France under Allied Air Attack, 1940-1945

This web exhibition is devoted to the Allied bombing of France between 1940 and 1945.

Although a number of French towns, such as Amiens and Abbeville, suffered badly at the hands of the Luftwaffe during the campaign of 1940, with a total estimated death toll from bombing of approximately 3,000, the vast majority of air raids on French territory were carried out by the British and American air forces. Over a fifth of the Allied bombing effort over continental Europe was devoted to France; the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces dropped nearly eight times the tonnage of bombs on France as the Luftwaffe dropped on the United Kingdom.

For the Allies, attacking France, a friendly but German-occupied country, presented a particular problem: how to hit military, industrial and communications targets related to the German war effort while minimising French civilian casualties. For the French government, based in Vichy and committed to collaboration with Germany, Allied raids offered obvious propaganda opportunities to show the British and Americans as hostile to the French people. But they also presented the formidable challenge, in a context of great penury, of finding adequate resources for civil defence against a level of aerial bombardment for which pre-war preparations proved wholly inadequate. For the French people, air raids entailed both immediate suffering in the (many) bombed localities and a longer-term moral dilemma: that of accepting death and destruction at the hands of Allies whose military action was necessary to end the German occupation. The five sections of this exhibition are structured around these main themes: How France prepared for bombing before 1940; how the Allies developed their air offensive over France; how the Vichy state sought to assist the victims, but also to milk the raids for propaganda purposes; what the bombs did to French cities and civilians; and finally, how the French themselves reacted.

The text was written by Andrew Knapp, Professor of French Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Reading. The material here derived largely from research for a book, co-authored with Claudia Baldoli: Forgotten Blitzes: France and Italy under Allied Air Attack, 1940-1945 (London: Continuum, 2012:

http://www.continuumbooks.com/search/default.aspx?Text=forgotten%20blitzes). Forgotten Blitzes, of course, offers a level of detail not available on this website.
Both the book and the website are part of a larger, comparative project, entitled Bombing, States and Peoples in Western Europe, 1940-1945. Financed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and headed by Professor Richard Overy of the University of Exeter, Bombing, States and Peoples covers the bombing experiences of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. The Bombing, States and Peoples site is at http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/wss/bombing/index.htm. It incorporates a web exhibition covering all four countries; the content of French section of this exhibition is the same as that offered here.

Neither the Reading nor the Exeter exhibition would have been possible without the support of the AHRC. And neither would be remotely complete without images. These have been generously supplied by a number of archives, including: the National Archives of the United Kingdom, the Bibliothèque de Documentation Internationale Contemporaine (BDIC), the Archives Départementales de la Loire, the Mémorial de Caen, and the municipal archives of Boulogne-Billancourt, Le Havre, Lyon, Marseille and Rouen. They are warmly thanked here.

The creators of this web exhibition have made every effort to find the holders of rights to images displayed here. In cases where they have been unable to do so, they are ready to respect the rights of any individual or institution able to justify their position as the artist or the right holder.

BDIC Logo

This entry was posted in About and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

279 Responses to France under Allied Air Attack, 1940-1945

  1. Jonathansg says:

    AssignmenthelpSingapore.sg offers assignment help and writing services in Singapore @ cheaper rates to all South African students.

  2. Fatima Anna says:

    Thanks for the great post, I really enjoyed it and appreciate it. My job is about electronic components. If you are looking for some rare electronic components, maybe our website has the model you are looking for in stock.

  3. toto365pro says:

    Thanks for posting this info. 토토사이트

  4. sportstototvcom says:

    Whereas an unmanaged dedicated server is one which is managed by the company needing the server, without the help of the 토토

  5. betmantotoorg says:

    Enjoying your article. Really very happy to say, your post is very informative. I never stop myself to say something about it. 스포츠토토

  6. slotmachinesitecom says:

    Interesting stuff, this site is really helpful. Thanks for sharing 슬롯

  7. mimi olsaonm says:

    These services employ experienced management professionals who possess in-depth knowledge of the subject. They can provide valuable insights, answer questions, and offer guidance to help students navigate through management topics and develop a strong conceptual understanding. Assignment help services provide tailored solutions, addressing the specific requirements and guidelines provided by professors or institutions. This ensures that assignments are unique, well-structured, and aligned with the academic standards. Many Help with Management Assignment involve analyzing real-world case studies. Assignment help services can assist students in understanding and analyzing case studies, applying relevant management theories and concepts, and providing well-reasoned recommendations or solutions.

  8. michaelwilliams says:

    In today’s fast-paced digital education landscape, online learning demand has surged, requiring convenience and flexibility. Many students now juggle multiple online classes, causing stress and time constraints. The phrase “Pay Someone to Do My Online Class” reflects the trend of outsourcing coursework for a balanced approach to education.
    https://paysomeonetodomyonlineclasses.com/

  9. Thejacketbuilder says:

    red leather jacketThe flight club Tyler Durden Mayhem red leather jacket proffered by The Leather Jacketer is a replica of the original Fight Club Jacket. Available in red colour, the apparel utilizes natural sheepskin leather and a thick viscose lining for extra warmth.

  10. ngboyko says:

    That is all the helpful information I needed. I appreciate you sharing. Super Mario

  11. EmmaLays says:

    nice article , really impressive

    tyler durden jacket

  12. texasholdemsite.info says:

    Pengiriman yang mengagumkan! Saya memang mendapatkan apt untuk lebih dari info ini, benar-benar tetangga teman saya. Demikian pula blog fantastis di sini di antara banyak info mahal yang Anda peroleh. Cadangan proses yang menguntungkan yang Anda lakukan di sini.

    https://www.texasholdemsite.info/

  13. EmmaLays says:

    interesting article

    fight club jacket

  14. EmmaLays says:

    I really enjoyed this site

    tyler durden leather jacket

  15. jason statham says:

    Hope more people will read this article keep up the good work This Article is Awesome. It’s help me a lot. Please keep up your good work. Loki Season 2 Jacket We are always with you and Waiting for your new interesting articles

  16. angelina jolie says:

    The content was really very interesting. I am really thankful to you for providing this unique information You have a good point here! I totally agree with what you have said!! Thanks for sharing your views. https://www.theusasuits.com/product/goku-drip-puffer-jacket/

  17. angelina jolie says:

    Extremely go through article. I have never seen such beautiful article. Learn many things from this I hope you continue to have high-quality articles like this to share with everyone! https://www.usajacket.com/category/tv-series-merchandise/loki-outfits/

  18. EmmaLays says:

    Informative post thanks for share it.

    custom leather jacket

  19. Alexandra says:

    This is a great blog and I have to congratulate you on the content.

    leather jacket customization

  20. Amelia says:

    Great information. I like all your post.

    mens suede jackets

  21. Daisy says:

    Pretty cool post. It’s really very nice and useful post

    ricky bobby wonder bread

  22. Subhash Shastri says:

    Great article. Your blogs are unique and simple that is understood by anyone.
    Get My Boyfriend Girlfriend Back By Astrology

  23. Olivia says:

    Excellent blog post. Highly informative

    wonder bread jacket

  24. Company Suggestion says:

    I’ve discovered It absolutely helpful and it has aided me out loads.
    Private Limited Company Registration

  25. Dainik Astrology says:

    Your article has answered the question I was wondering about!

    divorce problem solution

  26. harivansh tours says:

    I wanted to thank you for this excellent read. I definitely loved every little bit of it.

    Car Rental in Jaipur

  27. novelwebsolution says:

    I really appreciate your post. Thanks for sharing this with us

    SMO Company In Jaipur

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *