This is the second part of the saga of the amphibians in Germany. At a later date I will write about German views of the British and American military presence as well as the French military occupation, though the latter will be touched on here. This post will be depressing, please accept my apologies in advance for that.
France does not have a volunteer military, something reflected by the generally low morale of their soldiers. They are treated terribly, get paid painfully little, and miss out on some of the best years of their lives. As a result of this, French soldiers often did not have much money to buy clothes or to keep them properly clean. In Germany this becomes instantly noticeable. Germany being, of course, a country in which appearances are important. It’s not uncommon for Germans to put on new, clean clothes simply to walk to corner shop to get one or two items in the evening out of fear of meeting someone they know and losing face. The French, however, were not given a chance to dress properly. Their trousers would often be filthy and raggedy. Their shirts scummy. The cut of both was almost universally poor. Much of the time the clothes were also second hand. Germans are infamously impatient and unforgiving people with such things, generally preferring conformity in virtually all ways. Their appearance would often lead to either sympathy or contempt, especially considering France’s reputation as one of the world’s foremost fashion centres.
The poverty which France forces its young men serving in the military through was also reflected by the inability of the French to afford to have a few beers on the weekend, something which they desperately wanted in order to get some relief from their miserable conditions. They would drink beer through straws in order to get pissed more quickly.
The way that the French military authorities handled drunken soldiers was different than their American or British counterparts. Where as the British and Americans were there at the request of the West German government and were generally very welcome, the French stayed as military occupiers and their approach to German law and norms was thus different. In Trier, automobile traffic is strictly prohibited in the central districts. The roads are narrow and windy, often made of cobble stones. Many of them are centuries old and difficult to maintain. The French military police, however, didn’t give a rat’s cock (yes, this is lifted from Ferret) about what the law was in Germany. They simply sent their paddy wagons driving through the town, often recklessly, looking for any French soldier who might be pissed. If they caught them, which they often did, they would promptly beat them and drag them into the back before carrying them to their military gaol. Germans would invariably be witness to this and didn’t like it a bit.
The French military police didn’t always ignore German law in its entirety, of course. On occasion, when it pleased them, they would enforce German laws for them! With their own punishments, of course. When the little frogs were allowed to head back to their pond on holiday, they would usually take the train. In Germany, as in most places, people are obliged to wait behind a yellow line. Whenever a German or American would be caught standing past it, they would be admonished to get behind it again, but little more than that. The French military police, however, did not stop there. They would demand that their soldiers would not only stand behind the yellow line, but that they would stand in proper military formation AND position. If someone failed to do any of this perfectly, they would be subjected to beatings. They also would observe the slightest failures, sometimes even forcing the soldiers into them in order to beat them. This was, of course, in public view and Germans were forced to see this. As with most things involving the French military occupation, it disgusted the people as they simply couldn’t stand it.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Another interesting post, christopher. How sad that France let itself down so badly.
Thanks Christopher – Stationed in Germany in the 60’s I remember staying overnight in Metz once where I received a very hostile reception. I’m not sure if it was because we were English or the fact that I was speaking German (my smattering of German was better than my French).
Sheona: France has many, many strong points. One of them is, perhaps, also its greatest weakness. It inspires passion, but things that do often also inspire disdain. They have the history, the food, the wine, the culture, and the art — but they often have a sort caustic arrogance, especially when overseas, that infuriates more than it enthrals. It’s sad, really, as France has far more good about it than bad, though this is often overshadowed.
PB: One never knows exactly why the French do what they do.
Very interesting read, Christopher. I absolutely agree about France’s strong points.
I haven’t visited Germany as often as France, but I always feel it is somehow less “foreign”. Perhaps this is just me, but it does strike me that historically, perhaps, Germany and England are rather more similar in some respects, more Northern European, than Mediterranean. I am aware than Hitler felt the same!