Foreign relations of Vichy France policy of keeping 2 million French prisoners of war in Germany, effectively as hostages. Although Vichy France was nominally in control of all of France--apart from Alsace Lorraine--in practice the Germans controlled over half of the country, including the northern and western coasts, the industrial northeast, and the Paris region. The Petain government in Vichy controlled the rest until October 1942, when Germany took it all over. At that point, the Vichy regime became entirely a puppet of the German occupiers. Germany wanted food, minerals, and industrial productions, as well as volunteers to work in German factories. Vichy was allowed
Military history of France during World War II Syria the following year. Vichy French and Japanese miniature submarines defended the French colony of Madagascar during Allied Operation Ironclad. The Madagascar governor surrendered in November 1942. Réunion was under the authority of the Vichy Regime until 30 November 1942, when the island was liberated by the destroyer Léopard. Japan seized overall control of Indochina but the Vichy government ran local affairs until 1944. The FEFEO was created on paper by General de Gaulle in October 1943, however the actual composition of a full scale expeditionary force -the C.L.I./Gaur were small specialized units- dedicated to liberate French Indohina from the