Civilians Construct Barricade in Paris to Protect Napoleon's Tomb at Invalides from Aerial Bombs (July 1940); German Forces Later Remove Sandbags to "Liberate" Sanctuary

This photograph depicts civilians constructing a barricade with sandbags during wartime, highlighting the impact of conflict on civilian populations. The historical context, as described on the back of the photo (dated July 12, 1940), indicates that the French government used sandbags to protect the red marble sarcophagus of Napoleon I in the *Invalides* (Hôtel des Invalides) in Paris from aerial bombs. The German forces, after taking Paris, reportedly made the removal of these sandbags one of their first measures to "liberate" the National Sanctuary of France.