Jump to content

Draft:History of Savoy from 1914 to 1945

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The period from 1914 to 1945 was marked by the two world wars, which did not spare the Savoy regions, but also by industrial expansion, notably thanks to hydroelectric power (referred to as houille blanche).

First World War

[edit]
Monument dedicated to the Blue Devils on the summit of the Grand Ballon, the highest point in the Vosges mountains, where many Savoyard soldiers fought.

During the “Great War,” the people of Savoy fought in infantry regiments. There were no battalions made up exclusively of Savoyards, but they were found in the 30th Infantry Regiment [fr] (based in Annecy, Thonon, Rumilly, and Montmélian), the 97th Alpine Infantry Regiment [fr] (based in Chambéry, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Moûtiers, and Modane), the 230th [fr] and 297th [fr], as well as in the Alpine Chasseur Battalions (11th [fr], 13th, 22nd, 51st, 53rd, and 62nd, which formed the 28th Infantry Division [fr]).[1] These troops, nicknamed the “Blue Devils,”[Note 1] fought on all fronts (Alsace, Lorraine, Verdun, Chemin des Dames), and on the Alpine front, up to the reversal of alliance with Italy.[2]

The population of Savoy, mostly rural, contributed to the war effort, but harvests were poor. Industry, on the other hand, prospered. The steelworks of Ugine, for example, produced ammunition (shells) and armor plates for tanks.[1]

Neutralized zone of Savoy

[edit]
See also: Neutralized Zone of Savoy

At the Congress of Vienna and in the Treaty of Paris of 1815, it was decided to create a neutral Savoy zone and to establish an international status for Switzerland, guaranteeing its neutrality and the inviolability of its territory.[3] The Savoy zone was initially meant to be placed under Swiss military protection.[4]

The neutralized zone of Savoy extended over the entire department of Haute-Savoie, part of the department of Savoie, and the Pays de Gex, which was then part of Savoy.[4] This neutralized zone was used during the First World War from 1914 to 1918.[3]

Human toll and social transformations

[edit]

Savoy did not suffer any invasion. No destruction was recorded. However, the tragic Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne accident, which killed 425 people on December 12, 1917, left a lasting impression.[1]

Losses were significant, with 19,632 deaths according to official sources.[5][Note 2]

Economically, industry flourished, and the factories in Savoy benefited from the war, thus transforming the region’s traditional rural character.[5]

Interwar period

[edit]

Zone dispute

[edit]

In 1919, at the end of the war, France chose to denounce the Treaty of Turin through Article 435 of the Treaty of Versailles, which abolished the neutralized zone[6] in Savoy and the large free zone that had been established during the Annexation (as shown by the publication of “yes and zone” bulletins in the northern part of the duchy). The Swiss Confederation, having reached an agreement with the French government, did not oppose this process, as its military rights were no longer justified.[7] In return, it received French support for its entry into the League of Nations and the installation of that new international organization’s offices on its territory. Article 435 of the Treaty of Versailles abolished the military neutralized zone.[8] This article also addressed the customs-free zones of Haute-Savoie and the Pays de Gex. It specified: “(these zones) no longer corresponded to present circumstances,” declaring that it was up to France and Switzerland to determine by mutual agreement the status of these territories under terms considered appropriate by both countries.[9] Later, in 1932, the International Court of Justice in The Hague condemned France and called on it to restore the free zone (directly linked to the terms of annexation), under the now outdated treaties of 1815, 1816, and 1829—restoring 650 km², compared to the 4,000 km² mentioned in the annexation treaty of 1860.[10]

Cultural context

[edit]

After the First World War, Italian immigration, with its high birth rate, became the main driver of demographic growth in the Savoy region.[11] Nonetheless, Savoy reached its lowest demographic point in 1920, with a population of around 450,000.[12] The face of Savoy gradually changed. Having only become French in 1860, Savoy (more precisely, the departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie) underwent numerous cultural transformations. One symbolic example is the abandonment of traditional roofing materials such as wooden shingles and flagstones, which were replaced by sheet metal, tiles, or mechanical slate. During the interwar period, Savoy also experienced a true revolution in its economic and tourism sectors, with the rise of winter sports infrastructure and organizations in Megève, Chamonix, and other high-altitude locations.[12] The development of the automobile also promoted green tourism in the summer months.

Industrial expansion of hydroelectric power (white coal)

[edit]

The mountain system was called into question with the exploitation of new natural mountain resources: the use of energy produced by waterfalls, or white coal. The invention of the dynamo in 1870 revolutionized the use of white coal.[13] While this energy had already been locally harnessed by populations in sawmills along rivers, this technological innovation enabled the development of a genuine industrial fabric, particularly in the Tarentaise, the Maurienne, the Arly Valley, and the Upper Faucigny.[Note 3][14]

Taking advantage of the topography, metal-processing plants (supplied by train) were initially installed near low-flow waterfalls; then, as new technologies emerged, factories were placed near higher-flow rivers. These penstocks (sometimes as long as 12 km) gave rise to electrochemical and electrometallurgical industries.[15] In reality, the establishment of factories in mountainous areas was a consequence of the availability of a low-cost renewable energy source, which compensated for the high cost of transporting raw materials to the sites.[16]

This industrial development disrupted and transformed local societies (leading to the emergence of a new social organization: peasant-workers) and put a stop to the rural exodus that had begun in the 19th century.[17]

The presence of these factories explains why Savoy became a strategic target in 1940.[18]

Second World War

[edit]

Battle of France

[edit]
See also: Italian invasion of France

The 28th Alpine Infantry Division [fr], based in Chambéry in 1939 and commanded by General Lestien [fr], was deployed to the Vosges, on the Maginot Line, as Italy had not yet entered the conflict. The 13th [fr], 53rd, and 67th [fr] Alpine Hunter Battalions were sent to Norway, where they took part in the Battle of Narvik,[19] before being redeployed through the United Kingdom to France to participate in the Battle of France in May.[19][6]

Remains of bunkers on the mountain pastures of Mont Cenis in Haute-Maurienne, one of the most heavily fortified points in the Alps.

On June 10, 1940, Mussolini declared war on France. Savoy was caught in a pincer. Fighting began in the Alps. The Italian army, commanded by Crown Prince Umberto of Savoy and General Alfredo Guzzoni and composed of 22 divisions and 321,000 men, launched an assault on the Petit-Saint-Bernard and Mont-Cenis sectors.[6] Against this force, the 185,000 men under General René Olry resisted. In the valley, the Germans crossed the Rhône at Culoz and entered Aix-les-Bains; Chambéry had not yet fallen. The signing of the armistice on June 22, 1940, ended the fighting. A second armistice was signed with Italy on June 24, which demanded the occupation of certain communes in the Upper Tarentaise (those near the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass) and the entirety of the Upper Maurienne (the canton of Lanslebourg and the communes of Avrieux and Aussois), which were subsequently annexed de facto, along with the demilitarization of the border.[6]

Occupation

[edit]

The armistice of June 24, 1940, was signed at the Villa Incisa near Rome. France and the Kingdom of Italy were represented by Charles Huntziger and Marshal Pietro Badoglio, respectively. Under this agreement, the Upper Maurienne (the canton of Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis [fr]), as well as the communes of Aussois and Avrieux and some communes of Upper Tarentaise such as Seez, were annexed to the Kingdom of Italy, and their administration was transferred to Turin.[20] The inhabitants of these communes were issued Italian identity cards.[21]

The annexation rumor was spread by those who had fled Italy, recalling the fascist deputies' cries in 1938.[Note 4] However, Mussolini had assured Count Galeazzo Ciano that he would not lay claim to the former Duchy of Savoy.[22] In November 1942, all of Savoy was placed under Italian occupation.

Following Italy’s capitulation on September 8, 1943,[23] and under German occupation, many villages, especially those in the upper Arc valley, suffered reprisals and destruction by the occupiers aiming to punish resistance movements. The region was the scene of massacres, and villages such as Lanslebourg and Bessans were burned down during the German retreat in 1944.[24] A concentration camp was even built in Modane.[23]

Resistance

[edit]

Due to its geographic position and its proximity to Italy and Switzerland, Savoy experienced intense resistance activity, first against Italian, then German occupation. The resistance facilitated the escape of many refugees, particularly Jews, as repression was far less severe in the Italian kingdom. Numerous black market networks were also established. Several maquis (rural resistance groups) emerged, including the Maquis des Glières, operating on the Glières Plateau. With its mid-altitude mountainous terrain allowing for a continuous presence, it fostered the emergence of an organized resistance led by Lieutenant Tom Morel, Companion of the Liberation.[25] The Glières Plateau was chosen in January 1944 for arms drops to supply the local resistance. It was a clear zone, difficult to access by road and thus by the enemy, yet easily spotted by Allied aircraft due to its proximity to Lake Annecy. The "Battle of Glières" (March 1944) resulted in 149 maquisards killed in combat against more than 2,000 Wehrmacht soldiers and Vichy militiamen.[26] Similar tragedies took place in the Chablais, the Bauges, and the Beaufortain, notably at the Col des Saisies.[26]

The Resistance was also present in the Alpine valleys, whose industrial and hydroelectric resources were significant. Steel factories, bridges, high-voltage power lines, and railways in Tarentaise and Maurienne were repeatedly sabotaged by resistance fighters seeking to slow down German war production.[27] A museum of the Resistance was even created in each valley, namely in Moûtiers and Villargondran. While hiking in the mountains, it is common to come across numerous memorials to the resistance fighters executed by the Germans.[28] Haute Maurienne was at the heart of one of the most famous battles of the French Resistance in the Alps. On the heights of the commune of Sollières-Sardières, the Battle of Mont-Froid took place at an altitude of 2,819 meters, between the Alpine troops and German forces during April 1945.[29] These battles, fought under extreme conditions, became one of the symbols of the Resistance in the Alps.[30] Following this battle, the Treaty of Paris rectified what had been considered a geostrategic weakness and a historical error by reintegrating the entire Mont-Cenis plateau, which had until then been on Italian territory since the division of Savoy during its annexation in 1860. Thus, at the end of the war, the map of Haute Maurienne was enlarged by an area of 81.79 km².[31] De jure, the communes of Sollières-Sardières, Lanslebourg, and Lanslevillard regained full use of their centuries-old alpine pastures, which had until then been located in Italian territory, even though they had always been their property.[32]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ This nickname comes from battles that took place in 1915 in the Vosges (Grand Ballon), during which the Alpine troops, dressed in blue and running out of weapons, used rocks to hurl them down onto the enemy. Gaining the upper hand and singing, the surviving Germans referred to them as the “Blauen Teufeln” (“Blue Devils”). Cited in the works of Muller, Claude (2001). Les mystères du Dauphiné [The mysteries of the Dauphiné] (in French). De Borée. pp. 96–101. and Léon, Marie-Hélène (1998). Les chasseurs alpins. Mythe et réalités des Troupes de montagne [Alpine hunters. Myth and reality of the Mountain Troops] (in French). L'Harmattan. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-2-7384-4737-1.
  2. ^ 9,843 killed in Savoie and 10,400 in Haute-Savoie according to Comby, Louis (1977). Histoire des Savoyards [History of the Savoyards] (in French). Nathan. p. 129.; as well as Veyret, Paul; Veyret, Germaine (1968). Au cœur de l'Europe, les Alpes [In the heart of Europe, the Alps] (in French). Paris: Flammarion. Other figures: 8,881 for Savoie and 9,193 for Haute-Savoie according to a study by Palluel-Guillard, André (1986). La Savoie de Révolution française à nos jours, XIXe – XXe siècle [Savoy from the French Revolution to the present day, 19th–20th centuries] (in French). Ouest France Université. p. 354. ISBN 2-85882-536-X., repeated by Leguay, Thérèse; Leguay, Jean-Pierre; Cerisier, Emmanuel (2005). Histoire de la Savoie [History of Savoy] (in French). Paris: Editions Jean-paul Gisserot. p. 112. ISBN 978-2-87747-804-5.
  3. ^ Examples of sites taken from Palluel-Guillard 1986, p. 257:
    • Tarentaise: Rosière factory in Bozel (Bozel-Malétra Group, 1922); Villard du Planay; Plombière and Château-Feuillet factories (ferrosilicon) in the municipality of La Léchère; Notre-Dame-de-Briançon factory (processing of acetylene derivatives and production of graphite for electrodes, 1932);
    • Maurienne: Factories in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, La Saussaz, and La Praz belonging to the AFC company (Alais, Froges et Camargue);
  4. ^ On November 30, 1938, during the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Galeazzo Ciano, he was welcomed by Italian fascist deputies in Parliament with cries of “Corsica! Djibouti! Tunisia! Nice! Savoy!” demanding the annexation of these territories.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Beruard, A; Châtel, J; Favre, A; Hudry, M (1998). Découvrir l'Histoire de la Savoie [Discover the history of Savoy] (in French). Éd. Centre de la Culture Savoyarde. pp. 174–175. ISBN 2-9511379-1-5.
  2. ^ "Chasseurs Alpins : histoire, missions et organisation" [Alpine Hunters: history, missions, and organization]. Provence 7 (in French). 17 December 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Figeac, Jean-François. "1815 : Metternich et le congrès de Vienne" [1815: Metternich and the Congress of Vienna]. EHNE (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "La neutralité suisse, un concept imposé par l'Europe" [Swiss neutrality, a concept imposed by Europe]. Forum (in French). October 26, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Mémoire des Hommes" [Memorial to the Men] (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d Comby 1977, p. 130
  7. ^ "La suppression de la zone neutre" [The removal of the neutral zone] (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  8. ^ Ménabréa, Henri (1976). Histoire de la Savoie [History of Savoy] (in French). Éd. Grasset. p. 380.
  9. ^ "Titre XI : Zones franches. (Articles 286 à 291)" [Title XI: Free zones. (Articles 286 to 291)]. Legifrance (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  10. ^ "Zones franches de la Haute-Savoie et du Pays de Gex" [Free zones in Haute-Savoie and Pays de Gex]. Jusmundi (in French). March 26, 1928. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  11. ^ Milza, Pierre (1995). Voyage en Ritalie [Trip to Italy] (in French). Éd. Payot.
  12. ^ a b "Chronologies" [Timelines]. Société Savoisienne (in French). Archived from the original on May 11, 2008.
  13. ^ Dalmasso, Anne (2008). "Barrages et développement dans les Alpes françaises de l'entre-deux-guerres" [Dams and development in the French Alps between the wars]. Journal of Alpine Research | Revue de géographie alpine (in French). 96 (1): 45–54. doi:10.4000/rga.400. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  14. ^ Blanchard, Raoul (1917). "L'industrie de la houille blanche dans les Alpes françaises" [The white coal industry in the French Alps]. Annales de Géographie (in French). 26 (139): 15–41. doi:10.3406/geo.1917.8677. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  15. ^ Dalmasso, A (2007). "Industries et territoires dans les Alpes, xixe – xxe siècles : tentative de typologie" [Industries and territories in the Alps, 19th–20th centuries: an attempt at typology]. Les territoires de l'industrie en Europe (1750-2000) [Industrial territories in Europe (1750-2000)] (in French). Presses universitaires de Franche-Comté. pp. 87–102. doi:10.4000/books.pufc.27384. ISBN 978-2-84867-178-9.
  16. ^ Dalmasso, Anne (2002). "L'énergie hydraulique et le Dauphiné Une histoire industrielle" [Hydropower and the Dauphiné region An industrial history]. La Houille Blanche (in French). 88 (4–5): 23–27. Bibcode:2002LHBl...88...23D. doi:10.1051/lhb/2002053. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  17. ^ Wienin, Michel (2007). "La montagne, lieu de développement industriel : l'exemple du Languedoc-Roussillon" [Mountains as a place for industrial development: the example of Languedoc-Roussillon]. Le Patrimoine Industriel (in French) (8). doi:10.4000/insitu.3412. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  18. ^ Judet, Pierre (2014). "La "Savoie industrielle". Des territoires industriels en mouvements" [The "Industrial Savoy". Industrial territories in motion]. Histoire économique et sociale de la Savoie de 1860 à nos jours [Economic and Social History of Savoy from 1860 to the present]. Publications d'histoire économique et sociale internationale. Librairie Droz. pp. 245–297. doi:10.3917/droz.varas.2014.01.0245. ISBN 978-2-600-01828-9.
  19. ^ a b Vallette d'Osia, Jean (1991). Quarante-deux ans de vie militaire. 1916-1958 (Volume 2) [Forty-two years of military service. 1916-1958 (Volume 2)] (in French). Éditions Lyonnaises d'Art et d'Histoire. pp. 21–44.
  20. ^ "Chronologies" [Timelines]. Société savoisienne d'histoire et d'archéologie (in French). Archived from the original on January 22, 2013.
  21. ^ Marcel, Jail (1969). "La Haute-Maurienne. Recherches sur l'évolution et les problèmes d'une cellule montagnarde intra-alpine" [The Haute-Maurienne. Research on the evolution and problems of an intra-alpine mountain community]. Revue de géographie alpine (in French). 57 (1): 85–146. doi:10.3406/rga.1969.3392. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  22. ^ Nouvelle encyclopédie de la Haute-Savoie [New encyclopedia of Haute-Savoie]. Hier et aujourd'hui (in French). Montmélian: Le La Fontaine de Siloé. 2007. p. 36. ISBN 978-2-84206-374-0. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  23. ^ a b "Introduction à l'Occupation italienne" [Introduction to the Italian Occupation]. Musée de la Résistance (in French). Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
  24. ^ Forray, François. "La Haute Maurienne - Données historiques" [Haute Maurienne - Historical data]. Departmental Archives of Savoie (in French). Archived from the original on October 10, 2014.
  25. ^ "Comprendre la Résistance sur le plateau des Glières" [Understanding the Resistance on the Glières Plateau]. Savoie Mont Blanc (in French). 26 July 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  26. ^ a b Emprin, Gil. "L'histoire du maquis et de la bataille des Glières" [The history of the Maquis and the Battle of Glières]. Chemins de Mémoire (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  27. ^ "Les autorités de Vichy intensifient la répression contre la Résistance en Haute-Savoie" [The Vichy authorities intensify repression against the Resistance in Haute-Savoie]. Lumni Enseignement (in French). March 16, 1944. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  28. ^ "Mémoire des maquis" [Memory of the Resistance]. Musée de la Résistance (in French). Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  29. ^ Portehaut, Jean-Louis (1983). La Bataille du Mont Froid : 5-12 avril 1945 [The Battle of Cold Mountain: April 5–12, 1945] (in French).
  30. ^ Debouzon, Laurent. "Batailles des Alpes - Maurienne - Mont Froid" [Battles of the Alps - Maurienne - Mont Froid]. www.memoire-des-alpins (in French). Archived from the original on November 2, 2014.
  31. ^ Chabaud, Hervé. "L'Italie dans la 2e guerre mondiale : les chemins de la liberté (décembre 1944 - janvier 1945) - Le traité de paix de 1947" [Italy in World War II: The Paths to Freedom (December 1944 - January 1945) - The 1947 Peace Treaty] (in French). Archived from the original on November 1, 2013.
  32. ^ Paucot, H; Faucherre, N (2019). "Barrer ou circuler : le paradoxe montagnard, l'exemple de Briançon et du col de Montgenèvre" [Blocking or circulating: the mountain paradox, the example of Briançon and the Montgenèvre Pass]. La montagne comme terrain d'affrontements [The mountain as a battleground] (in French). Éditions du Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques. doi:10.4000/books.cths.5925. ISBN 978-2-7355-0891-4.

Bibliography

[edit]
This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.
Categories:
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:History_of_Savoy_from_1914_to_1945&oldid=1289630938"