A Decade Of Great Change After The War

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1940s Paris

Source: Musée de la Resistance

As World War II raged throughout Europe, the “City of Light” transformed into a city of darkness. While the Germans declined to physically destroy the city upon its 1940 occupation, their presence greatly tested the Parisian psyche. Over two million Parisians fled as the Germans arrived, but those who remained in the capital faced interrogations, curfews, rations, shortages and arrests. The German occupation of France (1940-1944) remains a humiliating time in the history of Paris and, more broadly, France.

Paris did not have to rebuild the Eiffel Tower at the war’s end, but it did need to reconstruct its collective consciousness and shirk the shame of the German occupation and the nation’s history of collaborating with Germany more than it did resist it. The second half of the 1940s was marked by a desire to rebuild what had once been taken by World War II, both structurally and politically. Paris’ liberation allowed Charles de Gaulle to establish the Free French government, which united a previously divided assemblage of actors–namely Gaullists, nationalists, communists and anarchists.

These images of vintage Paris capture the city’s metamorphosis throughout the decade. To see what the rest of Europe (and the world!) was up to, check out some of the most iconic photos of the 1940s.

Nazi Flag Flying in Paris A Nazi flag hangs in Paris during the German invasion of the city. Source: Stalin! Hitler Visits the Eiffel Tower A close-up look at Adolph Hitler as he poses in front of the Eiffel Tower. Source: Wikipedia Metro Station Nazi Propaganda from Paris A woman walks from the Paris Métro station in the early 1940s. Images like these were used as German propaganda, (falsely) portraying Paris as a vibrant, lively city. Source: Flickr Flowers 1940 A Parisian flower shop in 1940. Source: Pinterest Hitler in Vintage Paris German-Occupied Theater in Vintage Paris A Parisian theatre is overtaken with Nazi paraphernalia during the German occupation of France. Source: Pinterest Women Ride Bicycles in Paris Armed Fighters in Paris Historic Nazi Invasion of Paris Children Playing Near Eiffel Tower An image shot by Andre Zucca depicts children playing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower during the German occupation of the city. The Nazis tasked Zucca with portraying the occupation in a positive light. Source: Daily Mail Just Married in Paris Celebration at Champs-Elysees Americans march through the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, marking the liberation of Paris. Source: Historic Wings Vintage Paris Liberated 1944 Banners celebrate the expulsion of German forces from Paris. Source: TIME Liberation of Paris Celebration Parisians celebrate the liberation of Paris in 1944. Source: Wikipedia Americans in Vintage Paris American soldiers gather in Paris to celebrate the Japanese surrender in 1945. Source: National Archives Vintage Paris in 1946 A glimpse of Paris in 1946, as the city recovers from World War II. Source: Daily Mail The Louvre in 1946 This 1946 photo captures a completely empty Louvre museum, a sign of the decade’s turmoil. Source: Daily Mail Dior Fashions in 1947 In 1947, Christian Dior launched his extravagant dress designs, restoring Paris as the “pinnacle of haute couture.” Source: Diorable Style European Economic Cooperation The conference on European Economic Cooperation was held in Paris in 1947. Source: CVCE Vintage Paris by Edouard Boubat An image shot by photographer Edouard Boubat captures two children outside a Paris storefront in 1948. Source: Pigtails in Paint Snowy Day in Paris 1940s 1949 Painter in Paris

United News captured the liberation of France in 1944. Check out this clip for historic scenes from the liberation:

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