German military administration in occupied France

German military administration in occupied France
Name	German military administration in occupied France
Common name	Occupied France
Status	Military administration
Empire	Nazi Germany
Event start	Armistice of 22 June 1940
Date start	22 June
Year start	1940
Event end	Liberation of France
Date end	1944–1945
Year end	1945
P1	French Third Republic
S1	Provisional Government of the French Republic
S2	French Fourth Republic
Capital	Paris
Title leader	Militärbefehlshaber in Frankreich
Leader1	Otto von Stülpnagel
Year leader1	1940–1942
Leader2	Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel
Year leader2	1942–1944
Leader3	Karl Kitzinger
Year leader3	1944
Common languages	German, French
Currency	French franc
Today	France

German military administration in occupied France was the regime imposed by Nazi Germany over the northern and western zones of France following the Armistice of 22 June 1940. It existed alongside the nominally independent Vichy France in the southern zone until the full occupation of the country in November 1942. The administration was headquartered in the Hôtel Majestic in Paris and was primarily concerned with securing the occupied territory, exploiting its resources for the German war effort, and implementing Nazi racial policy.

Establishment and structure

The administration was formally established following the Battle of France and the signing of the Armistice of 22 June 1940 at Compiègne. Supreme authority rested with the Militärbefehlshaber in Frankreich (MBF), whose headquarters controlled a complex bureaucracy of departments mirroring the Wehrmacht's structure. The first MBF was General Otto von Stülpnagel, succeeded by his cousin, General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, and finally by General Karl Kitzinger. While the MBF reported to the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, it faced constant interference and rivalries from other Nazi power centers, including the SS, the Sicherheitsdienst under Helmut Knochen, and the German ambassador to Paris, Otto Abetz.

Administrative divisions and governance

The occupied zone was initially separated from the Vichy zone by the demarcation line and was further subdivided into several military administrative districts. Key areas included the Forbidden Zone along the northern coast and the annexed territories of Alsace-Lorraine, which were placed under direct German civil administration. The MBF governed through a combination of direct military orders and the utilization of the existing French civil service, which was compelled to implement German directives. Major cities like Paris, Lille, and Rouen were under direct German command, with the Prefecture of Police in Paris playing a crucial collaborative role.

Economic exploitation and policy

The administration's primary economic goal was the systematic plunder of French resources to fuel the German war effort. This was institutionalized through the payment of exorbitant occupation costs, set at 20 million Reichsmark per day, which crippled the French economy. Key industries, raw materials, and agricultural produce were requisitioned under the direction of agencies like the Economic Affairs Section of the MBF. Major French companies, including Renault and the French national railways (SNCF), were forced into producing for Germany. The Reichsbank also orchestrated the looting of Jewish-owned assets and artworks, a process overseen by organizations like the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg.

Collaboration and resistance

The administration fostered and relied upon extensive collaboration from French authorities and segments of the population. The Paris police and the French Milice later became instrumental in hunting Resistance members and Jews. High-profile collaborators like Pierre Laval and René Bousquet worked closely with officials such as Otto Abetz. Simultaneously, the occupation spurred the growth of the French Resistance, with groups like the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans and the Comet Line engaging in sabotage, intelligence gathering for the Special Operations Executive, and aiding Allied airmen. The Maquis became particularly active following the Service du travail obligatoire.

Repression and persecution

The regime was characterized by severe repression, governed by the German military law and a system of tribunals like the Feldgericht. The Wehrmacht and SS conducted brutal reprisals for acts of resistance, most infamously the Massacre of Oradour-sur-Glane by the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. Persecution of Jews was systematic, beginning with the anti-Jewish ordinances of 1940, the confiscation of property, and culminating in roundups like the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, with victims deported via transit camps such as Drancy internment camp to Auschwitz concentration camp and other Nazi concentration camps.

Dissolution and aftermath

The administration began to disintegrate with the Allied advance after the Normandy landings and the landings in Provence. The Liberation of Paris in August 1944 by the French 2nd Armored Division and the Allies marked its effective end, though isolated garrisons held out in Atlantic pockets like La Rochelle until the final German surrender. In the aftermath, the territory was restored to the control of the Provisional Government of the French Republic, which initiated the legal purge of collaborators. The administration's records later provided crucial evidence for investigations into war crimes and the plunder of art.

Category:Military history of France during World War II Category:Military administration of Nazi Germany Category:Occupied territories of Nazi Germany