By Stephen Loosley*
This year marks the 80th anniversary of Australia’s war with France. It is largely forgotten, but the facts are simply these. Vichy France, under the leadership of Marshal Philippe Petain, was collaborationist in nature and it remained in control of Syria and Lebanon in the Middle East. In this strategically important position, its cooperation with the Axis increased the threat to Allied positions in the Middle East, from the Suez Canal to Iraq.
