The Voice of the Reich : Nazi French-Language Propaganda Broadcasts from Berlin

When the Nazis came to power, Radio Stuttgart, like all German regional stations, was assigned a new mission : to indoctrinate the population according to the regime’s ideology and prepare minds for war. Concerts and literary readings gave way to fiery speeches about the greatness of the nation, new racial policies, and the glorification of the Führer. Foreign-language broadcasts multiplied, as Germany sought to influence and win over foreign listeners.

Radio Stuttgart relayed programs from the Berlin studio, which now broadcast messages aimed at French-speaking audiences, especially the French: distorted news, calls for division, and propaganda that could be either subtle or brutal depending on the circumstances, personified by Paul Ferdonnet, nicknamed the traitor of Stuttgart. The station operated a powerful transmitter at Mühlacker (100 kW) on 522.6 meters (574 kHz).

Broadcasts Multiply After the Declaration of War

Following the declaration of war in 1939, anti-French broadcasts increased dramatically. In November, they aired at 12:40 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., and 9:10 p.m. via Stuttgart, as well as Saarbrücken and Frankfurt. At 10:45 p.m. and 12:15 a.m., only Stuttgart carried them. By January, the schedule intensified further. Five transmitters of the Reich Broadcasting Corporation (RRG) broadcast in French Stuttgart, Cologne, Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Saarbrücken at 1:45 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 6:15 p.m., 9:15 p.m., 10:15 p.m., 11:15 p.m., 12:15 a.m., and 1:15 a.m.

Then, on May 10, 1940, the German army invaded France. After the armistice of June 22, French radio stations still on the air ceased broadcasting under Article 14 of the armistice agreement. The Germans were then able to reorganize radio in the occupied zone. They created a French-language station under their control, Radio Paris, in the premises of Le Poste Parisien. The Reich Broadcasting Service (Reichs-Rundfunk) was thus able to reduce the volume of its French-language broadcasts. These were gradually reduced to brief news bulletins at 6:30 p.m., sometimes relayed by Saarbrücken or Luxembourg.

Above: the editorial meeting of La Voix du Reich.

Naturally, the editorial line changed: “German radio has completely transformed its broadcasts for France, precisely since October 1940, after the meeting at Montoire between the Führer and the French Head of State, Marshal Pétain, when Franco-German relations entered a new phase The French broadcasts of German radio have been adapted to this new spirit“, emphasized the Nazi magazine Signal.

By the end of 1941, French-language broadcasts took place every day except Sunday from 6:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. via Stuttgart on 522.6 m (574 kHz) and Berlin on 41.27 m (7270 kHz); from 7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. via Stuttgart and Berlin on 19.53 m (15360 kHz); and finally from 8:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Luxembourg on 1290 m (332 kHz).

French Broadcasts Become The Voice of the Reich

Starting in the summer of 1942, German propaganda intensified and reorganized French-language broadcasts under the name La Voix du Reich (The Voice of the Reich). In occupied European countries, this propaganda had already been grouped the previous year within the Deutsche Europasender, which broadcast in around forty languages.

From July 6, 1942 onward, the schedule was announced as follows: the spoken news bulletin from 7:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on 522.6 m (Stuttgart) and 19.53 m. L Heure française aired from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on 279 m, 281 m, 322 m, and 432 m. Additional fifteen-minute news segments were later added, eventually reaching two hours of daily programming. These were supplemented by broadcasts intended for Africa and Canada.

“The mission of La Voix du Reich is to introduce France to its eastern neighbor in its true light and thereby establish the foundations of lasting understanding. It was during the summer of last year (1942) that L Heure française was created, broadcast every evening from 6 to 7 p.m., explained Signal. This hour is especially devoted to presenting cultural values. Listeners can often hear the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic, renowned singers, recordings or live broadcasts of varied music; choirs perform German folk songs. Here is the Voice of the Reich What Frenchman has not heard this call coming from Berlin over the airwaves? Who has not listened to messages from prisoners to their families? “

For many French listeners, this was indeed the main reason to tune into Berlin s broadcasts. The station aired messages from prisoners of war as well as French workers in Germany under the highly unpopular STO (Service du Travail Obligatoire, or Compulsory Labor Service). And between family messages came blatant propaganda a classic tactic

.

Above: preparation of the news bulletin.

“German radio offers the following broadcasts daily in French: 6:45 a.m., news; 11:45 a.m., morning press review; 3:45 p.m., military and economic war analysis. These programs are transmitted on wavelengths 279 m (Bordeaux, 60 kW), 281 m (Paris), 322 m (Bordeaux), and 432 m (Rennes, 120 kW), as well as L Heure française from 6 to 7 p.m. At 5 p.m., the radio journal and political commentary are broadcast on 25.24 m and 31.51 m. At 7 p.m., on 48.86 m, the evening chronicle is aired, and simultaneously, on 1339 m, a program for French soldiers on the Eastern Front or for prisoners. At 10:45 p.m., the evening news is transmitted on 48.86 m, and finally, at 1 a.m., the radio journal on 41.43 m. All these broadcasts are intended for French-speaking listeners in Europe, Africa, and Canada. They help develop and deepen mutual understanding between Germans and French people.“

During the war, the wavelengths used fluctuated according to circumstances. La Voix du Reich was mainly broadcast in France through the transmitters of Paris, Bordeaux, and Rennes. After the invasion of the southern zone (the so-called free zone ), Marseille was also brought into service.

A major change took place in mid-March 1944. From then on, La Voix du Reich was broadcast exclusively through the Allouis longwave transmitter on 1648 m (182 kHz), and remained so until Liberation.

Who Hosted La Voix du Reich ?

To answer that, one must delve into the press coverage of the postwar purges.

Robert Marcot was chief announcer at Radio Paris before going to Berlin to read the news. He was sentenced to life at hard labor in 1944.

Charles Simonin worked for collaborationist newspapers and Radio Paris before joining La Voix du Reich in Berlin. In early 1946, he was sentenced to five years of hard labor and stripped of his civic rights.

Maurice Bollaigue, known as Maubois, a dramatic actor, was accused of delivering around forty biased broadcasts on Radio Paris. Shortly afterward, he moved to Stuttgart and performed dramatized readings for La Voix du Reich. The court sentenced him to five years in prison, a fine of 12,000 francs, and national degradation.

Marie-Caroline Lala, born in 1901, served as an agent of the Abwehr (German intelligence) from 1943 to 1944. Beginning in February 1944, she joined La Voix du Reich. She was notably accused of denouncing attorney Gaston Python, who was arrested by the Germans in June 1943 and released in October shortly before dying from the deprivation and abuse he had suffered. In 1949, she was sentenced to five years of hard labor.

Sales representative René Poirot, aged 47 and originally from Épinal, was a former announcer at Radio Alger. Sent to Germany under the STO, he managed in 1943 to secure an assignment with German radio, where he worked mainly as commentator for broadcasts such as La Demi-Heure africaine and L Heure française on La Voix du Reich. In 1951, he was sentenced to four years in prison, suspended, and the confiscation of all his property.

The End of the Stuttgart Transmitter

On April 7, 1945, Moroccan riflemen of the French First Army crossed the Enz River and captured the Mühlacker transmission site, 20 km from Stuttgart. The day before, the Germans had destroyed whatever they could. “The sabotage was carried out hastily and by people who had undoubtedly received precise instructions or at least possessed some technical knowledge, but who acted overall in a rather chaotic and rudimentary manner“, reported Radio 45.

Fortunately, the electrical circuits were still intact, as were two large capacitors. The rest had been sabotaged with improvised means, though with some fortunate oversights. Using hammers or rifle and pistol fire, they smashed in the station s two large transmitters one medium wave and one long wave everything made of glass or porcelain, and twisted everything made of copper. The armatures of giant dynamos were also hammered.

It was also from Mühlacker that Radio Patrie had been broadcast since October 1944 the station of collaborationist exiles sheltered near Lake Constance as well as Ici, la France, the station of Pétain supporters exiled in Sigmaringen.