The _truth_ is that the transition of Occitan speakers to French is by and large a process consented by the population (often encouraged by working men, like my grand-father who associated the "patois" with extremely backwards conditions) because it simply provided more economic and social opportunities at a time people started moving massively towards cities. In fact the South-West provided a lot of teachers during the 19th c. and was a Republican stronghold. Public institutions, which are not restricted to school (the first major catalyst being the army with the age of conscription), helped to put French in an insurmountable position of prestige, but it was more practical and less cynical than often portrayed.
It's more comfortable to blame an abstract entity like the government than your ancestors.