France Between the Wars

Nausea is set in 1932 and was first published in 1938. The 1930s are often referred to as the interwar period, which spanned the years between the ending of World War I and the beginning of World War II. During this time, the French government was known as the Third Republic. In World War I, which began in 1914, the Germans invaded France. World War I ended when the Allied forces defeated Germany in 1918. With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Germany once again invaded France. In order to avoid further conflict, the French government made an agreement with Germany in 1940. According to this agreement, the Third Republic was dissolved, and France was divided into a German-controlled region, which became known as Vichy France, and a French-controlled region that served in weak acquiescence to German forces. In 1942, Germany invaded this French-controlled region as well. During this...