Jean-Pierre Azéma, a prominent historian who meticulously chronicled France's controversial collaboration with the Nazis, died in Paris on July 14, 2025, at the age of 87. A faculty member at the Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) for over 35 years, his passing was confirmed on July 20.
Born to a well-known collaborator, Azéma became a leading voice among historians seeking to challenge the comforting narratives that emerged post-World War II. He played a crucial role in redefining the public’s understanding of the Vichy regime, which many had mistakenly believed resisted Nazi control.
In his influential works, starting from the 1970s, Azéma dismissed the notion that Vichy’s leader, Marshal Philippe Pétain, offered protection or benevolence to the French people. He boldly described Pétain’s government as a “phony regime” in his seminal book, “De Munich à la Libération, 1938-1944,” published in 1979 and later translated in 1984.
Azéma characterized Vichy’s political system as fundamentally authoritarian, a judgment not widely accepted during his time. His scholarly works carefully analyzed the diverse factions within Vichy, revealing the complex dynamics between true believers and opportunists amidst the regime’s various ideological currents.
His writings gained immense popularity in France, even surpassing renowned historian Robert O. Paxton's foundational work, “Vichy France,” which had set off a revisionist wave in historical discourse. With Azéma’s contributions, a critical reassessment of France's wartime legacy began to take shape, forever altering the landscape of French historical scholarship.
