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The German Occupation of Paris in World War 2: How Two Men Saved the City of Light from Destruction

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Since I am in Paris today on my European Field Trip, I thought I would do a post about the Nazi occupation of this beautiful city. Thanks to two people—a French commander who gave up Paris without a fight, and a German commander who refused to destroy it—the city still stands in all its glory with little evidence of the occupation.


The Phoney War turns real


World War 2 began in September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, but the first eight months were fairly uneventful, with little military action. Everyone had a name for this slow-motion war: the Americans called it the "Phoney War;" the Brits referred to it as the "Bore War;" the Germans said it was a "Sitzkrieg" or sit-down war; and the French called it "Drôle de guerre," or the "Funny War." Things weren't so funny when German tanks rolled into France in May 1940 and quickly overwhelmed their unprepared enemy.


Within weeks, Paris was in jeopardy. The British had already made a hasty retreat from Dunkirk, and the French army was completely overwhelmed. By June 10th, the government and thousands had fled Paris as artillery fire rumbled on the outskirts of the city. England wanted the French to fight for their city, but Deputy Prime Minister Phillipe Pétain, an 84-year-old hero from the First World War, said non. He knew they could not win the battle, and the city would be destroyed. "To make Paris into a city of ruins will not affect the issue," he said. Thanks to his wisdom, Paris remained relatively untouched as the German army marched peacefully into the city.



Paris, Germany


Within hours, Germany rejoiced at the collapse of their mortal enemy's capital city. Hatred between France and Germany had existed for centuries, exacerbated by the restrictive Treaty of Versailles which had decimated Germany economically and militarily after World War 1. Church bells rang across the Reich in celebration of the victory, and radios broadcast three minutes of silence followed by "The March Into Paris" which was composed for the occasion. German soldiers raised their nation's swastika-clad flag over the Eiffel Tower, and placed an enormous banner on its base reading "Deutschland siegt auf allen Fronten." Germany wins on all fronts.




Within weeks, Hitler arrived with an entourage, including his famed architect, Albert Speer, to tour the city and envision transforming Paris into the image of Berlin. Retreating French soldiers cut the elevator cables in their iconic landmark, forcing Hitler to stay on the ground and the French to declare that he may have conquered France, but he could not conquer the Eiffel Tower.



Paris became a holiday locale for German soldiers on furlough, and street cafes filled with Luftwaffe pilots. "Jeder einmal in Paris" became the German motto—everyone once in Paris. The prestigious Hotel Lutetia, where Karl and Lili stay in The Forget-Me-Nots of the Angels, became the headquarters for German intelligence. German street signs adorned the major thoroughfares, and Germans filled the city's chic restaurants.


French citizens who remained in the city were subject to strict curfews and supply shortages, and a vibrant resistance took hold underground, urged on by BBC radio messages from London by their exiled leader General Charles de Gaulle. "I call upon all Frenchmen who want to remain free to listen to my voice and follow me. Long live Free France in honour and independence!"


Exportation and Deportation


Wise Frenchmen prepared ahead of time for a potential attack by the Germans and moved many valuable artifacts out of Paris. They evacuated treasures from the Louvre to a castle in the Loire Valley, and the precious stained-glass windows of Notre Dame Cathedral were all packed away and transported out of the city on slow-moving trucks before the Nazi invasion.


Many valuable works of art remained unprotected and soon adorned homes throughout the Reich. Hermann Göring was an especially keen collector and looted more than a thousand masterpieces from France. Curators kept records of confiscated art, which helped return many pieces to their rightful owners after the war, as depicted in the movie "The Monuments Men." In my story, Lili's husband Karl, an anthropologist, helps protect treasured French artworks.


Especially vulnerable was Jewish artwork, along with the Parisian Jews themselves. Many German Jews had escaped to France, only to be trapped within the Reich during the occupation. The Nazis deported over 75,000 Jewish people from France, many in July 1942, when they rounded up 13,152 Jews and sent them to Auschwitz, including over 4,000 children. There were few places in Europe where Jews could hide in the rapidly expanding Reich.


Liberation


After four long years of occupation, the tide finally turned with the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Hitler was vulnerable on all sides, and even within his own ranks. The German military commander of occupied France, Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, helped plan the failed plot to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944, from his office in Paris. The Gestapo quickly arrested him and hanged him in late August 1944.


As the Allies stormed across France, the liberation of Paris was in sight and Hitler cabled an order to destroy the city: "Paris darf nicht oder nur als Trümmerfeld in die Hand des Feindes fallen." Paris must not pass into the enemy's hands, except as a field of ruins. Fortunately for the French, German commander Dietrich von Choltitz believed the Führer to be insane and held great affection for Paris and its beauty, so he refused to obey the order. Hitler's famous question "Is Paris burning?" fell on deaf ears as von Choltitz peacefully surrendered, once again sparing the city from destruction. Many cite Choltitz as the "Savior of Paris."


By the end of August 1944, Paris was back in French control, and it was the Allies' turn to parade down the Champs-Élysées.


American soldiers taking a picture of the French flag, proudly atop the Eiffel Tower once again.

Oppressed, downtrodden, and martyred, but still Paris


De Gaulle returned to Paris, giving his famous speech from l’Hôtel de Ville, in which he declared: ”We are here in Paris. Paris, which stood erect and rose in order to free herself. Paris oppressed, downtrodden, and martyred but still Paris—free now, freed by the hands of Frenchmen, the capital of Fighting France, France the great eternal!"



Paris today retains its beauty, relatively unscarred by the vicious war that destroyed many European cities. This is thanks in part to an octogenarian French war hero who refused to fight for the city and destroy it, and a brave German lover of the arts who refused to obey his Führer's order. Vive Paris!




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Guest
May 12, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Paris! C’est beau!

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Guest
May 05, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Awesome!! Enjoy your time

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Autumn Ford
Autumn Ford
May 05, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars.

Love this so much! Thanks for sharing!!!

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