Figure 1.--World War I in the West was fought in Belgium and northern France. This is a scene from Reims, a medieval jewel of a city in norther France devestated by German artillery. Thus the home front in France was not as strictly separated as in Britain and America as well as Germany. The French home front remained strong throughout the War although the French Army at the front came close to cracking. Serving in the French Army, Fernand Cuville (1887–1927), was a rate photiographrr at the time weorking in color. This was a rare glise of humanity. Many of his images record the enormous phsical danmage caused by the Germans, espcially the artillery shelling of towns and villages. .

World War I began and ended on the Western Front. It was here the War was decided. France for much of the War provided the bulk of the force blocking the Germans in the West. For France there was less difference between the front lines and the home front. The War on the Western Front was fought in Belgium and northern France. It was close enough that the Germans were able to shell Paris. For Germany and Britin the homefront was distant from the battlefield. This was not the case for France. The Westrn Front trenches snaked across northern France and Belgium. Paris was only a few miles from the front and the Germany nearly reached Paris twice, in 1914 and 1918. The areas of northern France where the War was fought was devestated. This resulted in a refugee problem, both French and Belgian refugees. The cloesness of the front also created a major issue for the French Army--authorizing home leaves. The men at the front because of the excellent French rail system were only hours away from home.

Created: 12:24 PM 10/17/2007
Last updated: 2:59 AM 3/5/2023