Milice
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Image:Milice poster.jpg Image:Milice ecole.jpg
The Milice ("militia"), also known as the French Gestapo, was a paramilitary force created in 1943 to help fight "terrorism" in Vichy France – that is to say, to fight against the French Resistance. The Milice, headed by Joseph Darnand, participated in summary executions, assassinations and helped round up the Jews and resistants in France for deportation.
Like the Gestapo, the Milice often resorted to torture to extract information or confessions from those they rounded up. They were often considered even more deadly than the Gestapo and SS themselves, since they were Frenchmen who spoke the language, had a full knowledge of the towns and land, and knew people and informers.
Milice troops were uniformed and wore wide berets.
Since the Second World War, the term milice has acquired a derogatory meaning in French.