The Second World War began on 1 September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. The German invasion of France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands started on 10 May 1940 and became known as the Battle of France. On 8 June, around 9 p.m., the first tanks of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich arrived in Tulle from three different directions, catching the Resistance fighters off guard. The Maquis, unprepared for such a formidable force, immediately retreated to the surrounding hills without engaging in further combat. The SS established their initial command post in the Souilhac district near the weapons factory, later relocating to the Hotel Moderne the following day. Throughout the night, SS patrols secured the town and established a perimeter around it.
At dawn on 9 June 1944, the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich initiated a brutal reprisal against the civilian population of Tulle. Under the pretense of identity checks, more than 3,000 men aged between 16 and 60 were apprehended, often from their homes, and assembled in Souilhac Square, facing the Tulle Weapons Factory. The detainees were then divided into columns, with selections made by SS officers, notably Walter Schmald of the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police. By late afternoon, 120 men had been marked for execution. Following urgent appeals from local authorities, 21 individuals were spared, reducing the number of condemned to 99. These men, their hands bound, were then led in groups of ten to predetermined execution sites throughout the town. Nooses had been prepared on balconies, lampposts, and trees, creating a macabre scene that stretched across several hundred meters.
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