sentences:  Furthermore, France even remained formally at war with Germany, albeit opposed to the Free French.Following the British attacks of July and September 1940 (Mers el Kébir, Dakar), the French government became increasingly fearful of the British and took the initiative to collaborate with the occupiers.Pétain accepted the government's creation of a collaborationist armed militia (the "Milice") under the command of Joseph Darnand, who, along with German forces, led a campaign of repression against the French resistance ("Maquis").