France, WWII, and the Resistance - Part 1

This will be the first of a multi-part posting dealing primarily with French history, World War II, and French reactions to those events over the past 65 years. This history is everywhere displayed in French cities, with their monuments and plaques honoring those who fought to defeat Germany. Admittedly, as an American, I have a limited perspective and limited standing in presuming to comment on this part of French history. I apologize for the length of this posting, but some background is vital to understanding this part of French history.



Americans typically think of World War II as a ‘good’ war, where the issues were so obvious, clear cut, and black-and-white, that there was no question as to what a nation’s role should be, and what each citizen’s role should be. Before we get too virtuous, we must recall that we played no role in opposing Hitler before the war, and we played a minimal role in opposing Japan’s years-long aggression in China before 1940. Most Americans believed that we should not be trying to ‘play the world’s policeman’, and it was only after we were attacked without warning that we became actively involved.


After the war on the Western Front began in 1940, and the German armies triumphed in a matter of weeks, France was truly traumatized. The reasons for the rapid defeat lay primarily in the poor leadership of the French Armies and Government. There were factions within the French government, as there were throughout the western democracies (i.e. the German-American Bund in the US before the War, and similar organizations in most countries in Europe and the Americas) that saw Germany as a bulwark against the expansion of Russian Communism as personified by Josef Stalin, certainly a man with more blood on his hands at that point than Adolf Hitler. Alone of the Western leaders, Winston Churchill saw that Hitler represented the greater immediate threat to the West, and alliances must be made with all who opposed him. As he said in Parliament, ‘if Hitler invaded hell, I would at least make favorable references to the devil...’, and he was not yet the leader of Britain until after the German offensive in the West began in May 1940.


With the collapse of France and the humiliating armistice with Germany that resulted in the annexation of parts of France to Germany and the occupation of a large part of the rest of the country by the German Army, the ‘realists’ in the French government, which had moved from Paris to the city of Vichy in the unoccupied part of France, believed that Germany would ultimately win in Europe. If that was reality, then it was the government’s duty to secure the best possible conditions for the French people. This was done with some degree of success and most of the French people went on with their lives as best they could. There was no real organized opposition within France at that time.

Map showing areas of occupied and unoccupied France

General Charles De Gaulle, the commander of a French Armored Brigade that had distinguished itself against the German offensive in May 1940, had been brought into the government as Undersecretary of War as the government tried to find a solution to the German offensive. Even before the War he had seen how the nature of war was changing to one of mobility and had publicly advocated reforms in the way the French Army was organized; for this he was essentially stricken from the list of possible candidates for high command.


After the Armistice with Germany, De Gaulle escaped to Britain, and on June 18, 1940, made a radio broadcast to the French people calling on them to refuse to accept defeat and continue the struggle under his leadership. He was ignored by all but a handful French military men, and was condemned to death in abstentia by the Vichy government. The French Communist Party, which liked to claim that it was the true inspiration for the Resistance that eventually developed, had, after the infamous Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939, condemned the war as an imperialist one in which the working classes had no stake. Only after Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, did the Communists become a very effective part of the Resistance.

De Gaulle making June 18, 1940 radio announcement.

De Gaulle’s thesis was always that Vichy was not the legitimate government of France and that France must regain her independence or would no longer be a great nation. Through the exercise of his formidable intelligence and will, he slowly welded together an effective resistance organization within France and an effective Free French military organization. This took years to accomplish, but he continued to insist on his vision of a reborn France and, by the summer of 1944, there were French Divisions fighting alongside British and American units and a unified Resistance organization within France. How this was accomplished, and the truly remarkable individuals who risked literally everything to rebuild French honor and strength, will be the story of future postings.

SOLDE - Changes is Sales in France, and a Fashion Update

France has always limited merchants to having sales for 3 week periods, twice a year.   But, we have noticed that there continue to be advertised sales all over the place.  We asked Estelle, our "French daughter," about it, and she told us the government has totally done away with those restrictions.  We imagine it's in an effort to help merchants through these tough economic times.  Whatever the reason, it's good news for the merchants and for us!

I promised a fashion update - so here's a quick one...

• What I've been calling "harem pants" are everywhere and in a variety styles (gathered/pleated, very full/slim, short/long).  Again, some ladies really shouldn't...
• I'm seeing "baby-doll" sort of tops (fitted bodice with gathers below and puff sleeves) worn with leggings or tight pants
• Remember "bubble dresses"?  Those are the ones with hems that are gathered and sort of tucked up under so no hem shows.  Well, I'm seeing an increasing number of those.  Some are actually kind of cute.
• Lots of women are wearing sweaters with large necklines with one side off the shoulder.  (Not sure if I'm explaining that very well.)  Usually looks quite chic while being casual.  (David disagrees and says very few can carry this off - "even French women".)
• Lots of women are wearing long scarves, "carelessly" draped around the neck.  (I honestly don't think French women dress "carelessly" as a general rule, although there's always the occasional exception.)
• Colors for Fall seem to go to black, grey, and white with color accents (often various reds)
• Finally, I'm seeing lots of sweater or knit dresses for Fall/Winter in the store windows.  Looking forward to getting one or two.

Sunday - More JOURNEES EUROPEENNES DU PATRIMOINE

Sunday


Everyone told us we absolutely had to tour the Hotel de Ville (city hall for all of Lyon). We were also advised to get in line early since it was a very popular site. We looked at it a couple of times Saturday, but the lines were pretty long so we decided to give it a try on Sunday. So Sunday we arrived and walked right in - no lines! This is truly the most impressive building in Lyon! It was completed in 1672 and was designed to be a scaled down replica of the Louvre. It has experienced and survived fire and bombardment (see earlier post re the French Revolution and the siege of Lyon), but it remains an absolutely incredible building.

Here's the exterior from the Place des Terreaux side (deGaulle addressed the people of Lyon from this balcony soon after the city was liberated).

And, here it is from the side facing the Opera House.

I was standing on the steps of the Opera House and still couldn't get the whole building into the picture!

And now here are some shots of the interior (although these few pictures do not do it justice!):

Council Chamber

Ballroom/Reception Hall

One of the Red Salons (The way the mirrors are positioned, any image is reflected endlessly.)

Part of the Grand Staircase

After we left L'Hotel de Ville, it was time for coffee and a snack, then a trip across town to the next stop.

This was the first year the Memorial Montluc has been included in the places open to the public. We had gone to see the exterior on one of our explorations, but had never been inside before. I guess a lot of other people wanted to see inside, too, since the line to get in stretched all the way around the building. They actually ended up adding visiting time one afternoon the following week in an attempt to get everyone in.

Fort Montluc was built between 1831 and 1835 for use as a military prison. However, it had a much more sinister use during WWII, and was under the control of Klaus Barbie. It was used by the Nazis as a prison for Jews, Members of the Resistance, hostages, and various other persecuted individuals. Cells meant to hold a single person, held 8 people. The conditions were unspeakable. Some people were here temporarily before being deported to concentration camps or other prisons. Others were "interrogated," or just incarcerated, or shot. One person, a French pilot, actually managed to escape - he was the only escapee. The tour was not for the faint hearted.

Mural on outside wall - memorial to Jean Moulin and others in the Resistance.

Plaque on the front of the prison honoring those who were freed by the Free French forces and those who did not survive. (The accomplices it refers to are the Vichy and the Milice.)

My attempt to give you an idea of the size of the prison. There are three floors of cells.

But, there is also a vision of hope in this horrible place. The Nazis didn't win; the cause these people believed so strongly in prevailed. Modern Lyon has "risen from the ashes" to become a place that I hope the martyrs would be proud of. Just look out the window of this prison cell and see a park and the many new buildings...including "le Crayon" that is so near our apartment.

David will be doing a posting on Jean Moulin and the Resistance soon - it's quite a story!

JOURNEES EUROPEENNES DU PATRIMOINE - Sept 18 & 19

Once a year, communities throughout Europe open the doors of many, many public and private (mostly museums and churches) buildings to the public.  We were told by many people that this was an opportunity not to be missed.  So we got our brochure for Grand Lyon (includes suburbs) and started scoping out our plan of attack for these two days.  Since Grand Lyon is quite spread out, we decided we could do justice to no more than three locations each day.  Here's what we saw...

Saturday
Our first stop was the Mairie of our Arrondisement (#3).  Lyon is so big that it's divided into multiple arrondisements (regions/neighborhoods), and we live in the 3rd Arrondisement.  Each one has its own city hall and mayor.  As mentioned earlier, weddings must take place here to be legal, and we had to squeeze through a wedding party and guests to get in the front door.  The building is fairly new and was constructed in 1891.
Here's a picture of the council chamber with the mayor's desk in the background:

Our next stop was the Prefecture du Rhone (Rhone County Hall).  We have walked around and by this building many, many times.  The building is very imposing!  It was built from 1883-1890 at a cost of about 4,500,000 francs (685,000 euros).  It is surrounded by impressive grounds containing lovely gardens and statues.  And, it is guarded 24/7.  What could be more enticing?

Here's a shot of the exterior taken from across the street:



The inside of the building is also impressive!  Here are some shots I took of the Grand Staircase:

And, here is The Grand Salon

There are also frescos, stained glass, and many, many beautiful paintings.  One room was set up to show a sort of orientation presentation to help visitors understand and appreciate what they would see.  We were definitely glad we got a chance to tour the building and spent a good deal of time there.

Next stop was Bourse or Chambre de Commerce de Lyon.   It's also an impressive building.  Here's the exterior:

It's still called the Bourse because its first life was hosting the stock exchange. The bell is still there, and the names of cities around the world with exchanges remain in the decorations around the main room.  Here's New York:

And here is a shot I took of the old trading floor which is now used for displays, shows, etc. - note the beautiful arches and windows above:

At this point we were ready for some crepes and wine and a leisurely walk back to our apartment.

Tomorrow..L'Hotel de Ville et Memorial Montluc

PS-As we were leaving the Prefecture, we saw a nun in full habit (not unusual in Lyon).  But, what WAS unusual is that she was riding a razor scooter! 

Celebration at Croix-Rousse

We heard there was to be a "braderie" with ~500 booths ("something for everyone") at Croix-Rousse last weekend so decided to go up there on Saturday and check it out.  We're glad we did!

Have to admit that we didn't get off to a very auspicious start.  I managed to squeeze onto the metro, but David did not.  For those of you who haven't ridden the metro, here's a picture I took of the metro station while I was waiting for David to arrive:

When we connected, we wandered up and down the streets taking in the many, many booths in the braderie.  There was everything from regular merchants' clearance sales to people selling "Turnip Twaddlers" (for those Far Side cartoon fans)  - "it slices, it dices, etc. etc."  We actually got a couple of Christmas gifts, including a cute jumper for our granddaughter, Vesper.  Then it was time to sit back and have a carafe du vin.  Here's a picture I took of David in an increasingly typical pose:

Then we got a real treat - a parade celebrating the "Republique des Canuts." 

Time for a quick bit of explanation.  The Canuts were silk workers.  They had a definite "radical" contingent and have been described as being a first organized labor unit. The Canuts actually had four distinct rebellions, the first was in 1831 in protest of their 18 hour days and working conditions.  Their battle cry was, "Vivre libre en travaillant ou mourir en combattant !" (Live free working or die fighting.) King Louis-Philippe I sent 20,000 men and 150 cannon which pretty much ended that.  The last was in 1849, echoing the uprising of the Parisian Republicans, and was no more successful than the previous ones.  Times moved on, manufacturing methods changed, and the invention of "artificial silk" brought an end to the Canuts.  The current organization of "Republique des Canuts" was founded in 1986 to keep the memory of Canuts alive.

Back to the parade…  There were Canut dignitaries in red aprons, others in official-looking robes, a grand marching band, a horse-drawn wagon with more Canut celebrants, and lots of others marching along behind.  Many of those last folk carried baskets with scissors and wore aprons.  Quite the celebration!  We decided to show solidarity and join the parade and walked along with them until they reached their destination, a park with a huge banner proclaiming their republic.  They finished off with speakers, traditional food, and, I'm sure, more music.  We decided it was time to head home to our apartment and didn't stay around.  But, here are some pix taken of the parade:

Lyon Views

Lyon is not only an interesting city; it's also a beautiful city.  So, I thought I'd share some of the views with you.

Starting with our apartment:
This is the sunset out our living room window:

Here is the "Crayon" (pencil) out our kitchen window (a great landmark - easily visible from all over the city, and my guide home on walks):

This is a view looking down a street on the Presqu'ile, a peninsula between the Saone and Rhone rivers in the center of Lyon:

I took this picture from a park in Croix Russe looking towards the city center and Fourviere Hill  You can see a cathedral on the hill in the distance that was built ~1872 in thanks to the Virgin Mary for saving the city from the Prussians.  The tower is just a radio tower.:

Here is a picture of one of the many farmers' markets.  They are all over the city.  This one is in Croix Russe:

And, here is a view walking along the Saone River on the Old Lyon side:

More pix to come in later blog postings.

Lyon and the Revolution

Whenever anyone mentions the French Revolution, I think of royalists vs revolutionaries and, of course, the guillotine.  But, I've found it wasn't really that simple.  There were the Montagnards (left-leaning and fairly extreme) and Girondin (a more moderate group).  The Montagnards had a lot of support in Paris, but Lyon went with the Girondin.  In fact, in May, 1793, the Montagnard faction was forcibly removed from the Lyon City Council.  Since Lyon was perceived to be a center of opposition, the Montagnard-controlled army laid seige to Lyon.

Lyon managed to hold out from August 8th to October 9th, but finally had to surrender.  On October 12th Lyon was officially renamed "Ville Affranchie" or "Liberated City."  Girondin leaders' homes were demolished, and, after summary trials by the Revolutionary Tribunal, many of the leaders were shot.

The memory of the seige and its victims lingers.  One can still see evidence of the seige in the damage by cannon balls to the exterior of the Church of St. Polycarpe.  And, the church pictured  below is dedicated to the memory of the victims.  (The second picture shows the inscription on the church front in more detail.)

Both churches are reminders that historical events are often much more complex than they may seem, and evoke the same sorts of emotions as the Civil War monuments we are familiar with in the US.

A Mental Collage of Some of our Favorite Scenes in Lyon

Here are some things that we see on a fairly regular basis that are unique to France:

Multiple groups of very well-dressed people (each group has a bride and groom in the center) standing outside of a local city hall (each arrondisement, or neighborhood has one) as they wait for their turn to celebrate a marriage.  (In France one must be married by the arrondisement mayor in the arrondisement city hall for the marriage to be legal.  After that one may repeat the process in church or just go straight to the reception.)

Adults, especially men in business suits, zooming along on their razor scooters.

Women in business attire riding their bicycles.

Shelves and shelves of good wine at incredibly low prices at our local super markets.

Groups of people, all of whom are talking loudly and quickly, that will just stop, say their good-byes, and go their way.  (What on earth was going on there?  Did anyone really hear what anyone else was saying?  Was there really any exchange of thoughts and ideas?  How can they possibly reach any sort of agreement?  Or, do any of these questions really matter?)

The smiles and greetings we get in our two favorite boulangeries - not to mention the occasional freebies.

As you can see, life is really difficult here for us - we may need more than one year of 'study' to decide!

September 2-3, 1944 in Lyon - "We will remember"

The second and third of September are very important dates in Lyon - the anniversary of the liberation of Lyon in 1944 by the Free French Army. Whether one is in Paris or Lyon, it is impossible to miss the plaques mounted on buildings commemorating the death, shooting, assassination (we've seen all those words used) or deportation to a concentration camp of an individual. Occasionally, there are still bullet holes in walls near the plaques. Often the inscription on the plaque will say something like "we will remember." So Thursday and Friday are days to celebrate the liberation of Lyon and honor the memory of all those men and women who made it possible, some of whom didn't live to see it.

RENTREE - End of Summer

Tomorrow is the day all kids in Lyon (and probably all of France) dread.  The day their summer freedom officially ends, and they have to return to the hallowed halls of learning.

The school supply areas in all the various stores are pretty crazy with all the last minute shoppers.  It's been really busy for the last couple of weeks, but it was a zoo yesterday when we were in Carafour. Students of all ages, mostly teenagers, can be seen gathering in groups on the streets to commiserate or plot or whatever.  Older students are trudging along the streets from the various train and metro stations pulling gigantic suitcases (thank goodness for roller bags!).   Our French daughter's son, Paul, will be entering the equivalent of Middle School and is a bundle of nerves.  I'm sure glad those days are behind me!

And, of course, the weather will be beautiful!