Vichy France - Why Would Anyone Want To Name Products After This Place

Vichy Deodorant

Vichy Products in old Vichy France

During World War II - France was invaded by Nazi Germany. In 1940 - France crumbled quickly to the German forces - so fast that most of France - including all of Paris - was saved from the destruction suffered by many of the other overrun countries. England suffered extensive damage because they chose to "never give up." Russian suffered the brunt of World War II - losing nearly 20 million people. 

Germany occupied North and Western France - but the southern third of the country struck a deal with the Nazis. This section was called Vichy France - named after the resort city that serviced as its unofficial capital. Phillipe Petain was the leader of Vichy France. They existed as a separate country - a puppet government for Nazi Germany. They paid tribute to the Nazis in gold - food - and influence. They collected up 72,000 Jews and sent them to concentration camps. The French are certainly not proud of this 4 year period in their history 1940 to 1944.

When the Allies invaded France - Hitler ordered Paris to be destroyed. Gen Dietrich von Cholti disobeyed Hitler's orders to level the city. The Eiffel Tower would have fallen like a bad building implosion video. 

Two weeks ago we were standing in a line in a tiny French pharmacy in St Remy to get covid tests. All of Provence - Avignon - Marseilles - were part of Vichy France. It was a long slow line with one person doing all the paper work - nose swabbing - collecting money - and lab work. We had plenty of time to look at the products in the store. To my surprise there was a complete line of VICHY products - anything from deodorant to suppositories. They were brightly labeled VICHY. I was astonished and quickly got my iPhone out to look up Vichy France to confirm my ire.