Vichy France refers to the regime that governed the unoccupied southern part of France during World War II, from 1940 to 1944. After France fell to Nazi Germany, the country was divided into occupied and unoccupied zones. The Vichy government, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, collaborated with the Nazis while maintaining a façade of independence. The regime was characterized by authoritarian rule and conservative policies, promoting traditional values and nationalism. It implemented anti-Semitic laws and facilitated the deportation of Jews to concentration camps. Vichy France ended with the liberation of France by Allied forces in 1944.