| Unit name | Living with Defeat: Occupied France 1940-1944 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HISTM0041 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Beaumont |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The experience of four years of German occupation and the activities of the French Vichy regime have cast a long shadow over contemporary French society. Defeated in a lightening battle lasting just six weeks, the French Republic was divided into several zones with large areas of the country occupied by the German army. In the south, the so-called ‘Free Zone’, a puppet regime under the war-hero Phillipe Pétain was installed in the spa town of Vichy which embarked upon a policy of renewing France under the auspices of an authoritarian ‘National Revolution’. This option examines the complex and contested histories of the Vichy years, combining an exploration of the ‘high politics’ of the period with a study of the everyday challenges and choices faced by the people of France living in the shadow of defeat. Students will thus be encouraged to question key conceptual issues such as ‘collaboration’, ‘resistance’ and ‘liberation’ and to engage with the historical controversies which the Vichy period has evoked, particularly regarding the treatment of Jews and other ‘undesirables’ during France’s ‘Dark Years’.
To introduce students to Vichy France, and the contested issues surrounding its interpretation.
To place students in direct contact with the current research interests of the academic tutor and to enable them to explore the issues surrounding the state of research in the field.
To develop students’ ability to work with primary sources relating to this field, including digital newspapers.
To develop students’ abilities to integrate primary source material into a wider historical analysis.
To develop students’ ability to learn independently within a small-group context.
10 x 1.5 hour seminars
5,000 word essay
Sarah Fishman (ed.), France at War: Vichy and the Historians
Robert Gildea, Marianne in Chains: in search of the German Occupation
Julian Jackson, France: The Dark Years, 1940-44
Robert Paxton, Vichy France: Old Guard, New Order
Michael Marrus and Robert Paxton, Vichy France and the Jews
Philippe Burrin, Living With Defeat: France under the German Occupation
