The Vichy regime
Course
In London
Description
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Type
Course
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Location
London
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Start date
Different dates available
Born out of the defeat of 1940, the Vichy regime is one of the darkest periods in French history. Even if Marshal Pétain pretended he was sheltering the country from excessive demands by the Nazis, the government and administration offered themselves to the service of the enemy, often for the worst.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
About this course
List the key characteristics of the Vichy regime
List the key groups vying for power in Vichy
Explain why the Vichy regime initiated its policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany
Discuss constructively the outcomes of state collaboration
Analyse the responsibility of the Vichy regime in the persecution, deportation and extermination of Jews
Analyse why France struggled with the legacy and memories of Vichy after the war.
A list of recommended reading material and recommended films will be provided, but this is optional.
Please bring pen and paper.
This day course will be delivered through a combination of lecture and group discussions. The class will be supported by PowerPoint presentations and handouts. Documents will be supplied for the group discussions.
Reviews
Course programme
The 1940 defeat and its consequences: the collapse of the Republic and the emergence of the French State (Vichy regime)
A new France: dictatorship, social and economic reorganisation, and public morality
Repression, exclusion and persecutions
Collaboration: initial objectives and reality (1940-1942)
The full participation of Vichy to the Nazi war effort (1942-1944)
Legacy and memories of the Vichy regime: how to deal with France’s darkest hour?
Additional information
The Vichy regime