Pres. Hollande said: "Faced with terror, this is a
nation that knows how to defend itself, how to mobilize its forces and
once again, knows how to overcome the terrorists."...
Hitler beat you in only 6 weeks. France has been unable to defend itself for at least the past 75 years.
You may have heard of Vichy:
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The above photograph, "Frenchman weeps as German troops march into Paris, June 14, 1940, may have been taken in 1940 in Paris or 1941 in Marseilles. It first appeared in print in Life Magazine in 1941.
Caption for 1940: "Frenchman weeps as German troops march into Paris, June 14, 1940." From, "France in Defeat, 1940,"
Hitler beat you in only 6 weeks. France has been unable to defend itself for at least the past 75 years.
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| Movie, Casablanca, 1942 |
You may have heard of Vichy:
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| Frenchman weeps, 1940 or 1941 |
The above photograph, "Frenchman weeps as German troops march into Paris, June 14, 1940, may have been taken in 1940 in Paris or 1941 in Marseilles. It first appeared in print in Life Magazine in 1941.
Caption for 1940: "Frenchman weeps as German troops march into Paris, June 14, 1940." From, "France in Defeat, 1940,"
On 1941 origin from rarehistoricalphotos.com: "Frenchman crying during Nazi occupation of France, 1940"
"Frenchman crying as the flags of fallen France were marched through the streets of Marseilles on their way to Africa. The French regimental flags had been moved into the south of France in order to preserve them from the surrender. The glory of France has been ground underfoot by German armies. In six weeks, the vaunted French army, the Maginot Line, and all of France’s pride has been destroyed by the German blitzkreig. The French collapse was as sudden as it was unexpected, a stunning defeat – particularly since before the war the French army was considered the most powerful in Europe.
The book Marseille sous l’occupation by Lucien Gaillard says that the man in photo is Monsieur Jerôme Barzetti, and it’s taken in Marseilles on February 20, 1941. There are many contradicts about the exact date when the photo was taken, it’s probably in 1940. The photo first appeared in print in Life Magazine in their 3 March 1941 issue. The magazine caption identifies it as “a Frenchman sheds tears of patriotic grief as the flags of his country’s last regiments are exiled to Africa.” The man’s face conveys a sense of grief so profound as to transcend our expectations. The photo is also nicknamed “The weeping Frenchman“."
Commenter to above post:
"adsfasdg
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France quickly resigned itself to German occupation:
"Most Frenchmen seem to regard the total collapse of their country with a resignation that has the appearance of indifference:"
"France in Defeat, 1940," Eyewitness to History, 2006
"It took only six weeks for France to capitulate to the German invaders. A stunning defeat - particularly since before the war the French army was considered the most powerful in Europe.
France's vaunted Maginot Line failed to hold back the Nazi onslaught and the German Blitzkrieg poured into France. (see Blizkrieg, 1940) Thousands of civilians fled before it. Traveling south in cars, wagons, bicycles or simply on foot, the desperate refugees took with them what few possessions they could salvage. It wasn't long before the roads were impassable to the French troops who were headed north in an attempt to reach the battlefield.
Paris was abandoned and declared an Open City. The French government joined the fleeing throng
and after moving to, and then quickly abandoning one location after another, finally ended up in the city of Vichy.
The ultimate humiliation came at the signing of the armistice on June 22. The French had maintained as a memorial the railroad car in which the armistice ending World War I had been signed twenty-two years earlier. It occupied a hallowed space within a small forest north of Paris. Hitler insisted that France's capitulation to his Nazi juggernaught be formally acknowledged in the same railroad car at the same spot.
Under the terms of the armistice, France was divided into two sections: Occupied France under direct German control and Vichy France - a quasi-independent territory with Marshall Petain, an eighty-four-year-old hero of the First World War, as its head.
A reporter for the London Times published his observations on defeated France shortly after its collapse:
"A problem for all who think about it is how to explain the amazing mental attitude which seems to prevail today in France. Most Frenchmen seem to regard the total collapse of their country with a resignation that has the appearance of indifference. They are, indeed, dazed by the rapidity of the collapse, but register no violent reaction to so great and unexpected a shock. Soldiers in considerable numbers are being demobilized and returning home, and so, it is felt, the catastrophe cannot be too appalling. The German propaganda machine is working on this state of mind. The R.A.F. attacks upon the aerodromes in the occupied region are used as evidence that the British, who have already deserted their Ally, are now making direct onslaughts on the Frenchman's home.
Conditions in Vichy France
"Vichy, for a nation which has reached the nadir in its history, gives an excellent picture of a certain French state of mind. Naturally the place is crowded beyond capacity. It is full of well-to-do refugees from occupied France, as well as French officers, immaculately accoutered, and political aspirants. They crowd the cafes, hotels and boulevards. The refugees and officers are enjoying the calm and the mild pleasures to be had there.
The aspirants are busily fishing in the stirring political pool in the hope of finding an agreeable job. There is adequate food for those who can afford to buy it, always provided that you are not a butter lover or do not expect to find a wide selection of luxuries in the shops. Here is little evidence that France has suffered one of the greatest defeats in her history. Outside the boundaries of this temporary capital, food is not so plentiful, yet in a minor degree the same spirit of indifference exists. The men are returning fairly quickly to their homes and to the harvests which have been in many cases ruined by inattention. But it is hard to discover any serious attempt to meet the formidable problems which are threatening the Vichy Government."
Conditions in Occupied France
"The opinion is often expressed that occupied France is in a much better shape, in spite of all the devastation, than the unoccupied territory. The Germans for many reasons are trying to whip into shape that part of the country which has fallen into their sphere of influence. Their problem is especially serious.
North of Paris there exists a desert. Towns like
Abbeville, Amiens, Cambrai, Arras, and scores of others are very largely
destroyed, though in most places the churches and the cathedrals seem
to be intact. The villages are deserted, the farmsteads empty. Crops are rotting on the ground. The first wave of the German Army
consumed everything. It was, in fact, until a week or two ago a land of
the dead, metaphorically and literally, since the corpses of men and
animals still littered the ground. Now the people are slowly creeping
back, only to find that there is little to eat and less to do.
Everywhere the first pick of what is going falls to the army of
occupation, the second to those who work for their German masters, the
scanty crumbs that remain are left for those who fulfill neither of
these conditions.""...
"Vichy, for a nation which has reached the nadir in its history, gives an excellent picture of a certain French state of mind. Naturally the place is crowded beyond capacity. It is full of well-to-do refugees from occupied France, as well as French officers, immaculately accoutered, and political aspirants. They crowd the cafes, hotels and boulevards. The refugees and officers are enjoying the calm and the mild pleasures to be had there.
The aspirants are busily fishing in the stirring political pool in the hope of finding an agreeable job. There is adequate food for those who can afford to buy it, always provided that you are not a butter lover or do not expect to find a wide selection of luxuries in the shops. Here is little evidence that France has suffered one of the greatest defeats in her history. Outside the boundaries of this temporary capital, food is not so plentiful, yet in a minor degree the same spirit of indifference exists. The men are returning fairly quickly to their homes and to the harvests which have been in many cases ruined by inattention. But it is hard to discover any serious attempt to meet the formidable problems which are threatening the Vichy Government."
Conditions in Occupied France
"The opinion is often expressed that occupied France is in a much better shape, in spite of all the devastation, than the unoccupied territory. The Germans for many reasons are trying to whip into shape that part of the country which has fallen into their sphere of influence. Their problem is especially serious.
 The division of France |
References:
This article was originally published in The Times of London on August 17, 1940, republished in The Times of London, Europe Under the Nazi Scourge (1941); Shirer, William L., The Collapse of the Third Republic: an inquiry into the fall of France in 1940 (1969).
How To Cite This Article:
"France in Defeat, 1940," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2006).
======================
11 pm update below
11/13/15, "Paris attacks: At least 118 killed in gunfire and blasts, French official says," CNN,
(President Francois) Hollande called the events "unprecedented terrorist attacks" and added, "This is a horror." In a tweet, he said, "Faced with terror, this is a nation that knows how to defend itself, how to mobilize its forces and once again, knows how to overcome the terrorists."...
At least six shootings took place in Paris and three explosions took place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis late Friday, CNN affiliate BFMTV said. Two or three gunmen entered the Bataclan concert hall while opening fire on law enforcement, BFMTV reported. A source earlier told CNN there were six to eight hostage takers, citing a person they were talking to inside the venue.
Attackers reportedly used AK-47 automatic weapons.
Hollande was evacuated at halftime of the France-Germany soccer match."...
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Updated at 11pm:
A witness tells Radio France that attackers inside the Bataclan concert hall entered firing rifles and shouting "Allah akbar."
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Updated at 11pm:
A witness tells Radio France that attackers inside the Bataclan concert hall entered firing rifles and shouting "Allah akbar."
•
At least 153 people were killed in the Paris and Saint-Denis shootings
and bombings, French officials said. Saint-Denis is home to the
national stadium where the soccer match was being played.
• The worst carnage occurred at Bataclan, with at least 112 left dead. A
journalist who was at a rock concert there escaped and told CNN: "We
lied down on the floor not to get hurt. It was a huge panic. The
terrorists shot at us for 10 to 15 minutes. It was a bloodbath." Julien
Pearce didn't hear the attackers speak, but he said one friend who
escaped heard them talk about Iraq and Syria. Later, he said the men
were speaking French. Two men dressed in black started shooting and
after wounded people fell to the floor, the gunmen shot them again,
execution-style, he said."
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"When the Allahu Akbar boys opened fire, Paris was talking about the climate-change conference due to start later this month, when the world's leaders will fly in to "solve" a "problem" that doesn't exist rather than to address the one that does."...
11/13/15, "The Barbarians Are Inside, And There Are No Gates," Mark Steyn
"When the Allahu Akbar boys opened fire, Paris was talking about the climate-change conference due to start later this month, when the world's leaders will fly in to "solve" a "problem" that doesn't exist rather than to address the one that does. But don't worry: we already have a hashtag (#PrayForParis) and doubtless there'll be another candlelight vigil of weepy tilty-headed wankers. Because as long as we all advertise how sad and sorrowful we are, who needs to do anything?"
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"When the Allahu Akbar boys opened fire, Paris was talking about the climate-change conference due to start later this month, when the world's leaders will fly in to "solve" a "problem" that doesn't exist rather than to address the one that does."...
11/13/15, "The Barbarians Are Inside, And There Are No Gates," Mark Steyn
"When the Allahu Akbar boys opened fire, Paris was talking about the climate-change conference due to start later this month, when the world's leaders will fly in to "solve" a "problem" that doesn't exist rather than to address the one that does. But don't worry: we already have a hashtag (#PrayForParis) and doubtless there'll be another candlelight vigil of weepy tilty-headed wankers. Because as long as we all advertise how sad and sorrowful we are, who needs to do anything?"
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