A group of German army troops seem marching casually at Champ de Mars, Paris, during 1940, in World War 2. Sounds of a fife and drum corps are heard in background. The Eiffel tower looms in the background. Some soldiers are on bicycles. View shifts to a nearly empty Champs Elysees, with Arc de Triomphe (Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France) in the distance. German military vehicles move along the edge of the road. Camera moves closer to the Arc de Triomphe. Suddenly the scene shifts back a year, to the 1939 Bastille Day parade, in Paris. It shows British Grenadiers in uniform with bearskin hats, parading on the Champs Elysees, along with French Colonial Senegalese Riflemen wearing the Fez. Also seen are French Sailors, and infantry. Then, from a high point overlooking the parade, vehicles are seen pulling artillery. Back at street level, French 2-man Renault UE Chenillette tankettes are seen in formation. They are followed by a formation of Panhard AMD armored cars. Scene reverts to the present (1940) with German occupation troops marching past the Arc de Triomphe. As the German troops pass, German Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Fedor von Bock, Commander of Army Group B, is seen briefly saluting, as he reviews the troops from the sidelines. Another General stands with him. Spectators and column of German troops seen from Eiffel Tower. A German officer on horseback, leading his troops. Marshal von Bock, saluting. Various closeups of parading troops. View from an aircraft flying over the city of Paris, with Arc de Triomphe near center of the view. German troops towing artillery and caissons by teams of horses. Glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe, and Eiffel Tower. Horse-drawn wagons, carrying German troops and towing field artillery at the Place de la Concorde. The French Naval Department building (Hôtel de la Marine, 2 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France) seen behind them. Parisians watching solemnly from sidewalks. German sentries posted at the Hôtel des Invalides. (Les Invalides, 129 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris, France). French policemen giving directions to a German soldier, holding a map. German troops moving along the side of a commercial district street. Two French women smiling as the camera focuses on them. German soldiers marching cheerfully, along a French country road with a chorus heard singing in the background.
A U.S. delegation visits Normandy, France, 25 years after the Allied invasion of France during World War II. Soldiers and Honor Guard lined up. Military band plays. A cameraman records as a correspondent speaks. Children carrying American flags lined up along a path. Military officers seated in chairs. Civilians stand behind barricades. French officers at the ceremony. A helicopter in flight. A French Breton woman wearing a traditional hat of the Concarneau region. American officials including General Omar Bradley and his wife, along with General J. Lawton Collins. U.S. Ambassador to France Robert Sargent Shriver is also seen. Close views of General Bradley and General Collins seated side by side. British and American flags raised at the ceremony. A sign on a memorial reads 'In memory of our dead 1st Engineer Special Brigade'. A French flag raised. British, American, French and Canadian flags near the memorial at Utah Beach in Normandy. Military Honor guards standing at attention. Two U.S. Army soldiers in a small tank vehicle near the officials. The turret revolves. General Collins assists a soldier in lighting a flame torch. The soldier gets onto the tank. General Collins places flowers at the memorial.
Monuments and landmarks in Paris, France. People dining al fresco at Fouquet's (99 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France), a historic high-end brasserie restaurant along the Avenue Champs-Élysées. Cars drive down the Avenue de Champs-Élysées with Arc de Triomphe (Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France) in the background. People milling about on the sidewalk. The 'Pan American' Airlines office in Paris. A view of the city with Eiffel Tower in the background.
Group of United States military officers. Colonel Edward Mandell House, American diplomat and politician, sharing information. Georges Benjamin Clemenceau, Prime minister of France and Ferninand Foch, Marshal of France leaving a building in Paris. View of Hotel Elysees Palace and Hotel Crillon (6 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France). Arrival and departure of guests at Hotel Crillon. Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations and Henry white, a prominent U.S. diplomat leaving Hotel Crillon.
French dignitaries arrive at the Murat Mansion (28 Rue de Monceau 75008 Paris, France) in Paris, France. These include French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau. The dignitaries arrived to greet United States President Woodrow Wilson during his visit to France for the Paris Peace Conference. (World War I; World War 1; WWI; WW1)
A contingent of German army troops marches loosely along road at Champ de Mars, during World War 2, as music of a fife and drum corps plays in the background. The Eiffel Tower looms in the mist. Some soldiers on bicycles bring up the rear. View shifts to the Champs Elysees, with Arc de Triomphe (Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 75008 Paris, France) dominating the empty street. German military cars move along one edge of the road. Camera moves closer to the Arch. Suddenly there is a flashback to the 1939 Bastille Day parade, in Paris, showing British Grenadier Guards in dress uniforms with bearskin hats, parading on the Champs Elysees, along with French colonial Tirailleurs Sénégalais (Senegalese Riflemen), French Sailors, and French infantry. Then, from a high point overlooking the parade, vehicles are seen pulling artillery along the Champs Elysees. Back at street level, French Renault UE Chenillette tankettes drive in the parade, followed by a formation of Panhard AMD armored cars. Film cuts back again to a year later (1940) with German occupation troops marching past the Arc de Triomphe. As the German troops pass, camera focuses briefly on German Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) Fedor von Bock, Commander of Army Group B, reviewing the troops from the sidelines with another German general. View from Eiffel Tower of spectators and column of German troops below. Closeup of German officer on horseback, leading contingent of troops. Marshal von Bock, saluting. Closeups of parading troops. Aerial view looking down on the city of Paris, with Arc de Triomphe near center of the view. German artillerymen towing guns and caissons by means of horses. Ground views of the Arc de Triomphe, and Eiffel Tower. German troops riding on horse-drawn wagons, towing field artillery at the Place de la Concorde. The French Naval Ministry building (Hôtel de la Marine, 2 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France) seen behind them. More horses with troops, and artillery. Grim-faced Parisians watching from sidewalks. German sentries standing guard at the Hôtel des Invalides (Hôtel de la Marine, 2 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France), where the narrator notes, Napoleon is buried. French policemen talking with a German soldier, as they consult a map. German troops proceeding down the side of a commercial district street. Two French women smiling as they realize the camera is focused on them. Cheerful German soldiers marching informally, along a French countryside road, with a German marching chorus song heard singing in the background.
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