Terror und Champagner (2025)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terror und Champagner: Hitlers Stellvertreter in Paris is a documentary film which premiered in 2025. In that year it was shown on French and German television (arte).

 

The topic of this film is World War Two with special focus on France and Nazi Germany.

 

In 1940, France was defeated by Nazi Germany. After the German victory, France was divided into two zones:

 

The Northern and the Western parts were occupied by German troops, while the Eastern and the Southern parts were declared an independent country known as Vichy France, because Vichy was the capital of the so-called independent country.

 

This film covers the history of France during World War Two with special focus on the two zones and the relationship with Nazi Germany:

 

** The German-occupied zone

** The non-occupied zone

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Directors: Pierre Olivier François and Jean-Marie Dreyfus

** Language: French or German

** Subtitles: French or German

** Run time: 53 minutes

 

In this film, the focus is on two persons:

 

Hitler's ambassador in Paris

** Otto Abetz (1903–1958)

The ambassador of Vichy France

** Fernand de Brinon (1885–1947)

 

The following persons are also presented in the film. They are presented, because they all had some connection with Nazi Germany. Here are the names:

 

Arno Breker (1900-1991)

** A German sculptor

** Hitler's favourite sculptor

Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989)

** An Austrian conductor

** A member of the Nazi party

** Worked with the Nazis on several occasions during the war

Ernst Jünger (1895–1998)

** A German writer

** A German soldier in World War One and World War Two

** A conservative but not a member of the Nazi party

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963)

** A French poet and playwright

** A friend with Arno Breker

Louis-Ferdinand Céline (1894-1961)

** A French writer

** Anti-semitic

** Pro-German

Coco Chanel (1883-1971)

** A French fashion designer

** A controversial character

Edith Piaf (1915-1963)

** A French singer

** A controversial character

 

*****

 

Otto Abetz and Fernand de Brinon were good friends during the war. They worked well together. What happened to them when the war was over?

 

Otto Abetz was tried in a court of law where he was found guilty. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he did not have to serve the whole sentence. He was released in 1954. He died four years later, in 1958.

 

Fernand de Brinon was tried in a court of law where he was found guilty. He was sentenced to death. The sentence was implemented in 1947.

 

*****

 

What do reviewers say about this film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 72 percent. The rating is quite good, as you can see. But in my opinion, it is not good enough.

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of 100 percent.

 

REFERENCES

 

The Shameful Peace: How French Artists and Intellectuals Survived the Nazi Occupation

By Frederick Spotts

(2009 = hardcover)

(2010 = paperback)

 

And the Show Went On:

Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris

By Alan Riding

(2010 = hardcover)

(2011 = paperback)

 

The Devil’s Captain:

Enst Jünger in Nazi Paris, 1941-1944

By Allan Mitchell

(2011 = hardcover)

(2021 = paperback)

 

Otto Abetz and His Paris Acolytes: French Writers Who Flirted with Fascism, 1930-1945

By Martin Mauthner

(2016) 

 

*****

 

Adolf Hitler's ambassador in Paris: 

Otto Abetz

(1903-1958)

 

*****

The ambassador of Vichy France in Paris

Fernand de Brinon

(1885-1947)

 

*****

 

 

Mark Twain - A Bull in a China Shop?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Twain (1835-1910) is known as a successful writer and public speaker.

 

In 1894, when he had to declare bankruptcy, he made a promise that he was going to pay his debts.

 

How was he going to raise money to do this?

 

He arranged a speaking tour which would take him around the world. During this tour he was going to stop and give a public speech to a local audience in numerous locations.

 

The tour lasted one year. He travelled around the world from 1895 to 1896. Whenever he made a stop to give a public speech a local audience showed up and paid to hear him speak.

 

When the tour was over, he had raised enough money to pay his creditors.

 

He had lifted himself out of debt. His abilities and his talents as a public speaker were so good that he managed to raise enough money to pay his debts.

 

But it wasn't always like this. There is one exception to the general rule of success. There is one occasion when his abilities and his talents as a public speaker failed him.

 

When and where was this?

 

** The time: 17 December 1877

** The place: Hotel Brunswick in Boston, Massachusetts

 

The occasion was a celebration of the 70th birthday of the American poet John Greenleaf Whittier.

 

Mark Twain was one of several persons who had been invited to give a speech when the birthday dinner had come to an end.

 

When it was his turn, he began reading his speech from a manuscript. His speech was not improvised. He had planned what he was going to say.

 

Since he was known as a funny writer who often used satire, he had decided to use this routine on this occasion. This was the problem: his “funny” speech was not regarded as funny by his audience.

 

He was in Boston among many people who had graduated from ivy league universities. He did not have much education. He misjudged his audience.

 

Having talked for a few minutes, he realised that something was wrong. The audience did not respond as he had expected. There was no laugh. There was not even a smile.

 

But he did not know what to do. He felt he had to go on. He had to follow his script. And he did.

 

When he came to end, the room was silent. No applause. No standing ovation. He felt he had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

 

Technically, he had not done anything wrong. But it was a faux pas. He was supposed to celebrate the birthday of a famous poet. But he failed to do so.

 

Later, he apologised for his misstep. His friends assured him that everything was OK.

 

His speech was printed in the local press the following day. He had given a copy of the text to reporters who were present during the ceremony.

 

Nobody said it was awful. On the other hand, nobody praised him for delivering a magnificent speech.

 

During the years after that fateful day in December 1877, he often speculated about that difficult moment. He discussed the question with himself:

 

“Was I right or was I wrong?”

 

Some comments indicated that his speech was not exactly suitable for the occasion.

 

The metaphor about a bull in a China shop was used to describe what happened:

 

“A Backwoods Bull in the Boston China Shop.”

 

He failed. But as explained above, this case is the exception to the general rule.

 

REFERENCE

 

Hanry Nash Smith,

“The Backwoods Bull in the Boston China Shop,”

American Heritage

August 1961

 

*****