Tensions and violence were central to the French interwar occupation of the Rhineland. This article examines symbolic opposition and violence carried out by locals, as perceived by the French authorities, mainly involving attacks on flags, singing banned patriotic songs, or displaying German patriotic colours. Although rarer than physical violence, the ways in which French officials documented and responded to such incidents allow for an insight into the mindset of the French occupiers. The victorious but sensitive French were especially concerned with notions of prestige, dignity and authority, drawing on colonial ideas, and quick to punish attacks on symbols of French power. Even during the beginning of the organized ‘passive resistance’ campaign in 1923, French authorities were as concerned with songs and flags as with demonstrations and physical violence. French sensitivity around national symbols betrayed deeper insecurities and uncertainties regarding their role both in the occupied territory and the wider world.

中文翻译：

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和平时期的战场：法占莱茵兰的国家象征、爱国主义和威望，1920-23

紧张局势和暴力是两次世界大战期间法国占领莱茵兰的核心。本文探讨了法国当局认为当地人实施的象征性反对和暴力行为，主要涉及袭击旗帜、唱被禁的爱国歌曲或展示德国爱国色彩。尽管比身体暴力更为罕见，但法国官员记录和应对此类事件的方式可以让我们了解法国占领者的心态。胜利但敏感的法国人特别关注声望、尊严和权威的概念，借鉴殖民思想，并迅速惩罚对法国权力象征的攻击。即使在 1923 年有组织的“被动抵抗”运动开始时，法国当局也像关注示威和人身暴力一样关注歌曲和旗帜。法国对国家象征的敏感暴露了对其在被占领土和更广阔世界中的作用的更深层次的不安全感和不确定性。