"...during four years, by my action, I maintained France, I ensured the French the life and the bread, I ensured our prisoners the support of the Nation. That those which show me and claim to judge me question bottom of their conscience to know what, without me, they would have perhaps become. While General de Gaulle, out of our borders, continued the fight, I prepared the ways of the release, by preserving painful, but alive France. (...) In spite of immense difficulties, no capacity than honoured more mine the family and, to prevent the class struggle, sought to guarantee the working conditions to the factory and the ground. (...) I represent a tradition which is that of French and Christian civilization, vis-a-vis with excesses of all tyrannies."
Declaration of the Marshal to his lawsuit on July 23, 1945.
Indictment of the Attorney General Mornet with the lawsuit of the Pétain marshal
"The government of Pétain, born from the defeat and a breach of trust, could be maintained for four years only by accepting the assistance of the German force, by putting its policy at the service of German politics, while collaborating in all the fields with Hitler. That, Messrs, it is treason. It was said to you that if it had not been thus, the situation of the French had been worse. I do not believe it. I believe that it was better in Belgium than it was it in France. In France, 150 000 hostages shot, 750 000 workmen mobilized to go to work in Germany; our destroyed fleet; deportation, in the shade of collaboration; 110 000 political refugees, 120 000 racial deportees, on whom from there it returned only 1 500. I wonder how the situation of the French could have been worse. But there is something of worse. It is that, during four years, this policy, according to the foreigner, failed to dishonour us. During four years, this policy ended in this: to throw the doubt about France, fidelity upon its engagements, its word, its honor. It is nations like individuals, and the worms of Juvénal is so true: "The worst of the catastrophes, it is, of fear of losing a miserable existence, of losing what makes the reason even food" , i.e. honor. However one failed to make lose in France his reason of living by removing his honor to him. That, Messrs, it is the crime inexpiable to which I see neither attenuation nor excuses, and to which the Court of Justice charged to apply the law can only apply one sorrow, highest which either registered in the scale of the punishments envisaged by the law.
August 11, 1945 (According to the site " Cliotexte")
