Radio Paris was a French radio broadcasting company best known for its Axis propaganda broadcasts in

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Radio Paris evolved from the first private radio station in France, called Radiola, founded by pioneering French engineer Émile Girardeau in 1922. It became Radio Paris on 29 March 1924, and remained so through 17 June 1940, transitioning to state ownership in December 1933 as the premier station in the country. It kept its name from July 1940 until August 1944, but the station was then run by Nazis and French collaborators. From 1940, collaborationist voices on Radio Paris included Jacques Doriot and Philippe Henriot. From 1942, Jean Hérold-Paquis broadcast daily news reports on Radio Paris, in which he regularly called for the "destruction" of the United Kingdom. His catch phrase was "England, like Carthage, shall be destroyed!", echoing

Cato the Elder Marcus Porcius Cato (, ; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor (), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, Roman Senate, senator, and Roman historiography, historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He wa ...

's slogan '' Carthago delenda est''. On 19 September 1941, Maurice Chevalier sang in ''Le Poste Parisien'' his last success, "Notre Espoir", composed by his accompanist Henri Betti. Radio Paris broadcasts were intended to counter the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

broadcasts of '' Radio Londres'' by Free French figures like Pierre Dac, who sang the taunting refrain, ''Radio Paris ment, Radio Paris ment, Radio Paris est allemand'' ("Radio Paris lies, Radio Paris lies, Radio Paris is German"), to the tune of " La Cucaracha". On 8 May 1942 its transmitter in

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

was blown up by the Resistance. The station was shut down on the evening of 15 August 1944 by a trained police

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

action, as part of the liberation of Paris.

References

{{Authority control French collaboration during World War II World War II propaganda radio stations Radio stations established in 1922 Radio stations disestablished in 1944 Defunct radio stations in France Nazi propaganda organizations 1944 disestablishments in France Radio in Paris Radio during World War II Public radio in France Fascist propaganda Nazi propaganda radio Paris in World War II Propaganda in France