France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire

Description

During 1940-1944, the citizens of France and its Empire endured the 'dark years' of invasion, persecution and foreign occupation. Thousands of men, women and children suffered arrest, deportation and death as the French Vichy regime worked to secure a place for France in Hitler's New Order. France in the Second World War is a wide-ranging yet succinct introduction to the French experience of the Second World War and its aftermath. It examines the fall of France in 1940 and the founding of the Vichy regime, as well as collaboration, resistance, everyday life, the Holocaust, the Liberation and the echoes of the period in contemporary France. Chris Millington addresses the chief topics in chapters that synthesizes the key points of the history and the historiography. The French Empire is carefully integrated throughout, illustrating the global impact of events on mainland France. In addition, Millington provides a helpful glossary of terms, personalities and movements from the period and an annotated bibliography of English-language sources to guide students to the most relevant works in the area. France in the Second World War provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and historiography of France and its Empire during their darkest hours.

Chris Millington is Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is the author of Fighting for France: Violence in Interwar French Politics (2018), From Victory to Vichy: Veterans in Inter-war France (2012) and co-author, along with Brian Jenkins, of France and Fascism: February 1934 and the Dynamics of Political Crisis (2015).

France in the Second World War is an accessible, well written, and highly informative text. It will engage and instruct both students of France under Vichy and Nazi rule, and anyone curious about global French history and the everyday experiences of those who lived through the Second World War. * Michigan War Studies Review * Millington situates this study within a global context, examining developments in metropolitan France and the colonies with equal care. Particularly engaging is the chapter that outlines the evolution of French national memory and traces how France came to acknowledge its role in war and genocide. The addition of a glossary of key terms will be useful to students. This reviewer highly recommends Millington's well-written, smartly organized work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers through graduate students; professionals. * CHOICE * France in the Second World War is an accessible and engaging history of France during World War II. Notably, Millington integrates an analysis of France's colonial territories as well as mainland France to provide important insights into the global reach of events. This, alongside the detailed glossary and annotated bibliography, makes this book a valuable introduction to the period. * Hanna Diamond, Professor of French Historical Studies, Cardiff University, UK * This book, elegantly written, offers a well-informed account of the complex history of France during the Second World War. Its excellent annotated bibliography will be of particular interest to students exploring one of the darkest pages of French history. * Manu Braganca, Lecturer of French Studies, University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland *