The German army didn’t flood Paris. It trickled in from different directions. At first, only a few motorcycles drove down the streets. But the rest soon followed, marching down broad boulevards. The streets lined with timid residents; tears streamed down some faces. By late morning, the swastika hung from the Arc de Triomphe, the Hotel Crillon and many other landmarks in the most beautiful city in the world, announcing to all who now ruled Paris.
Many residents kept their shutters closed. But as morning yielded to afternoon, and the conqueror committed no crimes, engaged in no atrocities, shutters began to open, and people peeked from windows. Some stepped onto pavements, while others were brave enough to leave the twisting lanes of Paris to watch the Germans parade down the wide avenues
