A Capital for the French State — 28 June

In late June 1940, the Pétain government must leave Bordeaux, as the Atlantic coast passes under German occupation. A provisional capital is needed in the free zone, and the choice must be made within days: the armistice imposes the evacuation of the occupied zone, and the entire administration must hastily reinstall before the demarcation line closes. Several cities are considered.

Lyon, France's second city, offers prestige and capacity, but is judged too close to the demarcation line and politically 'left-wing.' Clermont-Ferrand, in the Auvergne, is neutral but poorly equipped with hotels and offices. Marseille is too distant and vulnerable from the sea. Toulouse and Pau are also raised. No city readily combines the accommodation, offices and connections required by whole ministries and thousands of displaced civil servants.

The choice, apparently logistical, is also political: it is a matter of lastingly installing a power, at a distance from occupied Paris but equipped with the means to govern. Pétain and his entourage must decide between prestige, neutrality and material capacity.