Against Their Will- A World War II Story

For those interested in World War II history, there is a little known chapter related to the Alsace-Lorraine, that I will try to briefly explain.  The situation that existed here during World War II was particularly tragic, and the stories have touched us.  Local folks speak very solemnly about this time period, and there are monuments and memorials everywhere, so as to quietly remind all in the present day of the sacrifices made by so many in the years during Nazi occupation between 1940-1944.

For context, it is important to know that the regions of Alsace and Lorraine lie on the border area between France and Germany.  After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, these regions became part of Germany.  Following World War I, in 1918, the area reverted to French authority.  Then in 1940, Hitler and the Third Reich annexed Alsace-Lorraine as part of Germany.  So, there has been a split personality among the residents (especially the older ones) in Alsace-Lorraine.  Often you can find that German is spoken among the older members of a family, and the French language is predominate with the younger generations.

After the 1940 invasion, and subsequent occupation by Nazi overseers in Alsace, the young men of the region were expected to volunteer for the German war effort, and willingly join the German Army.  But the youth had been Francophiles since their birth, and were not interested in assisting the Nazis (although 2000 Alsatians did actually volunteer).  These numbers were not satisfactory to the regional military governor and Nazi war planners.

Thus began the forced conscription in 1942 of 140,000 young men from Alsace-Lorraine- who were ordered to join the German Waffen SS, and other Nazi military units.  Most of these men were sent to the Eastern Front to fight against the Russians in extremely harsh conditions.  Many who survived the brutal combat were taken prisoner by the Russians and died of starvation and exhaustion as POW’s. 

If a young Alsatian man resisted the draft, he and his entire family were deported and sent to labor or concentration camps by the Germans. 

Approximately 40,000 of these forced combatants were killed, and their bodies never returned to their homeland. 10,500 are still unaccounted for. There were 40,000 more who became invalids and returned home not only wounded, but scorned by some in their hometowns.  Many Alsatians felt that these men who went against their will were traitors to France and their families. 

So it is with sadness and reverence that these men, the “Magre Nous,” (“Against Our Will”) are honored throughout the Alsace.  In December 1944, this region was liberated by American forces, and was returned to French sovereignty.

A monument to the "Magre Nous" in Ribeauville, Alsace, France: