Earlier in the conflict, Parisians exhibited a devil-may-care attitude towards the lethal objects falling from the sky. In January 1918, after two years of relative quiet, however, their attitudes shifted when the Gothas, a new, more effective model of enemy warplane, entered the war. From March to August, Big Bertha --actually seven long-range cannons firing from emplacements in the département of Picardie-- rained death and destruction on Paris and the surrounding area. During those few months, 367 mortar rounds struck the metropolis, killing 256 Parisians. The impact seemed especially shocking because of the invisibility of its source. Officials responded to the onslaught by creating bomb shelters and protecting monuments. They even considered building a replica of Paris in the suburbs to mislead enemy pilots. The civilian population took out new insurance policies, bolstered each other’s courage with patriotic speeches and tried to deflect disaster by making jokes or carrying lucky charms.
Map showing the 183 bomb impacts recorded between March 23 and August 9, 1918
© Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris / Roger Viollet
Application form for a volunteer bomb shelter watchman
Because there were not enough police to guard the shelters, a call was sent out for civilian volunteers. More guardians were needed because shelters, including the basement of the Hôtel de Lamoignon, the present-day Historical Library, could hold up to 150 people.
Administrative form, 1918
