Marshal Pétain's Fall from Grace is a companion historical documentary that accompanies Chapter 9:Demons of Deception in The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. It appears on Disc 2 of Volume 2. It has a run-time of 30 minutes, 41 seconds.
Official Summary[]
In 1916, 60-year old General Henri Philippe Pétain, who'd been passed by for promotion most of his life, took charge of a horrific World War I battle that would mark France for generations. The Battle of Verdun, called the Meatgrinder, was the first in modern history where one army's goal was just to kill maximum numbers of the enemy. Amidst this death and destruction, Pétain came to life. Thirty years later, Pétain would go on trial, accused of treason at age 89. He had saved France once, on a First World War battlefield. But when his countrymen turned to him to save them again, as head of government during World War II, he failed spectacularly.
Summary[]
This documentary primarily covers Pétain's role as head of the French government during World War II, including his leadership of the Vichy government, attempts to create a more totalitarian state during the war, and his trial after the war. It also includes his rise to prominence as one of France's military heroes in World War I, through his role at the Battle of Verdun, and his later skill in preventing military mutiny during the war, and his postwar support of the Maginot Line.
Credits[]
Produced and Written by Sharon Wood.
