1941 Vichy French Pictorial Propaganda Map of the French Empire

This is a 1941 Vichy French pictorial propaganda map of the French Empire during the Nazi occupation. It was created to promote unity between the occupied France and its colonial empire - although in fact many French Colonial territories became havens for the resistance.

Vichy France

After its defeat by Nazi Germany, France was split into and Occupied and Unoccupied zones, with the Unoccupied Zone governed from the resort town of Vichy. The Vichy government collaborated with Nazi Germany, imprisoned and deported its citizens, and created a police state until Germany invaded the Unoccupied Zone in November 1942. It was not officially disestablished until August 1944.

A Closer Look

The French Empire appears highlighted in yellow and stretches across most of the globe: from St. Pierre et Miquelon off the coast of Canada to Clipperton Island, an uninhabited atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. French Africa draws the eye, with yellow occupying almost a third of the continent. Pictorial icons appear throughout, with an axe painted like the French flag appearing in an (unlabeled) France. Others include camels in Africa, an elephant in India, and numerous sailing ships, which appear out of place in World War II-era propaganda. Small French flags and banners mark French colonies and protectorates, among which are French Guyana, Syria, Indochina, Madagascar, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Pondicherry and a few other cities in India, and several islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Two borders surround the map. The names of France's colonies occupy the inner border, while the names of famous French explorers fill the outer border.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by two artists known only by their initials: J.M. and J. F. and it is published in both the Occupied Zone (in Paris) and the Unoccupied Zone (in Vichy). We note a single cataloged example - Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation in Besançon, France. This map has appeared on the market in the past, but it is rare, likely because Vichy propaganda was widely destroyed following the 1944 Liberation.