History repeats itself continually and mankind seems hell-bent to not learn from past thinking and actions. This is especially accurate when one studies gun control practices of history. The very same parallels are occurring within America as to what happened in pre-World war ll years including the war’s end in 1945.
I have done a rather in depth study, I feel, of gun control in France during the above mentioned years. However, I am not going to write an in-depth study here on my blog site. My intent is to touch on various aspects of those times in a summarizing write-up.
NAZI Germany would invade France in May of 1940. (Despite what one may hear from the media the NAZI party was a socialist party.) World War ll had begun. The Germans referred to there tactics as the “blitzkrieg” or the lightning war. This tactic was a fast-moving invasion into another country in order to overwhelm the country into quick submission and it worked well for the German army. The French had their cement bunker wall known as the Maginot Line. The Germans simply went around the miles of defense line. (The Maginot Line was a massive concrete fortification built as a defense line.)
Immediately, the Germans would place posters in the towns they overtook in France. These posters demanded the firearms of the individuals be surrendered to the authorities. Jail time to death could result from failure to comply.
Before moving along in this study, I am going to include some French history in the years just prior to the invasion. France, in 1935, had already begun banning various weapons , often referred to as, military-style weapons. Sound familiar? (Politicians have been trying to ban military-style weapons in America for a number of years, now. The infamous AR-15 is usually the evil gun in today’s demands. Most of these politicians and most of media refer to this rifle as an automatic firearm. The truth is this rifle is the very same rifle used by many hunters, but often with a traditional-style stock. The AR-15 is a SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLE WITH ONLY THE LOOK OF A MILTARY WEAPON!) This above-mentioned statements became law for the French under Prime Minister Pierre Laval. He, also, began a registration of French firearms at this same time. Many French did not comply.
Move along to the 1940 invasion of France by German soldiers and the next step was for the registration papers to be gathered to know precisely who had firearms. f course these records were easy for the Germans to obtain. A positive respite to many French, at this time, was the armistice signed with the Germans with France. In this agreement French authorities and French police were to begin the confiscating of guns. The registrations of the guns in communities had the names and addresses of the owners and the make and models. Laval. who was a socialist and fascist collaborated with the Germans.
NOTE: Interestingly, Germany in the early thirties had armed upheavals between the communists and NAZIs. Banning of guns and registration in Germany occurred because of the such actions. In 1933, Adolph Hitler seized power of Germany. He used the registration records to disarm people or groups deemed to be an enemy of the state. Also interestingly, was the fact of the German Prime minister’s words concerning registration. He warned of his concerns of these records getting into the hands of some extremist elements in the future…enter Hitler! This is the very same concern of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and law-abiding, patriotic Americans today.
NOTE: France in 1789 tried to pass law to have a second amendment type agreement within it’s borders. The measure failed.
NOTE: Gun control attempts began growing in America and in 1934 a compromise gun control law was passed to ban automatic firearms and saw-off shotguns. Our Constituional Second Amendmant has twarted many gun control laws. However, many anti-gun laws have been passed. These laws are made in a “chipping away” style of gun control. In other words, little by little. These laws always use wording such as “commonsense gun laws” or closing loopholes. They know such words help their cause with less-informed indidviduals of America or those faithful to any political party without question.
During the earlier time frame of German occupation the people weren’t shot as often as the years to follow. Jailtime, or imprisonment, including hard labor in Germany may be the result of firearm possession. Remember, at first the French police and French authorities were doing a percentage of the German’s work. However, in time, the Gestapo and SS military entered onto the scene. This was, in part, for the failure of the French to act on German demands with force. They were much more inclined to shoot a person for firearm possession. Things worsened in France daily. Interestingly, In America, proponents of firearm banning and/or gun registration may, go as far, to state the Germans seldom used gun registration to find gun owners and execute them. Such politicians are lying for there is a lot of information available to read on this subject.
NOTE: The European Union, today, require registration of guns from all lawful gun owners. Unbelievably, Germany was the first nation to comply with the EU mandates. History is clearly repeating itself. Europe has learned nothing from past events under Hitler’s dominion or Stalin in the Soviet Union…. Today, French Jews have been pleading with their government to allow for firearms to protect themselves because of the Islamic push in Europe, especially with the terrorist attacks. In America, we see the screams of more gun control with every evil school or workplace shooting. Gun free zones are becoming numerous and most shootings are in places with gun-free zones. Imagine that! The world is in decline with evil! The removal of anything pertaining to Christ, in part, has degraded the populace with evil intent always.
Often these decrees began with the wording of military-style guns being banned. In short order even hunting guns were included. Ammunition was included as part of what needed turned in to the government. Registration required name, address, model and caliber of firearm. At times amnesty was offered for the return of guns. Nothing worked with the impact expected by the Germans. The French were having an understanding as to what was needed to thwart the Germans.
The French who defied the laws often would become part of the French Resistance. Prior to the organization of the resistance many guns were hid or buried to avoid detection. These are to be compared with the community militias of America’s roots where Americans became militias to be used against the British or Indian attacks. The biggest issue with these brave individuals was the lack of firearms. Quite possibly, one gun per ten men may actually have been reality. Many died as they attacked Germans at times and blew up train tracks and German equipment. Many women, as were Jews, were sent to concentration camps as they were captured. However, their efforts helped the allied cause by keeping the Germans on their toes, so to speak, allowing for the allied forces to move easier at times as Germans were being tied down with French conflicts. Of course, anyone caught, by this time with such weapons were shot. Often times when the resistance acted the Germans would execute a number of individuals in retaliation. An interesting aspect of all of the German’s retaliatory actions led to the growth in numbers of the French fighters. Some gun and ammo shipments were parachuted to the French when available to do so.
The Germans made rules to include possible execution for any person knowing of another with guns. In other words, they were seeking information from other French individuals to report knowledge of their neighbor if they were aware that guns were present. Reports of informants on this issue are available. Nobody could be truly trusted in those years. Gun related executions increased as the time moved along and the Germans became more frustrated with the French resistance. The French became more emboldened as rumors of a D-Day invasion were heard.
This report here is a very brief listing of what events were like in France over a ten-year time frame. The actual details are very complex and chaotic to read about. I can not believe how terrible those years would have been for the French people. The fear of that knock on the door followed by a gun point prior to being removed would be dreadful to consider. But that consideration was present always. Many would be executed in the streets. Other would be hauled off and never heard from again.
Prime Minister Pierre Laval would be executed by the French at the end of the war for his gun registration and collaboration with the Germans.
So, what is the lesson with this historical entry? Many French refused to become a slave to the government. They did not want to be without protection and did whatever means necessary to obscure their guns from the Germans and French police. The importance of an armed citizenry is obvious to combat governmental tyranny domestically or foreign. The value of our Constitution and Bill of Rights including the Second Amendment can not be understated. The fight to keep this right and the others is paramount to America’s survival.
The Second Amendment
A WELL REGULATED MILITIA, BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.
The Militia is the people capable and ready to take up arms to protect out land and country. We are the people and our right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon. The words do not say may, or might, be infringed upon, but SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED UPON.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 