Darkness in the City of Light

The 1937 Paris Expo was supposed to be a dazzling spectacle embodying the creative spirit of a generation and showcasing the many technological and artistic advancements of a world on its way back from the horrors of the Great War. Over the course of six months, more than forty million people flocked to see 280 pavilions set in the very heart of the French capital. The Expos 11,000 exhibits included those from 42 participating countries designed as a glorious celebration of such diverse disciplines as medicine, communications, science, arts, urban planning and craftsmanship

But the storm clouds of war were already gathering across Europe. The spectres of fascism and communism, class tensions, a civil war in Spain, and a refugee crisis among Europe’s persecuted Jews eclipsed the festivities. Instead, the Expo served merely to highlight the political and ideological competition between its leading participants, in particular Germany and t