World War II
During the late 1930s, the French, restless and impotent, were witnesses of the imminent rise of Nazism. The second world war begins on September 1, 1939 with the dishonest invasion of Poland. France and Britain declare war on Germany two days later. Soldiers waits uneasily in front of the Maginot line, impressive fortification built with the aim of stopping a new invasion on behalf of Germany, resulting in a resounding failure. The Germans enter through Belgium, heading France to finally occupy Paris on June 14, 1940. With the help of "la nueve", 'the forgotten of the victory', a company of the Leclerc division whose troops were the first to liberate Paris, on August 24, 1944. French poet Paul Eluard and his poem 'courage' lets us catch the feelings of those parisian hearts: "...Paris liberates yourself; Paris trembles like a star; Our surviving hope; You will free yourself from the weariness and the filth; My sisters my brothers take courage; We who have no helmets; No boots or gloves who are not well brought up A ray of light fires up our veins; Our light will come back; The best of us have died for us..."
HIGHLIGHTS
Place de la Concorde
The Ritz Hotel
Hotel Maurice
Louvre Museum
Hôtel de Ville
Memorial to the Deportation
Le Marais - Shoah Memorial
THEMES
Causes of World War II
Notable Figures
Deployment of German Troops
Life for Parisians Under Occupation
Looting of Artworks
Persecution and Deportation of Jews
Resistance
Liberation
INCLUSIONS
3-hour guided walking tour
Certified expert guide in English, Spanish, and French
Headphones to hear your guide better
Private or semi-private tour for groups of fewer than 10 people
EXCLUSIONS
Transportation (1 bus ticket)
MEETING POINT
Jeu de Paume, 1 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
During the late 1930s, the French, restless and impotent, were witnesses of the imminent rise of Nazism. The second world war begins on September 1, 1939 with the dishonest invasion of Poland. France and Britain declare war on Germany two days later. Soldiers waits uneasily in front of the Maginot line, impressive fortification built with the aim of stopping a new invasion on behalf of Germany, resulting in a resounding failure. The Germans enter through Belgium, heading France to finally occupy Paris on June 14, 1940. With the help of "la nueve", 'the forgotten of the victory', a company of the Leclerc division whose troops were the first to liberate Paris, on August 24, 1944. French poet Paul Eluard and his poem 'courage' lets us catch the feelings of those parisian hearts: "...Paris liberates yourself; Paris trembles like a star; Our surviving hope; You will free yourself from the weariness and the filth; My sisters my brothers take courage; We who have no helmets; No boots or gloves who are not well brought up A ray of light fires up our veins; Our light will come back; The best of us have died for us..."