A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a previous administration or regime. A provisional government holds power until elections can be held or a permanent government can otherwise be established. Provisional governments often occur as the result of a revolution or in wartime when an occupied nation or territory has been liberated or, conversely, when a government has been deposed by an invading army. Examples of provisional governments include the:
Provisional governments were also established throughout Europe as occupied nations were liberated from Nazi occupation by the Allies. In France the Provisional Government of the Republic was established by the Free French Forces under Charles de Gaulle after the liberation of the country from the Nazis. The government led France from 1944 until the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1947.
