german occupation of france ww1

This InfoFile lists nearly 1,500 occupations and occupational terms in German, with English translations. Loading ... World War I: When northern France was on German time - Duration: 16:05. August and September : Many French cities are released from the German occupation. Region: Russia Area Group: Ukraine and South Russia Classification: Puppet Government (Germany) Prior Regime: Russian Empire Key Dates: 1917, Sept – Bolshevik Government led by Vladimir Lenin established 1918, Apr/May – German offensive took control of Crimea 1918, Jun 25 – Germans establish Crimean Government led by Gen. Maciej Sulkevich 1918, Nov – Germans withdraw from Crimea, Sulkevich government falls 191… We had to go back to our home town, we undertook with great apprehension the long return home. Economic exploitation of the occupied zone increased throughout the war. Partly because of its proximity to the front, occupied north-east France was ruled by the military, rather than by a civilian occupation administration. The first section examines the French attack on Alsace-Lorraine in August 1914 and the Russian invasions of East Prussia from August 1914 until March 1915. [2] A number of important towns and cities were situated within it too, notably Lille, Douai, Cambrai, Valenciennes, Maubeuge and Avesnes. Surrender of Napoleon III after the Battle of Sedan, September 1, 1870. Ten percent of eastern France remained in the possession of the German Army for the war's duration. French troops assaulting a barricade during the Paris Commune. This superior organization and mobility enabled the chief of the general staff, Gen. Helmuth von Moltke, to exploit German superiority in numbers in most of the war’s battles. An equally important asset was the Prussian army’s general staff, which planned the rapid, orderly movement of large numbers of troops to the battle zones. This article studies Germany’s experiences of occupation during and immediately after the First World War. How France was managed: Observer report, September 1941. German losses numbered 460 officers and 8,500 men. How long did the Germans occupy France? Germany was able to deliver 380,000 troops to the forward zone within 18 days of the start (July 14) of mobilization, while many French units reached the front either late or with inadequate supplies. Their mutual animosity proved to be the driving force behind the prolonged slaughter on the Western Front in World War I. French republican politician Léon Gambetta (in hat, centre) about to escape besieged Paris for Tours by balloon, October 1870, during the Franco-German War. It established both the German Empire and the French Third Republic. German occupation of northeastern France during World War I, "Occupations during the War (France and Belgium)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_occupation_of_north-east_France_during_World_War_I&oldid=999696017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 January 2021, at 13:45. Superior numbers, organization, and mobility contributed to the German victory. 447 pp. Most importantly, Germany’s annexation of Alsace-Lorraine aroused a deep longing for revenge in the French people. Both were more or less a consequence of the failed execution of the so-called Schlieffenplan. The German occupation of north-east France refers to the period in which French territory, mostly along the Belgian and Luxembourgish border, was held under military occupation by the German Empire during World War I. Owing to the speed of the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, fighting reached French soil early in the war. In this highly nationalistic setting, Vichy France entered into collaboration with Germany despite opportunities to continue fighting in 1940 or defect from the German orbit later. After German forces invaded Poland, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany.In 1940 Hitler had his sights set on its southwestern neighbour. Bismarck used diplomacy and political manipulation to keep Italy, Russia, and Britain out of the war, isolating France. Find places of remembrance to visit which are related to this theme. (Additionally, the Prussian system of conscript armies controlled by a highly trained general staff was soon adopted by the other great powers.) Léon Gambetta, the leading figure in the provisional government, organized new French armies in the countryside after escaping from besieged Paris in a balloon. The German occupation Omissions? The occupation of French territory on the other hand was a result of the Battle of the Marne, i… The Battle of Sedan was a disaster for the French. Since July 1940, upon being invaded and cathedrale,france,germany,1870,1914,1940,invasion,occupation, end notes. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Germany had invaded Belgium thus violating its neutral status, because it wanted to avoid the French fortresses between Belfort and Verdun. The Allied occupation of the Rhineland took place following the armistice that brought the fighting of World War I to a close on 11 November 1918. Also included are common occupational prefixes and suffixes in German. Napoleon, aware that he faced a severe challenge, set out to strengthen…, A final war with France, in 1870–71, again resulted in Prussian victory. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Paris was under German occupation from June 14, 1940 to August 25, 1944. Print depicting scenes from the Prussian siege of Paris (1870–71). Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. The efficient German mobilization contrasted with confusion and delay on the French side. The History Place - World War I Timeline - 1915 - Occupied France. Introduction Although most of the dead in World War One were soldiers, the war claimed millions of civilian victims: through malnutrition and famine, forced resettlement, herding into camps, epidemics, forced labour, and aerial bombing. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. His further retreat was checked by the German right wing in the blundering Battles of Mars-la-Tour and Gravelotte on August 16 and 18, respectively, and he then took refuge behind the defenses of Metz indefinitely. The occupied zone represented about 3.7 percent of French landmass and included some of the most industrialized parts of the country. This so-called zone occupée was renamed zone nord ("north zone") in November 1942, when the previously unoccupied zone in the south known as zone libre ("free zone") was also occupied and renamed zone sud ("south zone"). Though their advance was stopped at the First Battle of the Marnein September 1914, the Germans gained control of a portion of French territory which remained under German occupation behin… The French emperor, Napoleon III, declared war on Prussia on July 19, 1870, because his military advisers told him that the French army could defeat Prussia and that such a victory would restore his declining popularity in France. With Napoleon III no longer in power to protect them, the Papal States were annexed by Italy (September 20, 1870), thereby completing that nation’s unification. Despite the fact that the French Army was heavily manning the country’s border with its enemy, Germany successfully invaded the country and occupied it within only 6 weeks. An encounter between French civilians and a German guard in occupied France. On June 14, 1940, Parisians awaken to the sound of a German-accented voice announcing via loudspeakers that a curfew was being imposed for 8 p.m. that evening Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Prussian troops marching past the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War, undated illustration. France was to be divided into occupied and unoccupied parts. They also had great faith in two recently introduced technical innovations: the breech-loading chassepot rifle, with which the entire army was now equipped; and the newly invented mitrailleuse, an early machine gun. The war marked the end of French hegemony in continental Europe and resulted in the creation of a unified Germany. Fiddler’s account of the German occupation in France was given in … The German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I was the first of two military occupations of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by Germany in the 20th century. Read an historical article about this event of the First World War in Northern France: The Department of Nord and the Coal Basin under German occupation - Lille under German rule. On November 10, 1942, German troops occupy Vichy France, which had previously been free of an Axis military presence. WW1 Occupation France 220453-07 | Footage Farm footagefarm. There is no known evidence for this claim, but an accretion of unsupported myths. The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944. It began with the surrender of France to the Nazi forces. The German occupation of France lasted 4 years. FRANCE 24 English 4,144 views. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. After suffering a check at the Battle of Wörth on August 6, 1870, the commander of the French right (south) wing, Marshal Patrice Mac-Mahon, retreated westward. This is a romantic speculation. I am aware of the history and politics of The Tannenberg Memorial and am curious as to whether there was any jingoism or otherwise on the behalf of Germans during the occupation with regards to the Allied memorials (Thiepval, Vimy Ridge, Menin Gate etc). Bismarck edited William’s telegraphed description of this interview, and on July 14 he published this provocative message (the Ems telegram), which accomplished his purposes of infuriating the French government and provoking it into a declaration of war. Trapped against the Belgian frontier, the French lost 17,000 men and were compelled to surrender on September 2. The northern part along with all coastlines went the Nazis while the south went to a government run by Marshal Pétain, called Vichy France. These engaged but could not defeat the German forces. Between then and the conclusion of the formal Treaty of Frankfurt on May 10, 1871, the republican government was threatened by an insurrection in Paris, in which radicals established their own short-lived government, the Paris Commune. The Germans’ crushing victory over France in the war consolidated their faith in Prussian militarism, which would remain a dominant force in German society until 1945. Jules Favre, foreign minister in the new government, went to negotiate with Bismarck, but the negotiations were broken off when he found that Germany demanded Alsace and Lorraine. Furthermore, France had to pay an indemnity of five billion francs and cover the costs of the German occupation of France’s northern provinces until the indemnity was paid. Crowning of King William I of Prussia as the German emperor, Versailles, France, 1871. Prussia’s defeat of Austria in the Seven Weeks’ War in 1866 had confirmed Prussian leadership of the German states and threatened France’s position as the dominant power in Europe. Count Helmuth von Moltke directed German troops through France, much like his nephew Moltke who did the same during World War I. German troops only left France in September 1873 when the full indemnity had been paid. The German campaign is being carried out for the most part through the medium of … The Prussian chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, and Spain’s de facto leader, Juan Prim, persuaded the reluctant Leopold to accept the Spanish throne in June 1870. The Military Administration in France (German: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; French: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France. Hitler had hoped that France and the United Kingdom would acquiesce in his conquest and quickly make peace. Franco-German War, also called Franco-Prussian War, (July 19, 1870–May 10, 1871), war in which a coalition of German states led by Prussia defeated France. On September 19 the Germans began to besiege Paris. The vast German and French armies that then confronted each other were each grouped into right and left wings. German Occupation Definitions - English Translations Compiled by: Nolan Altman, Edward Mitelsbach, and Kurt Friedlaender. Almost 300,000 men ( all sides ) died. The attorney general of Guernsey, Ambrose Sherwill, actually referred to it as a ‘model occupation’, which very much captured the essence of what the German … Bazaine capitulated at Metz with his 140,000 troops intact on October 27, and Paris surrendered on January 28, 1871. Prussian victories over Denmark (1864) and Austria (1866) indicated a serious shift in the European balance of power. The public had been assured that the French army, along with the Maginot Line, was more than strong enough to resist a German attack.The speed and severity of Blitzkrieg had shocked the French people. The Franco-German War had far-reaching consequences. The Germans had superiority of numbers, since, true to Bismarck’s hopes, the South German states (Bavaria, Württemberg, and Baden) regarded France as the aggressor in the conflict and had thus sided with Prussia. The immediate cause of the Franco-German War, however, was the candidacy of Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (who was related to the Prussian royal house) for the Spanish throne, which had been left vacant when Queen Isabella II had been deposed in 1868. This new state had a national parliament…. The culminating triumph of Bismarck’s plans came on January 18, 1871, when King William I of Prussia was proclaimed German emperor at Versailles, the former palace of the kings of France. $28. This move greatly alarmed France, who felt threatened by a possible combination of Prussia and Spain directed against it. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? French, British, Italian and American troops launch the big offensive which obliged German soldiers to give up the invasion of Flanders. The war marked the end of French hegemony in continental Europe and resulted in the creation of a unified Germany. Though Germany eventually lost World War II and France again ended up on the victorious side, the leadership traits demonstrated before and during the battle in … Forced labor became increasingly common as the war dragged on. That same day, about 40 miles (65 km) to the northeast, the commander of the French left wing, Marshal Achille Bazaine, was dislodged from near Saarbrücken and fell back westward to the fortress of Metz. The German occupation of Belgium (French: Occupation allemande, Dutch: Duitse bezetting) of World War I was a military occupation of Belgium by the forces of the German Empire between 1914 and 1918. The two beleaguered nations were hastily added to the anti-German ad-hoc coalition that included France and Britain, but this only served to further … Updates? Since Bazaine’s army was still bottled up in Metz, the result of the war was virtually decided by this surrender. World War II - World War II - German-occupied Europe: Hitler’s racist ideology and his brutal conception of power politics caused him to pursue certain aims in those European countries conquered by the Germans in the period 1939–42. This article was most recently revised and updated by, The French collapse and the siege of Paris, https://www.britannica.com/event/Franco-German-War, Florida Museum of Natural History - Roughskin Dogfish, Franco-Prussian War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Marie-Edme-Patrice-Maurice, count de Mac-Mahon. How did the German occupation forces treat WW1 Allied Memorials/Gravestones in France during WW2? The years from 1871 to 1914 were marked by an extremely unstable peace, since France’s determination to recover Alsace-Lorraine and Germany’s mounting imperialist ambitions kept the two nations constantly poised for conflict. 26 September : Offensive in Lorraine by Foch. This was essential to him as Germany's stock of raw materials — and of the foreign currencies to buy them — was critically low. Beginning in August 1914 with the invasion of neutral Belgium , the country was almost completely overrun by German troops before the winter of the same year as the Allied forces withdrew westwards. In the immediate aftermath of the June 1940 surrender, France went into a period of shock. It solved at a stroke the problem of southern Germany, since all the southern German states at once acknowledged their treaty obligations to Prussia and placed…, Napoleon, meanwhile, had become uncomfortably involved in a diplomatic poker game with Bismarck. Leopold’s candidacy was withdrawn under French diplomatic pressure, but Prussian King William I was unwilling to bow to the French ambassador’s demands that he promise to never again allow Leopold to be a candidate for the Spanish throne. Much of the 1928 novel Schlump by Hans Herbert Grimm is set in German-occupied France where the protagonist works in the occupation administration. The following day, the Germans on the surrounding heights poured deadly artillery fire down on them. Bismarck, for his part, saw war with France as an opportunity to bring the South German states into unity with the Prussian-led North German Confederation and build a strong German Empire. The German occupation of north-east France refers to the period in which French territory, mostly along the Belgian and Luxembourgish border, was held under military occupation by the German Empire during World War I. Owing to the speed of the German invasion of Belgium in 1914, fighting reached French soil early in the war. This settlement was finally negotiated by Adolphe Thiers and Favre and was signed February 26 and ratified March 1. Fiddler, who grew up in German-occupied France, is just one of a dwindling number of World War II survivors with a profound, first-hand story to share about the hardships of the last world war. France was split in two. A detailed case study of the German occupation of France during World War II demonstrates these claims. Region:Western Europe Group: Franco Prussian War Occupations in Western Europe Classification: Occupation (Germany) Prior Regime: Empire of France Key Dates: 1870, Jul 19 – Outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war 1870 – German occupation of the Alsace and Lorraine regions 1871 May 10 – France defeated, Franco-Prussian war ends 1871 – Alsace-Lorraine region created by the Germany Empire 1872, Jan 1 – Alsace-Lorraine an… He was now dependent on supplies from his new ally the Soviet Union, a situation he was uncomfortable wi… Though the war was perhaps not planned by Bismarck, it was certainly not unwelcome to him. About 104,000 officers and men were taken prisoner, including both Napoleon and Mac-Mahon. German military forces occupied Norway, Denmark, Belgium, northern France, Serbia, parts of northern Greece, and vast tracts of territory in eastern Europe. To our home town, we undertook with great apprehension the long return home army for the Third... 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