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  • Paris liberation made 'whites only' - BBC

    Page last updated at 10:48 GMT, Monday, 6 April 2009 11:48 UK
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    Paris liberation made 'whites only'

    By Mike Thomson
    Presenter, Document, BBC Radio 4

    French troops march through Paris, 18 June 1945, pic credit: Eric Deroo
    Many of the "French" division which led the liberation of Paris were Spanish

    Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory.

    Many who fought Nazi Germany during World War II did so to defeat the vicious racism that left millions of Jews dead.

    Yet the BBC's Document programme has seen evidence that black colonial soldiers - who made up around two-thirds of Free French forces - were deliberately removed from the unit that led the Allied advance into the French capital.

    By the time France fell in June 1940, 17,000 of its black, mainly West African colonial troops, known as the Tirailleurs Senegalais, lay dead.

    Many of them were simply shot where they stood soon after surrendering to German troops who often regarded them as sub-human savages.

    Their chance for revenge came in August 1944 as Allied troops prepared to retake Paris. But despite their overwhelming numbers, they were not to get it.

    'More desirable'

    The leader of the Free French forces, Charles de Gaulle, made it clear that he wanted his Frenchmen to lead the liberation of Paris.

    I have told Colonel de Chevene that his chances of getting what he wants will be vastly improved if he can produce a white infantry division
    General Frederick Morgan

    Allied High Command agreed, but only on one condition: De Gaulle's division must not contain any black soldiers.

    In January 1944 Eisenhower's Chief of Staff, Major General Walter Bedell Smith, was to write in a memo stamped, "confidential": "It is more desirable that the division mentioned above consist of white personnel.

    "This would indicate the Second Armoured Division, which with only one fourth native personnel, is the only French division operationally available that could be made one hundred percent white."

    At the time America segregated its own troops along racial lines and did not allow black GIs to fight alongside their white comrades until the late stages of the war.

    Morocco division

    Given the fact that Britain did not segregate its forces and had a large and valued Indian army, one might have expected London to object to such a racist policy.

    Yet this does not appear to have been the case.
    Charles de Gaulle
    Charles de Gaulle wanted Frenchmen to lead the liberation of Paris

    A document written by the British General, Frederick Morgan, to Allied Supreme Command stated: "It is unfortunate that the only French formation that is 100% white is an armoured division in Morocco.

    "Every other French division is only about 40% white. I have told Colonel de Chevene that his chances of getting what he wants will be vastly improved if he can produce a white infantry division."

    Finding an all-white division that was available proved to be impossible due to the enormous contribution made to the French Army by West African conscripts.

    So, Allied Command insisted that all black soldiers be taken out and replaced by white ones from other units.

    When it became clear that there were not enough white soldiers to fill the gaps, soldiers from parts of North Africa and the Middle East were used instead.

    Pensions cut

    In the end, nearly everyone was happy. De Gaulle got his wish to have a French division lead the liberation of Paris, even though the shortage of white troops meant that many of his men were actually Spanish.

    We were colonised by the French. We were forced to go to war... France has not been grateful. Not at all.
    Issa Cisse
    Former French colonial soldier

    The British and Americans got their "Whites Only" Liberation even though many of the troops involved were North African or Syrian.

    For France's West African Tirailleurs Senegalais, however, there was little to celebrate.

    Despite forming 65% of Free French Forces and dying in large numbers for France, they were to have no heroes' welcome in Paris.

    After the liberation of the French capital many were simply stripped of their uniforms and sent home. To make matters even worse, in 1959 their pensions were frozen.

    Former French colonial soldier, Issa Cisse from Senegal, who is now 87 years-old, looks back on it all with sadness and evident resentment.

    "We, the Senegalese, were commanded by the white French chiefs," he said.

    "We were colonised by the French. We were forced to go to war. Forced to follow the orders that said, do this, do that, and we did. France has not been grateful. Not at all."

    Mike Thomson presents Radio 4's Document at 2000BST on Monday 6 April
    To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

  • #2
    I put something very similar on the France to rejoin NATO if you want to merge them.

    Comment


    • #3
      There's a pretty fair war movie titled "Is Paris Burning" that show how the first troops into Paris should be French. Kirk Douglas played General Patton but only in a couple of scenes. M-41 Walker tanks were doctored up with the rough casting sides to simulate Panther tanks. They DID use M-4 Shermans though.

      The requirement that the French advance forces be all white was not addressed in the movie. For shame but we had not evolved fully out of our prejudice beliefs yet when the movie was made.

      However, I liked that one scene where the shop keeper's wife was complaining about all the noise the German tanks were making. He goes out and sees M-4 Shermans with the Fleur-de-li on the side. He goes back in with a smile and a bit in shock and says, "They're French".

      To top it all off, the photos of American Infantry marching through the Arch of Triumph had never seen combat yet. American troops that fought for Paris had already been sent forward. But to have a march, the reserve troops that just got off the ship were used.
      Last edited by RustyBattleship; 07 Apr 09,, 06:53.
      Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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      • #4
        Its a shame, and some still wonder why the former colonised nations are bitter and hysterical when the West lectures them about human rights....

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        • #5
          Rusty...not quite

          Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
          To top it all off, the photos of American Infantry marching through the Arch of Triumph had never seen combat yet. American troops that fought for Paris had already been sent forward. But to have a march, the reserve troops that just got off the ship were used.

          http://www.lonesentry.com/usdivision..._division.html

          The 28th Division, the unit in the photo, entered combat a month prior to the liberation...they even lost their ADC as KIA. The 28th was diverted from an attack to conduct the parade. They marched right out the eastern end of the city and continued the advance.

          The night before company commanders wer ordered to have all of the their men shave and look sharp in the morning. They didn't know why until told by their battalion commanders the next morning. Units also made sure that soldiers with the division patches on their sleeve marched on the outside so the Red Keystone (later the Bloody Bucket) could be seen. Also, medics were ordered to don their Red Cross brassards...something they had stopped wearing since it made them targets.

          I wrote a paper on the 28th Infantry Division when I was in the Infantry Officers Advanced Course...that is where I discovered all of this.
          “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
          Mark Twain

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          • #6
            Albany:
            EXCELLENT research. I was going mostly by an interview, some years ago, by one of the soldiers in the march. He sort of chuckled about it because none of the units actually fought for and entered Paris to drive the Nazis out.

            By the way, there is another excellent movie relating to the Germans losing Paris. It is titled "The Train" and stars Burt Lancaster trying to stop a train from moving stolen artworks to Germany. They wrecked at least 3 steam locomotives in the movie (making my grandfather, a switchman on the Miwaukee Road, wince and swear) and destroyed one Mitchell camera (fortunately run by remote control as a locomotive derails, flips and slides over the camera).
            Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by RustyBattleship View Post
              Albany:
              EXCELLENT research. I was going mostly by an interview, some years ago, by one of the soldiers in the march. He sort of chuckled about it because none of the units actually fought for and entered Paris to drive the Nazis out.

              By the way, there is another excellent movie relating to the Germans losing Paris. It is titled "The Train" and stars Burt Lancaster trying to stop a train from moving stolen artworks to Germany. They wrecked at least 3 steam locomotives in the movie (making my grandfather, a switchman on the Miwaukee Road, wince and swear) and destroyed one Mitchell camera (fortunately run by remote control as a locomotive derails, flips and slides over the camera).

              Thanks Rusty

              And I LOVE both movies you mention. I once fell 15 feet trying to come down a ladder like Burt LAncaster in The Train! Dumb!
              “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
              Mark Twain

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
                Thanks Rusty

                And I LOVE both movies you mention. I once fell 15 feet trying to come down a ladder like Burt LAncaster in The Train! Dumb!
                Don't forget, Burt Lancaster started of in show business as a trapeze artist in the circus. Because of his size, he was usually the catcher, but he had to know a lot of the other tricks as well.
                Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I know I am helping to kill this thread, but....

                  Rusty

                  What I forgot to mention was I did a lot of my research in 1984-1985 at the Infantry School Library at FT Benning, GA while a young captain in the Advanced Course. I was able to use primary sources in their library for my research (unit combat journals, after action reports and monographs leaders wrote as students after the war). I was able to marry this up with secondary sources which were hitting the market in a big way back then around the time of the 40th Anniversary. Funny how it predated my graduate work by about 7 years but it was fantastic to hold an AAR which had last been pulled from the stacks in 1955!

                  I submitted my paper for publishing to the 28th ID Association Magazine but, alas, it was not worthy of publishing.

                  And since I wrote it in the pre-PC days I have no idea where that paper is today!

                  I think writing that paper really sparked my interest in true research.....which is why a went on to get my MA in Civil War history.

                  I wonder if the young captains still have to do those projects? Maybe Shek knows
                  “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                  Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Albany Rifles View Post
                    I wonder if the young captains still have to do those projects? Maybe Shek knows
                    It was still part of the curriculum as of 7 years ago.
                    "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

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                    • #11
                      At least in a way African veterans are getting some appreciation for their role both in WW-2 and in French service. More Africans (Northerners included) fought at any one time in Indochina then did Legionaries.
                      To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Well, consider this:

                        If Washington D.C. was ever liberated from a foreign country, would the Americans want Americans marching down its streets or would it want foreigners doing the marching?

                        BTW, this isn't a rhetorical question.

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                        • #13
                          If Washington D.C. was ever liberated from a foreign country, would the Americans want Americans marching down its streets or would it want foreigners doing the marching?
                          France shot up those foreigners to make them part of the French Empire, shot them up to keep them as part of the French Empire, and those foreigners fought to liberate France, the country which occupied their homelands, from the Germans.

                          Those foreigners, French subjects at the time, bled for France.
                          Last edited by troung; 27 Apr 09,, 04:36.
                          To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by LiquidNazgul View Post
                            Well, consider this:

                            If Washington D.C. was ever liberated from a foreign country, would the Americans want Americans marching down its streets or would it want foreigners doing the marching?

                            BTW, this isn't a rhetorical question.

                            The answer to that one was we did have foreigners take Washington DC....and they marched out on their own. But they were then lashed by a tornado so everyone saw that as a sign!

                            Confederates tried it but were stopped at FT Stevens in 1864.
                            “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
                            Mark Twain

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by troung View Post
                              Those foreigners, French subjects at the time, bled for France.
                              Not the first time we have been ungrateful sonofabitches. ;)

                              Then we can share the fault with the the Brits and Americans...

                              But thats a different perspective of WWII that is offered by this article, for, the majority of the people of this planet at the time (the colonized nations) what they saw was only a fight between fascist and colonial/segregationist/communist states.

                              They would learn sooner rather than later that when the Allies were talking of freedom and Human rights that was not for them. (Algeria, Indochina, etc..)

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