NCJ Number
167390
Date Published
1994
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper describes how law-breaking was affected by the state of war (World War I) in Bordeaux, France, during the period 1914-1918.
Abstract
The most helpful information source for this study was the archives of the Prefecture, which include the daily reports from the chief superintendent to the Prefet; the weekly report from the Prefet to the Home Minister, which describe the state of mind of the population; and reports on "suspect" persons. Although southwestern France was remote from the war front, Bordeaux had been more than once directly involved in the war. The French government settled in Bordeaux for the last 4 months of 1914, since Paris was endangered by the sudden rush of the German army. Once ministers and members of Parlement had reintegrated Paris, refugees and prisoners of war remained in Bordeaux to keep its people directly in touch with the state of activities. Finally, it was in Bordeaux, along with a few other Atlantic ports, that American troops were landed and quartered in 1917. In examining how law-breaking was affected by this state of affairs, the author notes that different patterns of crime required various measures to maintain public order, such as controlling politically suspect persons (anarchists, defeatists, or other pacifists), or the local repercussions of the crisis of 1917 when war-weary soldiers mutinied in the trenches and workers went on strike in the factories. In addition, this paper examines the disruptive effects on local society of the massive arrival of refugees, prisoners of war, and American troops. Typically, a period of war is associated with a sharp decrease in delinquency until the end of the conflict. Bordeaux apparently was no exception to this rule. The chief superintendent reports and those from the Prefet agreed on the low level of law-breaking and on how public order was maintained. Beyond a decrease in the total amount of offenses committed, the state of war caused a change in patterns of delinquency. Violent behaviors were more common; and for some people, making a profit, however illegal, was tempting. Also, those too young to be called into the war became troublesome, committing such offenses as theft, assault, insulting behavior, and pilfering. Protecting law and order against any possible kind of revolutionary agitation and countering an ever-increasing delinquency were apparently the main tasks delegated to civilian authorities in the years 1917- 1919. A number of problems arose when American soldiers became quartered in the city. There was an increase in traffic accidents, and many of the city's residents feared going out at night because they perceived that the city was filled with drunk soldiers carrying weapons. For many residents there was a general perception of disruption and a corrupting of the morals of the community. 75 notes