In 2012 the discovery of one of Pluto’s six known moons was made public.
Styx is a small moon discovered using the Hubble telescope over a two week period. Its discovery was announced on the 11th of July 2012 and is the last moon of Pluto’s to be discovered. The tiny moon which lies between Charon and Nix was named after the mythological river required to cross to enter Hades. Pluto was named by an 11-year-old English girl called Venetia Burney after the God of the underworld who could make himself invisible and lived where sunlight didn’t reach.
In 1940 the Vichy Government was established in France during the NAZI occupation of World War II.
As the Battle of France raged the French government were regularly meeting to discuss the situation. In one camp was Philippe Petain who argued for an Armistice with Germany and in another was Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle who led a successful battle against the invading German forces and was dead against the notion of surrender. Charles de Gaulle wanted the French Government to move to French Territories in North Africa from where they could co-ordinate French forces to continue the fight with the enemy. The French Premier Paul Reynaud was considering both suggestions but Petain strongly argued against the idea of leaving France and their people to the Germans. Reynaud was leaning on the side of an Armistice to save what little of France he could. As per the Entente Cordiale agreement either country had to discuss a possible surrender with their ally. A further agreement between Reynaud and Chamberlin in March 1940 both leaders agreed that neither would seek separate peace with the Germany. So British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was also part of many discussions on the matter. Initially Churchill was dead against any form of surrender and threatened action against French ports to ensure Britain’s safety but as the fighting went on and as Reynaud’s growing belief in the armistice, Churchill’s opinion changed. He contacted French President Albert Lebrun and Churchill gave France its blessing on the understanding that the French fleet flee to British ports preventing the use of French naval ships by Germany. He also offered a British-Franco Union and while Reynaud and some of the other ministers agreed with the terms set out by Churchill but Petain and other ministers disagreed. Premier Reynaud handed the President his resignation in frustration and suggested Petain take his place. On the 14th of June 1940 President Lebrun made 84 year-old Petain Premier of France and the next day on the 15th requested a cease fire with Germany with the aim of an Armistice.
De Gaulle left for Britain the next day and on the 18th he broadcast a message to his countrymen requesting that they continue to fight the German invaders. De Gaulle led the Free French Government in exile and co-ordinated attacks of French and British troops.
Reynaud was travelling by car in Southern France when he lost control and hit a tree. His wife was killed and Reynaud was taken to hospital. When he was discharged, Petain ordered his arrest and had him imprisoned. He was later handed of to the Germans by Petain.
Petain, under agreement and supervision of the Germans, became the head of a French government that presided over part of southern of France (known as the Un-occupied zone) while the Germans controlled the North. The government was known as Vichy France and was eventually completely controlled by the Nazi’s on the 11th of November 1942. Petain claimed the downfall of France was the blame of the French ministers in power at the time and so set up the Riom Trial. It was a propaganda exercise by Petain and the Vichy government that backfired. The Nazi party supported the trial which claimed that France had itself to blame by declaring war on Germany but the Ministers outwitted their accusers and the trial was seen for the farce it was.
