As German troops entered Paris following their victory in June 1940, the American journalist William L. Shirer observed that they carried cameras and behaved as "naïve tourists." One of the first things Hitler did after his victory was to tour occupied Paris, where he was famously photographed in front of the Eiffel Tower.Focusing on tourism by German personnel, military and civil, and French civilians during the war, as well as war-related memory tourism since, War Tourism addresses the fundamental linkages between the two. As Bertram M. Gordon shows, Germans toured occupied France by the thousands in groups organized by their army and guided by suggestions in magazines such as Der Deutsche Wegleiter fr Paris [The German Guide for Paris]. Despite the hardships imposed by war and occupation, many French civilians continued to take holidays. Facilitated by the Popular Front legislation of 1936, this solidified the practice of workers' vacations, leading to a postwar surge in tourism.After the end of the war, the phenomenon of memory tourism transformed sites such as the Maginot Line fortresses. The influx of tourists with links either directly or indirectly to the war took hold and continues to play a significant economic role in Normandy and elsewhere. As France moved from wartime to a postwar era of reconciliation and European Union, memory tourism has held strong and exerts significant influence across the country.
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RESUMEN: La importancia del papel jugado por España en la derrota de la Alemania nazi muy a menudo ha sido infravalorada por los historiadores. Con su victoria sobre Francia, en junio de 1940, Alemania tuvo la oportunidad de extender su poder por España, Gibraltar, a través del Mediterráneo hacia el norte de África, por la costa occidental africana, y posiblemente hacia el Atlántico sur y hacia Sudamérica. De este modo, Gran Bretaña podría haberse visto obligada a retirarse de la guerra. Sin embargo, Hitler y su mando militar se vieron sorprendidos por su rápida y completa victoria en Francia, y no contaban con un plan de continuación que no fuese esperar la rendición del Reino Unido. Cuando de forma gradual, en los meses de julio y agosto, Hitler y sus consejeros empezaron a considerar las ventajas que les supondría conquistar Gibraltar e incorporar a España en la guerra, ya habían firmado el armisticio con Francia, seducidos por la idea de futuros emplazamientos en África, a expensas de los intereses españoles. Ello hizo que Hitler no tuviese mucho que ofrecer a Franco cuando se reunieron en Hendaya en octubre de 1940. El papel jugado por Franco en Hendaya para mantener a España fuera de la guerra fue menos significativo de lo que se ha sugerido. De hecho, Franco se comprometió en Hendaya a entrar en la guerra, y sólo después de febrero de 1941 hizo todo lo posible para mantener a España fuera del conflicto. La historia de las oportunidades perdidas por Alemania en 1940 resalta la importancia que tuvo España en la dirección que tomó la guerra. Palabras Clave: Segunda Guerra Mundial, estrategia de guerra, España, Francisco Franco, Adolfo Hitler. ABSTRACT: The importance of Spain's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany has been too frequently overlooked by historians. With their victory over France in June 1940, Germany gained an opportunity to extend its power into Spain, Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean into North Africa, down the West African coast, and possibly even into the South Atlantic and South America. Britain might have been forced to consider dropping out of the war. Surprised by the speed and thoroughness of their military victory in France, however, Hitler and his command structure had no plans for a follow- up other than to wait for Britain to surrender. When gradually in July and August Hitler and his aides began to consider the advantages of capturing Gibraltar and bringing Spain into the war, they had already made their armistice with the French with whom they had seduced themselves into visions of future arrangements in Africa, at the expense of Spanish interests. Hitler had little to offer Franco when they met at Hendaye in October 1940. Franco's role in keeping Spain out of the war at Hendaye was less significant than has sometimes been suggested. Indeed, Franco did promise at Hendaye to enter the war. Only after February 1941 did Franco work to keep Spain out of the war. The story of Germany's missed opportunities in 1940 highlights the importance of Spain in determining the direction the war took. Key Words: Second World War, military strategy, Spain, Francisco Franco, Adolf Hitler.
