00:00When Hitler invaded France in May 1940, the shock of military defeat after six weeks rippled
00:06through a nation unprepared for the new face of modern warfare.
00:11In those desperate days, as Paris trembled under the threat of occupation, Laval's influence
00:17in government grew steadily.
00:19It was he who, with cold calculation, persuaded the beleaguered French leaders to remain in
00:24the capital rather than flee, insisting that a legal centrally located government was essential
00:30to negotiate favorable armistice terms.
00:33His voice, measured and pragmatic, helped to usher in the armistice that would ultimately
00:38mark the end of the Third Republic on the 10th of July 1940, a decision that paved the way
00:44for the establishment of the Vichy regime.
00:50Discover the full story on worldhistory.tv
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