THE FRENCH OCCUPATION OF GERMANY 1918-1930

The first synthesis on the French Army of the Rhine (1918–1930), this work illuminates a forgotten yet strategic occupation, revealing its military, political, and diplomatic stakes in a Europe transformed in the aftermath of the Great War.

At the end of the First World War, the Allied armies were stationed in Germany and France took charge of 75% of the occupied territory, primarily on the left bank of the Rhine. For twelve years, this French Army of the Rhine lived at the rhythm of provocations from the Berlin government, attacks and acts of sabotage, the occupation of the Ruhr, as well as governmental crises in France and growing opposition with the Anglo-Saxons.

Yet the memory of it seems to have faded, even though this lengthy operation engaged several hundred thousand soldiers and civilian employees. The first comprehensive synthesis of these events, this book reminds us that military history encompasses political, diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural considerations. It also bears witness to the slow decline of France — victorious in 1918 but a weakened and exhausted nation by 1930.

An essential page of French and European history, which places military and security questions at the heart of political debate.

After the first part of his career in the Signal Corps, Rémy Porte chose to become a military historian and ended his career as the Army's official historical reference officer. He has published around thirty works on the history of the French army from the 19th to the 21st centuries. He runs the website "guerres-et-conflits".