Vichy

Following the armistice signed on June 22, 1940, the zone which was not occupied by the Germans took the name of the French State (État Français) (as opposed to the traditional name, République française or French Republic ) and set up its capital in Vichy on July 1, because of the town's relative proximity to Paris (4.5 hours by train) and because it was the city with the second largest hotel capacity at the time. Moreover, the existence of an ultramodern telephone exchange (the current hotel had only been built in 1935) made it possible to reach the whole world by a phone call.
On July 1, the government took possession of many hotels. 600 members of Parliament (Appointed members and Senators) would join Vichy for the meeting of the Chambers. On the 9th and 10th, in the room of the Opera, the members of Parliament voted for the end of the Third Republic. The republican system was abolished, and the French State, with Philippe Pétain at its helm as Head of State replaced it. Only 80 of the 600 members of Parliament voiced their opposition. Starting from this date, Vichy would be, for more than four years, the capital of the French State. This government is often called the Vichy Regime. The preferred term is "Pétainist Regime" or "Regime of the French State." The term "Vichyste," which designates partisans of this regime, should not be confused with "Vichyssois" which designates the inhabitants of the city. The latter term is sometimes used erroneously to designate Pétain's supporters. The Vichy fascists also signed a decree outlawing rugby league in Vichy.