Rebuilding France, Part II
With France thoroughly defeated and those responsible for its ruin dead or in prison, the task of rebuilding the country would need to be addressed. The victims of French aggression were not eager to help out their former enemy. Germany and Britain were hit by French chemical weapons and anger towards France was high in those countries. America, however, had the privilege of being far away from most of the fighting. A couple thousand Floridians were the only American civilians to see enemy ships during the duration of the war. Thus, the US would be much more willing to help its former enemy than the other two occupying powers. There were British and German volunteers who helped in the reconstruction of France, but they were relatively few in number.
Russia, a nation that had good relations with France prior to the war, was the first to send major humanitarian assistance. The Russian government encouraged this, not out of pure altruism, but because France was necessary as a counter to Germany. As the fresh Russian soldiers rolled over French defenders in the final year of the war, medical teams were not so far behind. Thus, Russian civilians were present in Northeastern France before the fall of Paris. Over 25,000 Russians were helping in the recovery effort in 1941, and more would come later. 5,000 Russian soldiers stayed in Paris for a year after the war, and they were also involved in the humanitarian mission. Russian soldiers were also involved in countering Operation Eternity, though there were no recorded Russian casualties. Provisional President François Darlan made over one thousand Russians honorary French citizens.
General of the Qing Expeditionary Force, Jiang Jieshi, had rocky relations with Prime Minister Sa Zhenbing, and thus decided to stay in France until the old man finally died. Despite the fact that Sa was now over eighty years old, he would live for the rest of the decade. Jiang decided to work together with the North Chinese soldiers, who were his enemies the decade earlier, in his effort to stamp out Communism. 12 Beijing-aligned soldiers and 3 Mukden-aligned soldiers were killed during Operation Eternity, but as many as 25% of all Eternity soldiers that died were killed by Chinese soldiers. Austria-Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mali, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand would all have token occupying forces in France.
Of the three major occupying powers, Germany was the least benevolent. There were reports of German soldiers raping French women in Paris, though such incidents were not common. A large part of Germany had been occupied, Germans had been used as forced labor, and German cities were on the receiving end of both bombs and biological agents. Germany had no desire to help France rebuild. In fact, Germany had suggested that France be forced to pay reparations. Britain was a little more generous, but many British were still angry at France for the use of chemical weapons on British cities. Nevertheless, Northern France (the British occupation zone) saw a significant number of British volunteers during the years that followed. The main task of helping the people of France would fall to the United States.
In late 1941, Charles W. Bryan called on the American people to help their defeated enemy. He was joined by David Walsh, William Randolph Hearst, and Frank Hanly, the other living former presidents. Bryan argued that the French people were not the enemy, and that they were misled by their tyrannical government. He spoke of the food shortages and malnutrition in the country. He spoke of people’s duties as Christians to help those in need. In 1942, he would travel to France along with 50,000 Americans. Another 20,000 would travel to Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany to help in reconstruction efforts. The Americans provided medical services, looked after the poor and orphans, and rebuilt houses, churches, schools, and hospitals. And over the next decade, more would come to the country. The Mormon Church was heavily involved in relief efforts and there is a large LDS presence in Bordeaux to this day.
While the major figures in the Cartier Regime had been dealt with, there continued to be minor trials for crimes committed from 1922 to 1940. In 1942 Tatienne Cartier was sentenced to life in prison for involvement in a committee that enforced policies that led to famine in rural Vietnam in 1926. Françoise Cartier was accused of involvement in the killing of dissidents in Belgium, but was found innocent. So many government officials had been jailed or executed that it was difficult to find people to run a government. Thus, German, British, and American generals did much of the governing in their respective zones. François Darlan had very little power until the occupation ended in 1945. In 1941 it was determined that Socialists who had opposed the regime would be allowed to participate in the government. Louis Barthas would return to France to lead the only approved left-wing party in the reconstituted French parliament.
The new government was, without a doubt, an improvement over the old as far as freedom and human rights were concerned. However, it was not perfect either. Because the education system had been firmly controlled by the Cartier regime for 18 years, Cartierist thought was ingrained into society. Even though the regime had clearly failed, many people had not abandoned the ideology. Operation Eternity, while not as powerful as Cartier had hoped, still claimed over one thousand lives. So President Darlan, assisted by the occupying powers, began to order arrests of anyone suspected of spreading pro-Cartier propaganda. Leftist organizations were put under surveillance. This died down as Operation Eternity fizzled out in early 1941. It picked back up, however, after a bomb killed 53 German soldiers in Paris in January of 1943. Innocent people were arrested and held in prison for years, sometimes over a decade.
The provisional government that was established in 1941 was mainly composed of French dissidents. American, British, and German advisers (mostly generals) were also present. The reconstituted Parliament had only 51 members. 25 members of this parliament were part of the Right-wing Patriotic Resistance Front, which was founded by French officers who defected all the way back in 1928 during the Indochina War. Ten members belonged to the Left-wing Socialist Opposition, an organization of leftists who had opposed the Cartier regime. The other 16 were independents. Most of the members of the new Parliament were in exile, some as far away as South America. Still, French foreign policy was controlled by the Allied generals for the next few years.
Voices both outside and within France called for the restoration of the monarchy. Germany and Britain were supportive while America was opposed, though Vice President Alf Landon made a statement to Prime Minister Halifax in 1938 that America would respect the wishes of the French people regardless. It had been determined before the end of the war that Germany and Britain would not try to put a member from either of their royal houses on the French throne. In September 1941, a group of French politicians as well as representatives from all the allied nations met to discuss the manner. There were three major monarchist groups; the Legitmists, the Orleanists, and the Bonepartists. The Bonepartist candidate was a 30 year old man named Louis Napoleon. He was popular among some, but his association with Napoleon was a negative in postwar France. The Orleanist candidate was Henri, Count of Paris. He was about as popular as Louis Napoleon. And then there was the Legitimist candidate, none other than King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
The leftists and the Americans opposed any attempt to form a monarchy. The right was split between the three candidates, while more centrist representatives supported Henri. The UK also supported Henri. Spain obviously supported Alfonso, though it only had two representatives. The Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Portuguese, Italians, and many Eastern European nations threw their support behind him as well. Russia, just to spite Germany, decided to support Henri. Of all the foreign representatives, only the one from Canada (a Quebecois) lent his support to Louis Napoleon. There was still considerable resistance to making Alfonso the King of both France and Spain. However, he was seen positively by a majority Frenchmen due to his anti-Communism. When the Spanish king gave speeches in France shortly after the war he was very well received. Since Alfonso was the candidate with the highest support, it was determined that a referendum would settle the matter.
So in 1942, France voted on whether or not to restore the Monarchy with Alfonso XIII as monarch. If this failed, referendums on Henri or Louis might be held. The French media, which was very conservative in the aftermath of the war, overwhelmingly supported the restoration of the monarchy. In foreign papers, there was little doubt of the outcome. The New York Times predicted an overwhelming victory for royalists. Across the pond, the Daily Telegraph predicted that 70% of French voters would vote yes. Some claimed that the referendum was unfair, and that left-wing anti-monarchist opinions were being censored. Voter turnout was very low in the end, as many French were barred from voting due to affiliation with the Cartier Regime. In the end, the royalists won, but their victory was narrow. Alfonso XIII became King of France with 52.4% of the vote. He would be crowned King of France on January 1, 1943. It was agreed that after Alfonso’s death, one son would inherit the French throne while the other would inherit the Spanish throne.
(Alfonso XIII, King of France and Spain)
Russia, a nation that had good relations with France prior to the war, was the first to send major humanitarian assistance. The Russian government encouraged this, not out of pure altruism, but because France was necessary as a counter to Germany. As the fresh Russian soldiers rolled over French defenders in the final year of the war, medical teams were not so far behind. Thus, Russian civilians were present in Northeastern France before the fall of Paris. Over 25,000 Russians were helping in the recovery effort in 1941, and more would come later. 5,000 Russian soldiers stayed in Paris for a year after the war, and they were also involved in the humanitarian mission. Russian soldiers were also involved in countering Operation Eternity, though there were no recorded Russian casualties. Provisional President François Darlan made over one thousand Russians honorary French citizens.
General of the Qing Expeditionary Force, Jiang Jieshi, had rocky relations with Prime Minister Sa Zhenbing, and thus decided to stay in France until the old man finally died. Despite the fact that Sa was now over eighty years old, he would live for the rest of the decade. Jiang decided to work together with the North Chinese soldiers, who were his enemies the decade earlier, in his effort to stamp out Communism. 12 Beijing-aligned soldiers and 3 Mukden-aligned soldiers were killed during Operation Eternity, but as many as 25% of all Eternity soldiers that died were killed by Chinese soldiers. Austria-Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mali, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand would all have token occupying forces in France.
Of the three major occupying powers, Germany was the least benevolent. There were reports of German soldiers raping French women in Paris, though such incidents were not common. A large part of Germany had been occupied, Germans had been used as forced labor, and German cities were on the receiving end of both bombs and biological agents. Germany had no desire to help France rebuild. In fact, Germany had suggested that France be forced to pay reparations. Britain was a little more generous, but many British were still angry at France for the use of chemical weapons on British cities. Nevertheless, Northern France (the British occupation zone) saw a significant number of British volunteers during the years that followed. The main task of helping the people of France would fall to the United States.
In late 1941, Charles W. Bryan called on the American people to help their defeated enemy. He was joined by David Walsh, William Randolph Hearst, and Frank Hanly, the other living former presidents. Bryan argued that the French people were not the enemy, and that they were misled by their tyrannical government. He spoke of the food shortages and malnutrition in the country. He spoke of people’s duties as Christians to help those in need. In 1942, he would travel to France along with 50,000 Americans. Another 20,000 would travel to Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany to help in reconstruction efforts. The Americans provided medical services, looked after the poor and orphans, and rebuilt houses, churches, schools, and hospitals. And over the next decade, more would come to the country. The Mormon Church was heavily involved in relief efforts and there is a large LDS presence in Bordeaux to this day.
While the major figures in the Cartier Regime had been dealt with, there continued to be minor trials for crimes committed from 1922 to 1940. In 1942 Tatienne Cartier was sentenced to life in prison for involvement in a committee that enforced policies that led to famine in rural Vietnam in 1926. Françoise Cartier was accused of involvement in the killing of dissidents in Belgium, but was found innocent. So many government officials had been jailed or executed that it was difficult to find people to run a government. Thus, German, British, and American generals did much of the governing in their respective zones. François Darlan had very little power until the occupation ended in 1945. In 1941 it was determined that Socialists who had opposed the regime would be allowed to participate in the government. Louis Barthas would return to France to lead the only approved left-wing party in the reconstituted French parliament.
The new government was, without a doubt, an improvement over the old as far as freedom and human rights were concerned. However, it was not perfect either. Because the education system had been firmly controlled by the Cartier regime for 18 years, Cartierist thought was ingrained into society. Even though the regime had clearly failed, many people had not abandoned the ideology. Operation Eternity, while not as powerful as Cartier had hoped, still claimed over one thousand lives. So President Darlan, assisted by the occupying powers, began to order arrests of anyone suspected of spreading pro-Cartier propaganda. Leftist organizations were put under surveillance. This died down as Operation Eternity fizzled out in early 1941. It picked back up, however, after a bomb killed 53 German soldiers in Paris in January of 1943. Innocent people were arrested and held in prison for years, sometimes over a decade.
The provisional government that was established in 1941 was mainly composed of French dissidents. American, British, and German advisers (mostly generals) were also present. The reconstituted Parliament had only 51 members. 25 members of this parliament were part of the Right-wing Patriotic Resistance Front, which was founded by French officers who defected all the way back in 1928 during the Indochina War. Ten members belonged to the Left-wing Socialist Opposition, an organization of leftists who had opposed the Cartier regime. The other 16 were independents. Most of the members of the new Parliament were in exile, some as far away as South America. Still, French foreign policy was controlled by the Allied generals for the next few years.
Voices both outside and within France called for the restoration of the monarchy. Germany and Britain were supportive while America was opposed, though Vice President Alf Landon made a statement to Prime Minister Halifax in 1938 that America would respect the wishes of the French people regardless. It had been determined before the end of the war that Germany and Britain would not try to put a member from either of their royal houses on the French throne. In September 1941, a group of French politicians as well as representatives from all the allied nations met to discuss the manner. There were three major monarchist groups; the Legitmists, the Orleanists, and the Bonepartists. The Bonepartist candidate was a 30 year old man named Louis Napoleon. He was popular among some, but his association with Napoleon was a negative in postwar France. The Orleanist candidate was Henri, Count of Paris. He was about as popular as Louis Napoleon. And then there was the Legitimist candidate, none other than King Alfonso XIII of Spain.
The leftists and the Americans opposed any attempt to form a monarchy. The right was split between the three candidates, while more centrist representatives supported Henri. The UK also supported Henri. Spain obviously supported Alfonso, though it only had two representatives. The Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Portuguese, Italians, and many Eastern European nations threw their support behind him as well. Russia, just to spite Germany, decided to support Henri. Of all the foreign representatives, only the one from Canada (a Quebecois) lent his support to Louis Napoleon. There was still considerable resistance to making Alfonso the King of both France and Spain. However, he was seen positively by a majority Frenchmen due to his anti-Communism. When the Spanish king gave speeches in France shortly after the war he was very well received. Since Alfonso was the candidate with the highest support, it was determined that a referendum would settle the matter.
So in 1942, France voted on whether or not to restore the Monarchy with Alfonso XIII as monarch. If this failed, referendums on Henri or Louis might be held. The French media, which was very conservative in the aftermath of the war, overwhelmingly supported the restoration of the monarchy. In foreign papers, there was little doubt of the outcome. The New York Times predicted an overwhelming victory for royalists. Across the pond, the Daily Telegraph predicted that 70% of French voters would vote yes. Some claimed that the referendum was unfair, and that left-wing anti-monarchist opinions were being censored. Voter turnout was very low in the end, as many French were barred from voting due to affiliation with the Cartier Regime. In the end, the royalists won, but their victory was narrow. Alfonso XIII became King of France with 52.4% of the vote. He would be crowned King of France on January 1, 1943. It was agreed that after Alfonso’s death, one son would inherit the French throne while the other would inherit the Spanish throne.
(Alfonso XIII, King of France and Spain)
