Zone interdite

The (Forbidden Zone) refers to two distinct territories established in German–occupied France during the Second World War after the signature of the Second Armistice at Compiègne, namely, a coastal military zone running along the entire Atlantic coast of France from Spain to Belgium, and the ("Zone Reserved") in the northeast, intended for German settlement. Coastal military zone A zone of restricted access to civilians was established to increase the security of the Atlantic wall. It was 20 km wide and ran along the Atlantic coast from Dunkirk to Hendaye. It was administered by the military administration in Northern France and Belgium from Brussels. Zone of intended German settlement A vast expanse of territory in northern and eastern parts of occupied France comprising a total of six départements and parts of four others running from the mouth of the Somme to the Swiss frontier in the Jura was separated from the rest of the Occupied Zone by a demarcation line and was effectively isolated from the rest of France. The terms zone réservée and zone interdite were often used interchangeably, but some sources distinguish a smaller forbidden zone, comprising parts of Somme, Aisne and Ardennes départements, from the larger reserved zone. This extra demarcation line seems to have been theoretical only.