prosecution's evidence. It also explores the aftermath of the trial, Pétain's sentence, and the lasting impact of his actions on French politics. Additionally, the article considers an alternative scenario where France continued the war instead of seeking an armistice, arguing that this could have resulted in a stronger position for the French government and armed forces. The author raises questions about collaboration, retribution, and the lessons learned from facing difficult truths. [Extracted from the article]

When Australia reneged on a AUD$90 billion submarine contract with France in 2021 as it joined AUKUS, a new trilateral military partnership between Australia, the UK and the US, it was accused of lying and breaching France's trust. This perceived act of betrayal not only led to a deterioration in the diplomatic relationship between Australia and France, but it also drew attention to the consequences of violating the norm of pacta sunt servanda —agreements must be kept. Although it is recognized that breaches of trust undermine relationships, what has been underexplored is how a violation of norms can also undermine the presumption of trust in international society more broadly. Focusing on how Australia broke its contract with France after it joined AUKUS, this article argues that Australia's conduct not only harmed its relationship with France, but it also led the European Union (EU) to raise questions about how much to trust AUKUS partners as it engages in the Indo-Pacific region. It posits that adherence to international norms is important for developing trust between states in international society and has the potential to facilitate cooperation and enhance security in the complex Indo-Pacific region and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]