Glory to the victors!
Far from the front and spared many of the hardships of war, the capital sometimes seemed almost oblivious. There are many accounts of Parisians who tried to live like the soldiers and who eagerly awaited information from the front and rejoiced at every victory. Although it was seriously under threat early in the war, Paris rejoiced after the victory at the Marne and made the military governor, Gallieni, a wartime hero. Crowds of civilians gathered to admire trophies seized from the enemy and watch parades of Allied troops. When "Big Bertha" was disarmed, Parisians saw an opportunity to use their epic sense of humor against the enemy. And documents from the period clearly show Parisians’ enormous relief when the Armistice was finally signed on November 11, 1918. In the years after the Armistice, awards, commemorations and memorials provided ways to both celebrate the triumphs and overcome the traumatic effects of the war.
