The French fleet and the Italian occupation of France,1940–1942

Abstract

The scuttling of the French fleet in November 1942 brought an abrupt end to a political tug of war which had been ongoing since the Italian occupation of France began in 1940. The seizure of the French fleet had been explicitly forbidden by the Italo–French armistice, which represented the cornerstone of all Italo–French diplomatic transactions. This research note seeks to demonstrate the role played by the French fleet and its use as a political pawn by both sides to change the existing political structures. For France, the overhaul of the Italo–French armistice would offer greater political power and status, whilst for Italy a more encompassing agreement would allow greater exploitation of France both in a political and an economic sense. This research note argues that the status of the French fleet represented a crucial and often overlooked aspect of this struggle.