Philippe Pétain was charged with treason in July 1945 . He was convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad , but Charles de Gaulle commuted the sentence to life imprisonment . In the police , some collaborators soon resumed official responsibilities . This continuity of the administration was pointed out , in particular concerning the events of the Paris massacre of 1961 , executed under the orders of head of the Parisian police Maurice Papon when Charles de Gaulle was head of state . Papon was tried and convicted for crimes against humanity in 1998
Paris massacre of 1961
Paris massacre of 1961
Vichy France