Figure 1.-- Here we see a French refugee girl, we think in 1918. She is caring for her infant siblings. There was no caption associated with the photograph, but as it is a U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph, it is most likely a photograph of French refugees during 1918 when the American Expeditionary Force went into combat.

France became a country which had many people turned into refugeees as well as a country caring for refugees, boith French and foreign. Some 2 million French citizens were displaced during the War becoming refugees. France has both foreign and domestic refugees. There were some 2 million French refugees. We do not yet have a number for the foreign refugeess. French aithorities established three categoiries of refugees, including: 1) refugees who fleed or were ordered from their homes, 2) refigees who were liberated from occupied areas and sent to secure areas, and 3) refigees those who were repatriated by the Germans through Switzerland. The liberated refugees did not come about until the last phase of the War when the Allies began advancing and dinally launched the war-winning Hundred Days Campaign cracked through the formidable Hindenburg Line. The largest numbers of foreign refugees were Belgian. Some of the Belgians reached Britain by sea, but the largest number sought refuge on foot in the Netherlands or France. Most of the refugees for understandable reasons wanted to stay as close to their homes as possuble. French officuals, however, saw a problem with this. Having the refugees so close to the front in the Allied rear would complicate military operations. French authorities saw the need limit demographic and logistical pressures in the regions close to the front. Enormoisquantities of miliitary equipment ands supplies had to be tranhsported to the front. Having the refigees in the same area would put additiinal stress on the alreasy havily strained supply lines, mostly the rail network. The refugees in France spent the entire war in France south of the trench lines whivh despite massive efforts on both sides, did not change significantky. Thus France throughout the War had a sizeable refugee population and all the problems associated with caring for displaced people. Some of the refuf=gees had family or friends who could take them in, most required assiatance which was provided by the French Governmbt and private charities. The plight of the refugees symolized the suffering of the French nation. The French Governmeny and private charities mobilized to aid the refugees.

The Refugees

France has both foreign and domestic refugees. There were some 2 million French refugees. We do not yet have a number for the foreign refugeess. French aithorities established three categoiries of refugees, including: 1) refuhees who fleed or were ordered from their homes, 2) refugee who were liberated from occupied areas and sent to secure areas, and 3) refugees who were repatriated by the Germans through Switzerland. The first group began with the civilians who fled the adbancing German Armny in 1914. Theu also included civilians within range of German artillery, including Reims, under went constant shelling. Other civilians close to the front, within 'the zone of operations' were ordered to evacuate to the interior, France south if the front. Early in the War, civilians in fortified areas (Toul, Longwy, Verdun, Epinal, or Belfort) were ordered to evacuate. They realised that in a major operation or seige, having non-convatants or 'useless mouths to feed' was amilitary liability. As the war palayed out, the Allied Western Front was bascically hinged on Verdun. And the French were able to hold on to only one single road into Verdun -- the Voie Sacrée (Sacred Way). Just supplying the soldier defenders was a major operation. It would have been impossible had there been a civilian population to feed. And the German 1918 Spring Offensive in Picardy created another wave of refugees. The second group of refugees, the liberated French, came about in the final phase of the War. The Germand retreat to the the more easily defensible Hindenburg Line (Spring 1917). This was primarily done for safety and the the need to aviud stessing the vital northern supply network. The population of the 'recovered' territory in Oise, Somme, and the Pas-de-Calais were sent to the interior away from the frontline. The same occurred when British advances in the Cambrai kiberated many villages (Autumn 1917). Finally after the German 1918 Spring Offensive had been stopped and the when the Allies lunched their war-winning Hundred Days Campaign cracking through the formidable Hindenburg Line (August-November, 1918), the Allies sent the civilians out of the area. The third group of refugees were the peoole repatriated by the Germans through Switzerland. The were the French population in the partially or wholly (the Ardennes) German-occupied regions who the Gernans authorized to return to France through Switzerland and Haute-Savoie (Annemasse/Evian). The Germans repatriated sime 0.5 million people through Switzerland to France (1914-19). The largest numbers of foreign refugees were Belgian. Some of the Belgians reached Britain by sea, but the largest number sought refuge on foot in the Netherlands or France. Many of the Belgians in the Netherlands returned to their homes in a relatively short period. The refugees in France were unable to do so. We notice Belgian colonies set up in France. There were a small number of French refugees in Belgium. The Germans ordered French citizens away from their rear areas. Most of the Western Frint was in northern France. Other French refugees were caused by the German 1918 retreat. One report estimates the Frehch refugees in Belgium at about 0.3 million (1918).

Placement

Most of the refugees for understandable reasons wanted to stay as close to their homes as possuble. French officuals, however, saw a problem with this. Having the refugees so close to the front in the Allied rear would complicate military operations. French authorities saw the need limit demographic and logistical pressures in the regions close to the front. Enormoisquantities of miliitary equipment ands supplies had to be tranhsported to the front. Having the refigees in the same area would put additional stress on the already havily strained supply lines, mostly the rail network lead to the front. Thus the refugees were dispersed to the interior, meaning areas of France well ro the soith of the front linr trenches. This included the repatriated refugees who arrived in larger hroups than the other refugees. All French departments (privunces) accomodated refigees. They were settled throughout the communities oncluding maby rural areas. This created a problem in that many of the refugees were city residents who did not want to live in rural areas, They described felling isilated and in an unfamilar environment. Many were not easger to do farm work. Many wanted to settle in Paris and other major cities.

Caring for the Refugees

The refugees in France spent the entire war in France south of the trench lines whivh despite massive efforts on both sides, did not change significantly. Thus France throughout the War had a sizeable refugee population and all the problems associated with caring for displaced people. Some of the refuf=gees had family or friends who could take them in, most required assiatance which was provided by the French Governmbt and private charities. The plight of the refugees symolized the suffering of the French nation. The French Governmeny and private charities mobilized to aid the refugees. The elected representatives of the occupied regions demnanfed aid to the refugees. The Government aid was was suplemented by a large number of private charity groups, both French and foreign. American charities did noy just aid Belgium, they also aided the French, although America did not enter the War until 1917. The Foyer Franco-Belge (Franco-Belgian Home) with the author André Gide (1869–1951) was especially important. Refugees also organized themselves. Ten national committees were established for French refugees, e.g. the Committee for Refugees in the Nord region. By the end of the War there were more than 2 million refugees in France. Most were from Belgium and northern France, but there were also small numbers of refugees from other Allied countries. France had a string agricultural sector. Unlike Britain and Germany, France was basically self-sufficent in food. Feeding such a large number of refugees, however, was beyond their means. And the agricultural sector was affected by the conscription of such a large number of men, especially men comprising the rural work force. Unlike Britain, there was no woman's land army. Only American food relief prevented severe shortages. Unlike German-occupied Belgium, it was a simple matter for America to get food to the refugees in France.

Orphanages

The situation in Belgium and France is best known because their situation was widely reported in the press. It was also highlighted by Allied war propoganda. Large numbers of orphanages were established to care for the war orphans in both Belgium and France. Many were small local orphanges cared for by a small group of nuns. Some Belgian children were apparently brought to Britain. Most of the assistance went to orphanages in Belgium and France. These orphanages in both Belgium and France were quite similar. Many were sponsored by religious orders. A British nurse, for example, describes one of these small orphanages in Belgium, "There was a certain bazaar at Dunkerque, a big departmental-store of cheap goods, which was a perfect fairyland of toys and Christmas presents. Now, my friend and I were deeply interested in a little orphanage near us at Furnes, where twenty war-orphans, boys from three to fifteen years old, were cared for by nuns. So we went to the bazaar and bought things that boys like, also presents for our friends. Then the doctor who drove us in, took us to a hotel dinner. All these seem ordinary events, but to us they were delightful excitements after having lived in a kitchen and eaten bully beef for months. We were like girls from boarding-school let out for a holiday!" [Anonamous] Some of these orphanages were coeducational, perhaps an effort to keep brothers and sisters together. Clothing varied considerably from orphange to orphanage. Some children wore smocks, someimes as a kind of uniform. At others the clothing varied from child to child. We suspect that here the funding was a major factor.

Created: 1:35 AM 7/18/2020
Last updated: 12:11 PM 7/18/2020