June 1940 was a month indicated in the heart of France. Also in the heart of an Adolf Hitler who could fulfill his dream of visiting Paris. At the dawn of the Second World Warand after eight months of tense calm known as’The joke war‘The Nazis attacked France. On June 2 bombed Paris, on June 10 the French government fled the city and on June 12, seeing that a resistance was useless that ended the city in ruins, it was declared that Paris was an ‘open’ city.
On June 14, the first German guard entered, taking the city and ensuring everything for the triumphal arrival of a Hitler who had quickly conquered the mythical European city. What could not conquer was the sky of Paris: the rulers, with Charles de Gaulle At the head, they had abandoned the city to their fate, but the Parisians were clear that Hitler would not rise to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
For the Insta. The Nazi expansion in Paris was fast. They occupied police and government posts quickly, hung a swastika in the Arch of Triumph and organized a parade through the Elysees fields within a few hours of entering the city, all for the press to immortalize the moment for propaganda purposes. In France a collaborative government was established, with Philippe Pétain (Hero of the World War I and traitor to the homeland in World War II) as the main puppet.
That new government urged the army to stop fighting, which ends up opening the doors to the Germans. June 23 or 24 (the exact date is diffuse), Hitler arrived in Paris. He did it next to the Arno Breker sculptor and his right hand, the chief architect of the third Reich Albert Speer. Together, and with a tremendous entourage, they walked through some of the most iconic places in the city.
Of the various famous photographs that the dictator and his collaborators were taken, perhaps the most famous was this, posing in front of the Eiffel Tower:
A wonder. The tower, today icon of the city, opened in March 1889. From the first moment, the structure showed a pioneer installation: five elevators. Although not all were the same, the five were driven by hydraulic energy thanks to water deposits installed on each floor. The three water accumulators weighed about 200 tons each and maintained a pressure of between 40 and 60 bars.
In 1899, They were modernizedwith hydraulic engines with high pressure oil. The most shocking thing is that two of the originals continue to work, passing security controls so that there are no mishaps because every year they travel about 103,000 kilometers. A real barbarity and a revolutionary engineering work in his day … that he could not enjoy Hitler.
Hitler did not hug Paris. Up to the highest point of the Eiffel tower meant ’embrace’ Paris. From that point, we have an enveloping panoramic view of the city and, for the Nazi leader, it would have been as definitely crown the French pride. The Parisians did not allow it and, therefore, cut the wires of the elevators.
In the occupation, accessing the tower was limited to German visitors, but in this way no one could rise. Not even Hitler, who chose to stay on the floor during his walk around the area. If I wanted to climb, I would have to do it on foot, and did not.
Mine … or nobody. In August 1944, that triumphal atmosphere did not breathe in Paris, at least for the Germans. The allies approached the French city and, aware that the hours were told for the Nazi occupation in the city, Hitler ordered the general Dietrich von Choltitz That destroy the city, including the tower. The general disobeyed the order (either because he did not agree or because he had more important things than to do than destroy the city, leaving burned land), so construction, like so many others, remained in his place.
Interestingly, Von Choltitz’s life has been taken to the cinema as “the Nazi who saved Paris”, although later historians have nuanced This story, stating that all he wanted was to save his skin and that he placed explosive loads in various parts of the city, but there came a time when he considered it useless to continue fighting.
Ah! The elevators were repaired in 1946 and in the Spanish video game ‘Commandos 2’ we can not only climb to the highest point of the tower, but this is up to Nazis.
In Xataka | Bundesarchiv, Bild
