Sarah's Key Blog #3

For my portion of research in relating to my book, I chose to study the relation between France and the Nazi Regime. On June 22, 1940, France was invaded by the Third Reich. A mere 3 days later, France and Germany formed a truce. During the time in which the cease-fire was enacted, Germany annexed large portions of French land. Eventually, Germany had occupied the remainder of northern and western France. Within months, the Nazi Regime had installed some of its SS officers as positions of high power and influence in the French Government, such as Commander of Security Police and Jewish Affairs in the Central Office for Security. Even the Government from parts of France that weren’t occupied by Germany were in close collaboration with the Germans. Within little time, France started issuing anti-Semitic propaganda, and enacting laws such as excluding Jews from public life, expelling them from the military, and not letting them work in education, medicine, and law. Soon, Jews’ valuables were confiscated, and a process of what was called “Aryanization” was enacted in even the unoccupied parts of France. Less than a year later, following the Wannsee Conference of January 20, 1942, it became mandatory for Jews to wear yellow stars sewn into their clothing. Not long after, the deportations to Concentration Camps began. Thousands of French Jews were transported to Auschwitz and other horrific places. At about this time, the French police rounded up over 13,000 individuals to be sent to a large indoor stadium known as the Velodrome D’Hiver. This is where historical events tie into the literature that I am reading. In my book, Sarah and her family are collected in the massive Vel D’ Hiv roundup, and are left in inhumane conditions. Finally, after several more years of injustices, the French are liberated by the French resistance. I believe that this whole chunk of World War 2 history just goes to show a huge example of “Mob Mentality,” and that people have to stand up for what they believe in. If all of the various nations that the Nazis influenced had opposed Hitler’s ideals and had put up a fight, not nearly as many innocent lives would have been spared.