The Weeping Frenchman.
The picture above is an emotional look at the occupation of France by the German Army as a French citizen weeps seeing the fall of his country. The picture was taken in the midst of a grievous day in 1940 where the defeated French forces marched with the hopes of their people on their shoulders toward Africa in retreat.
The infamous blitzkrieg of WWII had just broken through their defenses in a matter of six weeks and now the subjugation of the French people had officially begun. Marseilles was the setting of this scene and the figure who stands sadly is identified as one Monsieur Jerome Barzetti.
Although there would be scattered resistance to the occupation, true freedom wouldn’t begin until the Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944. Charles De Gaulle, the commander of France’s forces would continuously send support through secret missions into the city in an effort to ease the suffering of his countrymen.
It was a commonly held notion before the Second World War that France had constructed one of the most considerable military forces in all of Europe, yet with Germany sweeping through their armies in such a short amount of time, the blow to morale was devastating for France as well as all of Europe that dared to oppose Hitler’s forces.
The next major target on the agenda for the blitzkrieg would be London as the final step to seize the continent. Luckily, England survived the blitz that was sent their way, crushing the Nazi dream of conquering all of Europe and opening up the possibility to defeat them and restore peace.
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.