WWII France: 1940 Nazi Occupation, German Tank Panzer Division Parades Down Streets of Paris

[appalachiablue]

- German Tank Panzer Division parades on streets of Paris in France.

June 1940. German Tank Panzer Division advances with artillery in Paris, France. German troops parade on streets of Paris. They march through the Arch of Triumph. View of the Arch of Triumph building. Horse drawn artillery passes in front of the building. The Eiffel Tower in the background. Soldiers march with rifles in hand. French people watch as the troops parade. Aerial view of the street. Officers look at a map.
____________




- Adolph Hitler strolling in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, June 23, 1940.

Wiki. German military administration in occupied France during World War II 1940-1944. 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. 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').

Its role in France was partly governed by the conditions set by the Second Armistice at Compiègne after the blitzkrieg success of the Wehrmacht leading to the Fall of France; at the time both French and Germans thought the occupation would be temporary and last only until Britain came to terms, which was believed to be imminent. For instance, France agreed that its soldiers would remain prisoners of war until the cessation of all hostilities.

Replacing the French Third Republic that had dissolved during France's defeat was the "French State" (État français),
with its sovereignty and authority limited to the free zone. As Paris was located in the occupied zone, its government was seated in the spa town of Vichy in Auvergne, and therefore it was more commonly known as Vichy France. While the Vichy government was nominally in charge of all of France, the military administration in the occupied zone was a de facto Nazi dictatorship. Nazi rule was extended to the free zone when it was invaded by Germany and Italy during Case Anton on 11 November 1942 in response to Operation Torch, the Allied landings in French North Africa on 8 November 1942. The Vichy government remained in existence, even though its authority was now severely curtailed.

The military administration in France ended with the Liberation of France after the Normandy and Provence landings. It formally existed from May 1940 to December 1944, though most of its territory had been liberated by the Allies by the end of summer 1944...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_military_administration_in_occupied_France_during_World_War_II



- French Jewish women wearing the yellow badge.



- Volunteer with the French Resistance interior forces, FFI.

[Mike 03]

1. How well the early invasions went factored into Hitler's decision to

rush into the Soviet Union, against the advice of his generals.

He thought the Wehrmacht would be home in time for Christmas 1941. Ooops.

[appalachiablue]

2. Over confidence, arrogance and a ton of speed got to him,

thank god. Squashed from both sides east and west in the end.

Miserable monster.

[Mike 03]

3. That's right.

Also, the French invasion was the height of his popularity in Germany. It was all downhill after this.

EDIT: My favorite part of WW2 to read about is that last part, "The Downfall." Although to be honest it's scary as hell how he mentally deteriorated while trying to run the war, at the same time he was militarily incompetent, and lashing out at the German people for failing him. He turned against nearly everybody at the very end. And it was a living hell for the people still in the concentration camps.

[Arne]

4. Here we see what Martial Law is with Nazi power.