Military occupation of France

Occupations of France by foreign military forces controlling some or all of the territory of France have occurred several times during the history of that country. These include:

Pre-World War II

• The occupations by coalition forces after the French defeats of the Sixth Coalition and Hundred days phases of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814 and 1815.

• The occupation of northern France in the late phase of and after the Franco-Prussian War in 1871-1873.

• The French border areas behind the front lines during the First World War in 1914-1918.

World War II

• The Axis occupation zones during the Second World War in 1940-1944:
  • Zone occupée mostly in northern and western France under the German military administration in occupied France during World War II (Military Administration in France, Militärverwaltung in Frankreich)
  • Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France, Militärverwaltung in Belgien und Nordfrankreich
  • Alsace-Lorraine annexed by Germany as Elsaß-Lothringen
  • Zone libre where the officially neutral and independent Vichy France (État français) was established until occupied in 1942
  • Italian occupation of France during World War II