Paul-Otto SCHMIDT, the German interpreter present at the armistice of 21 June 1940 in the wagon of Rethondes, testifies to the time when he listened to the telephone call of General Huntziger to General Weygand to inform him of the conditions of the armistice "hard enough but there’s nothing against honor". He explains that the French were forced to sign this agreement.
OFF narration of the armistice of 21 June 1940, agreement signed between the French and German government in the wagon of Rethondes, identical to that of the armistice of 1918. Archive of the negotiation and signing of the armistice in the wagon of Rethondes in the forest of Compiègne.
OFF narration of the armistice of 21 June 1940, agreement signed between the French and German government in the wagon of Rethondes, identical to that of the armistice of 1918. Archives of the arrival of the two delegations in the Rethondes wagon in the Compiègne forest.
On 22 June 1940 the armistice was signed between the representative of the Third German Reich and the representative of the French government and ended the hostilities. It establishes the conditions for the Reich’s occupation of France. Hitler demanded that the armistice be signed at the same place as the 1918 armistice in the Rethondes clearing car at its exact location on November 11, 1918. On 21 June, during the opening day of the negotiations, the Germans are represented by Adolf Hitler and Marshal KEITEL, in charge of the negotiations, Rudolf HESS, Hermann GÖERING, VON RIBBENTROP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Admiral RAEDER, and General von BRAUCHITSCH, Commander of the Wehrmacht. The French delegation is chaired by General HUNTZIGER and includes General BERGERET, Vice-Admiral LE LUC and Ambassador Léon NOËL. Silent document: June 21 HITLER and GOERING reviewing a detachment of infantrymen in a clearing of Rethondes, then entering and exiting the former Foch car located in the clearing/swastika flag. June 22nd: arrival of the French delegation, statue of Marshal FOCH / French General HUNTZIGER / French and German delegations inside the wagon, signature of the armistice by General HUNTZIGER.
Déclaration radiodiffusée du maréchal Pétain, président du Conseil, le 17 juin 40, demandant l'armistice : "C'est le coeur serré que je vous dis aujourd'hui qu'il faut cesser le combat..."
One year after his call of June 17, 1940, Marshal PETAIN invites the listener to listen to him again. The sound of the archive is illustrated by images of the everyday life of the time.
The INA Galaxy 
