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During World War II, the French prisoners of war ((フランス語:Prisonniers de guerre français ''or'' PG)) were primarily soldiers from France and its colonial empire captured by Nazi Germany. Although no precise estimates exist, the number of French soldiers captured during the Battle of France between May and June 1940 is generally recognised around 1.8 million, equivalent to around 10 percent of the total adult male population of France at the time. After a brief period of captivity in France, most of the prisoners were deported to Germany. In Germany, prisoners were incarcerated in ''Stalag'' or ''Oflag'' prison camps, according to rank, but the vast majority were soon transferred to work details (''Kommandos'') working in German agriculture or industry. Colonial prisoners, however, remained in camps in France with poor living conditions as a result of Nazi racial ideologies. The absence of a large proportion of the male population of France also had important consequences on the position of women in occupied France and charity fundraising on behalf of the prisoners played an important role in French daily life until late in the occupation. Limited repatriation of certain classes of POWs did occur from 1940 and the Vichy French government was keen to encourage the return of prisoners, even launching the unpopular ''relève'' system in order to exchange prisoners of war for French labourers going to work in Germany. Nevertheless, many prisoners remained in German captivity until the defeat of Germany in 1945. Prisoners who returned to France, either by repatriation or through escaping, generally found themselves stigmatised by the French civilian population and received little official recognition. ==Background== In September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany following the German invasion of Poland. The Anglo-French Supreme War Council decided to stay on the defensive along the border, relying on the Maginot Line in helping counter an anticipated German offensive across the German-French border. As neither side made any offensive moves, a ''Drôle de Guerre'' (Phoney War) developed as both sides stood-off along the border. On 10 May 1940, the Germans launched the invasion of France through neutral Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The rapid German advance, using the new Blitzkrieg doctrine, outflanked the Allied forces and advanced rapidly into France. By the end of May, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg had surrendered and the British were evacuating their forces from Dunkirk. In total, around 100,000 French soldiers were killed in action. German forces reached Paris on 14 June. The trauma from the German victories caused a period of division within the government of the Third Republic. German commanders finally met with French officials on 18 June who sought a cessation of hostilities, with the goal being an armistice with Germany. Chief among the new government leaders was the new Prime Minister, Marshal Philippe Pétain, a French war hero of World War I and often known simply as "The Marshal" (''Le Maréchal''). On 22 June, the Second Armistice at Compiègne was signed between France and Germany ending hostilities. Northern and western France was placed under direct German occupation, while Alsace-Lorraine became part of Germany. Italy would control its own zone in the southeast, and an unoccupied zone, the ''zone libre'', would be governed by the newly formed Vichy government (''État Français'') led by Pétain. Vichy was nominally independent, and still controlled French overseas colonies, but in practice was essentially a German client state. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「French prisoners of war in World War II」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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