France and the Occupation

Aims

This course aims to give you:

• an understanding of the events of the French Occupation in their historical context
• a grasp of the political and moral issues facing the French under German occupation
• an understanding of the impact of the Occupation on the subsequent political, social and cultural history of France and of Europe

Course content

Films of wartime France show fearless resistance fighters merrily outsmarting the Germans, but the reality was very different. By the end of this course, you should appreciate some of the moral and ethical dilemmas people faced under the Occupation, why some resisted and some collaborated with the Germans. 

France in 1940 was in an existential crisis. The country of Napoleon and Foch had been humiliated and was now reduced to the status of a German colony. One man came forward to maintain her national integrity and protect her future: Marshal Philippe Pétain, the man who had stood like a rock against the Germans in the Great War. He closed down the old republic and established a new state based at Vichy and centred on himself. But was Vichy France merely a stooge for Hitler? 

Many French collaborated with the Germans, even fighting alongside them. They saw the Germans leading a European crusade against Communism. Moreover, many were only too happy to turn on their Jewish neighbours and turn the land of liberty into a deportation centre to Auschwitz.

Resistance took two forms: clandestine forces operating within France at terrible risk, and the more formal military forces led from London by General de Gaulle. Resistance difficult and dangerous, both because of German reprisals and the activities of the ardently pro-Nazi French paramilitary force, the milice. Gaullist and communist resistance movements also worked against each other as they manoeuvred to take power when the Liberation came. When it did, the rejoicing was soon followed by bitter recrimination and violent reprisals.

For many years the French found this period too painful to look at except through a patriotic lens; now, enough time has passed to look at it more openly and honestly – and to see what lessons it can teach us today.

What to expect on this course

I like to teach with plenty of visuals: when I was a student I was conscious that we never saw the things we were being taught about. We’ll cover quite a lot of ground, but I always build time in for discussion and questions. We’ll also consider some of the source material from the period to understand the issues from the point of view 
of people at the time.

Course sessions

1. The Collapse
   France’s defeat in 1940 was more than a military disaster – it was the final act in a drama that dated back to Napoleon’s day. France was transformed from a Great Power with a proud military history into a prostrate and bewildered country of refugees and ration books. What, the French wanted to know, had gone wrong?
2. Pétain – the Marshal and the Man
   In defeat and disaster the French turned to a national hero, Marshal Pétain, who had saved France in the Great War and now offered himself to his country to lead it through its time of trial. But how far should he go in working with the Nazis? Was he a wise old leader or a foolish old man?
3. Collaboration and Collaborationism
   The reality of Occupation was that everyone had to co-operate with the Germans to some extent, but some French went a lot further, actively working alongside the Nazis, fighting with them in Russia and engaging in a bitter war against the French Resistance. How extensive was this sort of collaboration, and why did it happen?
4. Resistance and Resisters
   War films might give a picture of daring resistance fighters but the reality was very different. Some managed to get away to join de Gaulle’s Free French forces; others had to improvise resistance activities within France, where their enemies were not just the Gestapo or even the pro-Nazi French, but their rival resistance fighters.
5. Liberation and Retribution
   The newsreels showed allied troops landing on the Normandy beaches and General de Gaulle strolling down the Champs Elysées, but the Liberation was a bittersweet moment for the French. They were plunged into a virtual civil war of recrimination and revenge as wartime scores were settled and the rival groups manoeuvred for power.

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, you will gain a greater understanding of the subject and you should be able to:

• discuss the events and issues relating to the French experience in the Second World War with confidence and understanding
• appreciate the influence the Occupation has had on French culture and sense of national identity
• show an understanding of the practical and moral dilemmas posed by the nature of wartime occupation
• understand the place of the French Occupation within the wider history of the Holocaust

Required reading

There is no required reading for this course. See Course materials for supplementary reading once registered.