Tulle Massacre: SS Panzer Division Das Reich Atrocity Against French Civilians in World War II

The Tulle massacre was one of the most brutal atrocities committed by the SS against French civilians during the Second World War. Following the Allied D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, the French Resistance intensified its attacks across central France, hoping to disrupt German communication and supply lines. In the town of Tulle, resistance fighters launched a surprise operation against local German units, briefly taking control of key positions. Their success, however, triggered a devastating response from the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, a formation already hardened by years of violent anti-partisan warfare on the Eastern Front. On 9 June 1944, SS troops swept into Tulle and rounded up more than 3,000 men between the ages of 16 and 60. Throughout the day, SS officers carried out selections, marking certain men for execution in retaliation for the previous day’s fighting. By late afternoon, 99 civilians were condemned. They were hanged from lampposts, balconies, and trees across the town, their bodies left on display as a grim message of terror. In the following days, hundreds more were deported to forced labor camps, including Dachau, where many perished. The massacre was part of a broader wave of violence by Das Reich as it moved north toward Normandy, leaving behind scores of atrocities throughout central and southwestern France. Although some perpetrators—such as Gestapo officer Walter Schmald—faced immediate retribution, others, including division commander Heinz Lammerding, escaped punishment entirely. This documentary explores the events that led to the massacre, the SS units responsible, and the fates of both victims and perpetrators, providing a stark reminder of the human cost of Nazi occupation.This episode is part of the series Massacres of Civilians During World War II.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv