The signing of the Second Compiègne Armistice took place on June 22, 1940, in a railway carriage at Compiègne, France, infamous for its symbolic use in World War I. This moment marked a pivotal point in World War II following a swift German invasion that led to France's rapid collapse within six weeks. The French forces were unable to cope with the blitzkrieg tactics employed by the Germans, leading to the capture of Paris on June 14. In this atmosphere of defeat, French leaders were compelled to negotiate surrender terms with Adolf Hitler’s regime.

General Charles Huntziger represented France during this signing, conveying the despair and the heavy atmosphere surrounding the event as he acknowledged the loss of sovereignty. The terms of the armistice included a partition of France, with the north and west under German occupation, while the south would remain nominally independent under the Vichy government. The actual signing in the same location as the 1918 Armistice served as a cruel twist of fate and a powerful propaganda victory for the Nazis, highlighting their dominance.

In the aftermath, the armistice had profound effects on the European theater of war. The establishment of the Vichy regime as a collaborating government with Germany significantly impacted French society and politics. It also altered the resistance movement within France, as many began to oppose both the Axis powers and the Vichy government's policies. This capitulation reshaped the balance of power in Europe and set the stage for the liberation efforts that followed in later years.