German Soldiers and the Occupation of France, 1940–1944

Description

From 1940 to 1944, German soldiers not only fought in and ruled over France, but also lived their lives there. While the combat experiences of German soldiers are relatively well-documented, as are the everyday lives of the occupied French population, we know much less about occupiers' daily activities beyond combat, especially when it comes to men who were not top-level administrators. Using letters, photographs, and tour guides, alongside official sources, Julia S. Torrie reveals how ground-level occupiers understood their role, and how their needs and desires shaped policy and practices. At the same time as soldiers were told to dominate and control France, they were also encouraged to sight-see, to photograph and to 'consume' the country, leading to a familiarity that limited violence rather than inciting it. The lives of these ordinary soldiers offer new insights into the occupation of France, the history of Nazism and the Second World War. Cover Half-title Series information Title page Copyright information Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations List of Recurring Personalities Map Introduction 1 Occupations, Past and Present 2 Consuming the Tastes and Pleasures of France 3 Touring and Writing about Occupied Land 4 Capturing Experiences: Photography and Photo Books 5 Rising Tensions 6 Westweich? Perceptions of ‘‘Softness’’ among Soldiers in France 7 Twilight of the Gods Bibliography Primary Sources Archives Akademie der Künste, Kempowski Archiv, Berlin Kempowski-BIO Archives Nationales, Paris Archives Départementales de Paris Archives Départementales de la Seine-Maritime, Rouen Bundesarchiv, Berlin-Lichterfelde Bundesarchiv, Freiburg (Militärarchiv) Nachlässe Other Bundesarchiv, Koblenz Nachlässe Bundesarchiv, Koblenz (Bildarchiv) Deutsches Tagebucharchiv, Emmendingen Deutsch-Russisches Museum, Karlshorst Anonymous Photo Albums Historisches Archiv zum Tourismus, Berlin Tour Guides and Ephemera Landesarchiv Nordrhein-Westfalen, Abteilung Rheinland, Düsseldorf Mémorial de Caen, Archives, Caen Anonymous Photo Albums Other Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amtes, Berlin The National Archives, Kew Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Bibliothek für Zeitgeschichte, Stuttgart University of New Brunswick Archives and Special Collections, Fredericton Periodicals Published Primary Sources Memoirs Other Works Consulted Index