The mass flight of 8–10 million civilians known as L’Exode (The Exodus) was a decisive factor in the Fall of France in 1940. Triggered by memories of 1914 atrocities and Luftwaffe terror bombing, the panic clogged the road networks, paralyzing Allied troop movements and logistics. The German army ruthlessly weaponized the crisis, using refugees as human shields and obstacles to prevent French counter-attacks. The simultaneous flight of civil authorities (mayors, police) created an administrative vacuum, shattering the social contract. This humanitarian catastrophe broke the government’s will to fight, fueling the demand for an armistice and paving the way for the authoritarian “order” of the Vichy regime.