Course Catalogue

Humanities and Social Science

This course aims to introduce students to the key social, cultural and political contexts and historical debates concerning everyday life in France in the period leading up to, during and following the Second World War. Students will be introduced to key historiographical debates such as the legacies of the First World War; the significance of political and social divisions in 1930s France; the reasons for the defeat of 1940; the depth of French anti-Semitism and involvement in the Holocaust; the nature and goals of collaborationism; the nature and aims of the Vichy regime; the nature, role and realities Resistance to the German occupation; significance of role of the Empire in this period of French history and the experiences of colonial subjects; the experience of everyday life for ordinary French people during the war years; the impact of occupation upon gender relations; the experience of Liberation; the realities of the post-war purges & the efforts to renew France; the development of post-war memory of the war years and debates surrounding the trials of leading Vichy-era figures in the 1980s, 1990s & 2000s.

Outline Syllabus:This module explores the social, cultural and political impact of four years of defeat and occupation upon ordinary French men and women during the Second World War. It encourages students to go beyond straightforward categories of ‘Resistance’ and ‘Collaboration’ to explore in detail the complex and contradictory experience of French people together, with France’s imperial subjects, in this tumultuous period in modern French history. The module will proceed thematically (though in a broadly chronological fashion), examining key concepts and debates. Students will examine these developments across international, national and local scale as well as at the level of individual French men and women. The final weeks of the course will include a detailed analysis of the development of the memory of the ‘Vichy’ years in post-war France, the rise of Holocaust memory and the criminal trials of collaborators of the 1990s and 2000s. Students will engage with a wide range of materials, from oral histories, autobiographies and diaries to archival materials, posters, films, novels and newspapers. No knowledge of French is required or expected.

Module Overview:
This module aims to introduce key social, cultural and political contexts and historical debates concerning everyday life in France in the period leading up to, during and following the Second World War. You will be introduced to key historiographical debates such as the legacies of the First World War, the significance of political and social divisions in 1930s France and the reasons for the defeat of 1940.

Additional Information:Students will be introduced to key historical concepts such as ‘Resistance’; ‘Collaboration’; ‘Everyday Life’; ‘Gender’ and ‘Memory’. Students will develop their critical and analytical skills to a high level through the analysis of a broad range of primary and secondary materials, including documents, diaries, letters, autobiographies and testimonies. Other materials such as novels, posters and films will also form a key part of the course.