Isolation, communication and propaganda in the occupied territories of France, 1914–1918

Abstract

This article explores the isolation of the occupied territories of France during the First World War. Until now, the historiography has used the restrictions of freedom imposed by the Germans, the lack of correspondence with France, and the absence of information about the situation on the frontline, to argue that the populations living in the invaded regions were totally secluded. This study, based on a vast collection of primary and secondary sources, challenges the concept of ‘total isolation’ and argues that French civilians living in the occupied territories were exposed to multiple sources of information and communication. However, the lack of a coherent narrative made French civilians living in the occupied territories sceptical and triggered a feeling of abandonment.