The war and the occupation
After the invasion of Poland by Germany on 1 September 1939,
France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany September
3, 1939.
520 000 were evacuated from the French border areas between the
Maginot Line and Germany.
Nazi Germany invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg, yet neutral,
and the Netherlands May 10, 1940.
The government is helpless folds in Bordeaux from June 11
France was invaded.
It is the exodus to the south.
Council President Paul Reynaud, was forced to resign.
Marshal Petain then forms a new government and get the full
power July 10, 1940.
The Republic is abolished.
In June 1940, the bridges of Epinal defended by French troops in
retreat jumped.
On June 14, 1940, German troops marched in Paris on the Champs-Elysees.
20, they are in Brest, 22 in La Rochelle, Lyon
June 22, 1940, France signed the Armistice crushed.
The Germans set up a series of measures to limit the territory
the movement of people and freight and postal traffic between
two major areas bounded by the line separating the free zone
where government authority is exercised Vichy, the area occupied
by the Germans.
The proscribed plan
Men, women, children, families, French or foreign, are
hunted down and persecuted as Jews.
They will be deported en masse to the east and exterminated.
Very few survive.
Gypsies were interned in French camps.
Freemasons and Communists, regarded as "undesirables" are
removed from their positions within the administration,
pursued, arrested and interned.
From 1943, refractories STO go underground.
Some join the resistance fighters also hunted.
The Jewish community numbered about 400 people Epinal.
The synagogue, built in 1863 was destroyed in 1940 and most
members of the
community were exterminated.
Nearly 76,000 Jews whose more than 11 000 children are
arrested and deported from France, including 38,000 in
Paris.
1944
In 1944, aerial bombardment damaged the station area of
Epinal and burned several public buildings.
From 19 to 24 September 1944, U.S. troops of General
Alexander Patch dislodge the enemy and liberate the
city.
During the struggle, the bridge explosion was so strong
that all buildings and shops along the banks of the
Moselle had to suffer.
TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH TO
ENGLISH WITH GOOGLE TRANSLATION
Sources:
http://www.ajpn.org/commune-epinal-88160.html
---
