Zeppelins
Flying machines were a novelty in World War I, and when the Tauben ("pigeons" in German) and Zeppelins flew over the capital for the first time, Parisians were more curious than afraid. People took to the streets as they might for a parade during enemy air raids over Paris as well as the next day to survey the damage. But these machines did not really inspire terror among the population of the city, and popular images shows Paris defying risks and poking fun at the enemy and at the Zeppelins, which were seen as hard to fly and ineffective. Despite French Ace Pilots' efforts, however, German Zeppelins and aircraft did inflict some damage and casualties, even if they were limited compared to later conflicts. These attacks reminded Parisians of the "horrendous" reality of the war and fed a hatred of their enemies, who were viewed as cowardly murderers of innocent civilians. These feelings increased after Gothas and Big Berthas entered the action in 1918.
