During the post-war period, peace was restored but violence was not completely contained. In fact, the French society saw the Liberation euphoria and the will to “punish traitors” – which did not immediately find a legal way – coexist. Thus popular purge continued although legal purge was set up. For that transitional justice, which was mostly political, here was the paradox – it had to control popular revenge and to legitimize the new government at the same time, i. e. to restore republican law and to re-establish the French State.