1945 in France

Incumbents

• Chairman of the Provisional Government : Charles de Gaulle

  Events

• 1 January? - Jean-Paul Sartre refuses the Legion of Honour.
• 6 February - Writer Robert Brasillach executed for collaboration with the Germans.
• 9 March - Japanese overthrow the Vichy French Decoux Government in Vietnam.
• 2 May - Colette is the first woman to be admitted to the Académie Goncourt.
• 7 May - General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Rheims, ending Germany's participation in the war. The document will take effect the next day.
• 8 May - World War II ends in Europe.
• 8–29 May - In Algeria, French troops kill an estimated 6,000 Algerian citizens in the Sétif massacre.
• 23 July - Marshal Philippe Pétain, who headed the Vichy government during World War II, goes on trial, charged with treason.
• 31 July - Pierre Laval, fugitive former leader of Vichy France, surrenders to Allied soldiers in Austria.
• 19–30 August - Việt Minh under Hồ Chí Minh carry out the August Revolution in Vietnam.
• October - École nationale d'administration established.
• 15 October - Former premier of Vichy France, Pierre Laval, is executed by firing squad for treason.
• 21 October - Legislative Election held. Women are allowed to vote for the first time.
• 13 November - Charles de Gaulle elected head of a French provisional government.
• 2 December - French banks nationalized.
• 21 December - André Malraux is appointed minister of information by de Gaulle.
• Duralex glass tableware manufacturers established in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin.

  Births

• 17 February - Bernard Rapp, film director and television news presenter
• 4 April - Daniel Cohn-Bendit, political activist and politician
• 7 April - Joël Robuchon, chef
• 15 April - Christian Bergelin, politician
• 15 June - Françoise Chandernagor, writer
• 20 June - Jean-Claude Izzo, poet, playwright, screenwriter and novelist
• 30 July - Patrick Modiano, novelist, Nobel laureate
• 12 August - Jean Nouvel, architect
• 27 August - Catherine Leroy, photojournalist and photographer
• 12 October - Aurore Clément, actress
• 13 October - Christophe, singer-songwriter
• 16 October - Pascal Sevran, television presenter and author
• 28 October - François-Xavier Verschave, a founder of NGO Survie

  Deaths

• 5 February -
• * Denise Bloch, heroine of World War II
• * Lilian Rolfe, heroine of World War II
• * Violette Szabo, World War II Allied secret agent
• 6 February - Robert Brasillach, author, executed for collaboration
• 23 March - Elisabeth de Rothschild, World War II heroine
• 30 March - Élise Rivet, nun and World War II heroine
• 8 June - Robert Desnos, surrealist poet
• 20 July - Paul Valéry, poet, essayist and philosopher
• 8 August - Le Pétomane, flatulist
• 15 October - Pierre Laval, politician and Prime Minister, executed
• 26 October - Paul Pelliot, sinologist and explorer