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20 Nov.
45
driven into the south zone of France. From July 31, 1941
onwards, more than 100,000 persons were deported into the eastern
regions of the Reich or to Poland. All the property of the deportees or
expelled persons was confiscated. At the same time, 80,000 Germans
coming from the Saar or from Westphalia were installed in Lorraine and
2,000 farms belonging to French people were transferred to Germans.
2. From 2 January 1942 all the young people of the Departments
of Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine, aged from 10 to 18 years, were
incorporated in the Hitler Youth. The same measures were taken in the
Moselle from 4 August 1942. From 1940 all the French schools were
closed, their staffs expelled, and the German school system was
introduced in the three departments.
3. On the 28th of
September 1940 an order applicable to the Department of the Moselle
ordained the Germanization of all the surnames and Christian names which
were French in form. The same measure was taken on the 15th January 1943
in the Departments of Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine.
4. Two
orders of the 23rd and 24th August 1942 imposed by force German
nationality on French citizens.
5. On the 8th May 1941 for
Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine, and on the 23rd April 1941 for the Moselle,
orders were promulgated enforcing compulsory labor service on all French
citizens of either sex aged from 17 to 25 years. From the 1st January
1942 for young men, and from the 26th January 1942 for young women,
national labor service was effectively organized in the Moselle. This
measure came into force on the 27th August 1942 in Upper Rhine and Lower
Rhine, but for young men only. The classes of 1940, 1941, 1942 were
called up.
6. These contingents were drafted into the
Wehrmacht on the expiration of their time in the labor service.
On
the 19th August 1942 an order instituted compulsory military service in
the Moselle, and on the 25th August 1942 the contingents of 1940 to 1944
were called up in the three Departments.
Conscription was
enforced by the German authorities in conformity with the provisions of
German legislation. The first induction board took place on the 3rd
September 1942. Later, in the Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine new levies
were effected everywhere of the contingents from 1928 to 1939 inclusive.
The French men who refused to obey these laws were considered as
deserters and their families were deported, while their property was
confiscated.
These acts violated Articles 43, 46, 55, and 56
of the Hague Regulations, 1907, the laws and customs of war, the general
principles of criminal law as derived from the criminal laws of all
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