Problem GIs and the GI Problem

Drunken and brawling GIs behind the lines ended up providing the greatest irritant to good Franco-American relations. The warm welcome accorded to the liberators sometimes turned to active dislike as GI crime mounted. The French, used to low levels of crime before the war and “correct” German behavior during the occupation, were shocked by the criminality and boorishness unleashed by GIs. When French police proved powerless to stop drunkenness and rowdiness on the streets, outraged French officials demanded that the US Army impose order. Some commanders took effective steps to curb indiscipline, while others did less.