Mémoire | Film
French Soldiers of the Reich, by Jean Bulot
Breaking with narratives long shaped by apology or erasure, the documentary French Soldiers of the Reich offers a rigorous analysis of the involvement of French volunteers within the Legion of French Volunteers (LVF) and the Charlemagne Division. Drawing on extensive archival research, it sheds light on these men’s participation in Nazi violence, examines the ideological motivations behind their commitment, and contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of antisemitism in the history of collaboration and the French far right.
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The history of the Legion of French Volunteers (LVF) and the Charlemagne Division has long been told through apologetic narratives, shaped by novels, personal accounts, and a militant memory seeking to minimize—or even conceal—the reality of their commitment. The documentary French Soldiers of the Reich breaks with this tradition by offering a rigorous historical approach, grounded in substantial archival research and critical analysis.
From 1941 until the fall of the Reich, French men chose to fight alongside Nazi Germany. Deployed successively in Belarus, Poland, France, and later Germany, they were not only witnesses but, in some cases, direct perpetrators of the extreme violence inflicted in occupied territories. The documentary shows how these volunteers became part of a system of domination and destruction marked by mass crimes against civilian populations, and in particular against the Jews of Eastern Europe. It also highlights the role of antisemitism as a major motivating factor in their engagement, situating their trajectories within the broader history of far-right ideologies in France.
By bringing renewed attention to a subject that remains little known, French Soldiers of the Reich provides a crucial and original perspective on the participation of French nationals in the ‘Holocaust by bullets.’ It contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of antisemitism and denialism in the history of the French far right after 1945.
French Soldiers of the Reich, by Jean Bulot – Departure of a contingent of French volunteers for Germany, October 1943.
© Archives nationales
Director: Jean Bulot
Producers: Martin Laurent and Tancrède Ramonet
Production: Temps noir and Arte
Historical advisor: Marie Moutier-Bitan
Year of production: 2024–2025
Running time: 2 × 52 minutes
This documentary received the support of the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah.
Preview screening and discussion
Sunday, 8 February 2026, at 2:30 pm, at the Mémorial de la Shoah, Paris
With the director, Jean Bulot, and Philippe Douroux, author of Un père ordinaire (Flammarion, 2025).
In conversation with André Loez, historian and producer of the podcast Paroles d’histoire.
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