A bit of history
A bit of history
1870: The Franco-prussian Wat and the annexation of Alsace and Moselle to the Reich
THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR THE ANNEXATION OF ALSACE AND MOSELLE TO THE REICH In 1870 On 19 July 1870, Napoleon III declared war on Prussia. Very quickly, the French armies were defeated: in Alsace, first at Wissembourg and Frœschwiller and later at Strasbourg, and in Moselle at Gravelotte, Mars la Tour..Read More
From 1914 to 1918: The Great War
The great war From 1914 to 1918 On 3 August 1914, Germany declared war on France. As soon as the 31st of July, the Reichland was submitted to a state of war: suppression of freedoms, ban on public meeting and press censorship. The next day, the orders for mobilisation were..Read More
1919-38 : The time betwenn the two Wars
THE TIME BETWEEN THE TWO WARS From 1919 to 1938 The reception given to the liberation troops and the legislative elections of 1919 were both perceived as a plebiscite in favour of France, but the enthusiasm quickly gave way to a certain “malaise.”Linguistic difficulties, triage commissions and, later, the French..Read More
From 1939 to 1940: Evacuation – Phony war and collapse, May-June 1940
EVACUATION, PHONY WAR AND COLLAPSE, MAY-JUNE 1940 From 1939 to 1940 On 1st September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. France mobilized its troops right away.The Alsace and Moselle border zone’s complete evacuation were ordered, spread over an area of about 10 kilometres deep. More than 600,000 residents of Alsace and Moselle..Read More
1940 – The deportation of people from Alsace and Moselle
The deportation of people from Alsace and Moselle In 1940 The political opponents in Alsace and Moselle were deported. They were sent to different camps of the great Reich.For exemple, 42 Alsatian officers were deported to Neuengamme because they refused to swear allegiance to Hitler. Twenty-two of them died there...Read More
1940 – 1944 : Repression and the camps in Alsace-Moselle
Repression and the camps In Alsace-Moselle From 1940 to 1944 In 1940, German law and penal procedure code were introduced in Alsace-Moselle, as the same time as the establishment of a system of repression: a Nazi re-education camp opened in Schirmeck on 2 August 1940 and one year later, the..Read More
1940 – Germanization and Nazification of Alsace-Moselle
Germanisation and nazification Of Alsace-Moselle In 1940 The situation of Alsace and Moselle was never mentioned in the clauses of the armistice of 1940. Despite this, the Fermans occupied right away the three French departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin and Moselle, and as early as July 1940, the borders from the..Read More
1940 : The resistance of people from Alsace Moselle living outside of the Region
THE RESISTANCE OF PEOPLE FROM ALSACE MOSELLE LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE REGION In 1940 The Diaspora of Alsace and Moselle was an important breeding ground for the French and foreign Resistance movements.Those who were evacuated but didn’t return, those who were deported or had escaped, were on every front (in..Read More
1942 : Résistance, répression et ralliement
Resistance, repression rallying En 1942 Despite a very harsh repression, the population of these two territories showed its attachment to France. People kept speaking French in the streets, in shops, at work. They sang the Marseillaise or the Internationale. The tricolour flag was covertly hoisted, people did graffiti on the..Read More
1942 : The Establishment of required military service
The establishment of Required military service In 1942 After the introduction of the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD, work service of the Reich, for young girls and boys) in April 1941, the population went through the dreaded establishment of a compulsory military service. The vast propaganda campaign, implemented by the Nazis to encourage..Read More
1943 : Absolute war in Alsace Moselle
Absolute war In Alsace Moselle In 1943 The war took a turn when Paulus capitulated in Stalingrad on 2 February 1943. The great Reich was thrown into “Total War” and Alsace and Moselle too. In daily life, the rationing became stricter, requisitions and collections in favour of the front were..Read More
1945 : Alsace-Moselle Contribution
ALSACE MOSELLE CONTRIBUTION In 1945 Alsace and Moselle had not only been occupied but annexed by the Third Reich, therefore the war heavily affected them : 130,00 young men (called the “malgré-nous”) were forced to fight in the German army. 30,000 of them died or went missing. These martyred lands forged..Read More
1945 – 1949 : Consolidate peace
Consolidate peace From 1945 to 1949 Between 1945 and 1947, it was urgent to brought former war ennemies back together and consolidate peace efforts. The creation of NATO in 1949 strengthened the military cooperation between Americans and Europeans confronted with the massive presence of Soviet troops in the communist countries.Initiatives..Read More
End of the Second World War : Europe is in ruins
END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR EUROPE IS IN RUINS BEGINNING IN MARCH 1945… After Second World War, European industries were slowed down and its international power were reduced. There was a lack of confidence at an international level. The “Cold War” quickly followed the very violent conflict of 39-45...Read More
1950-1954 : No to a European Army
No to a European Army From 1950 to 1954 In 1950, the invasion of South Korea by communists’troops from the North brought about the fear of a confrontation between the two blocs on the European soil. In order to resist the soviet threat, the United States asked their allies to..Read More
1950-1960 : Baby steps for Europe
BABY STEPS FOR EUROPE From 1955 to 1960 After the failure of the EDC, the six Member States of the ECSC met at the Messina Conference and affirmed, in June 1955, their intention “to go a step further towards the conscrution of Europe […] first at all […] in the..Read More
1960-1988 : The great interior market
The great interior market From 1960 to 1988 Two oil crises, in 1973 and 1979, undermined the European economies and caused unemployment, recession and de-industrialization. They revealed the rigidity of the structure and required the reform of the EEC. The election of the European Parliament through universal suffrage in 1979..Read More
1989-1997 : The hopes of Eastern Europe
The hopes of Eastern Europe From 1989 to 1997 The fall of the Berlin Wall stirred up hope among the former-soviet countries. There, the populations aspired to freedom, democracy and human rights. But the fall of Berlin Wall also revealed some concerns regarding the rebirth of a “Great Germany.” The..Read More
1998-2009 : Single currency
Single Currency From 1998 to 2009 The common currency was adopted in May 1998. The governments committed to respecting the common rules intended to maintain monetary stability. Eleven countries fulfilled the requirements to join the Euro group.Euros entered into circulation through the ECB in Frankfurt on 1 January 2002. With..Read More
2010 : The challenges
Memorial Since 2010… Since 2008, crisis came one after another : The growing mistrust of public opinion, The increase in Greece’s debts, requiring the intervention of both the ECB and IMF; The “Arab Springs” and the War in Syria, which had led to a constant influx of refugees at the..Read More
