The Survival of the Jews in France, 1940-1944
0
0
As an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner, Menrva Books earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Author Description
Between the French defeat in 1940 and liberation in 1944, the Nazis killed almost 80,000 of France's Jews, both French and foreign. Since that time, this tragedy has been well-documented. But there are other stories hidden within it-ones neglected by historians.In fact, 75% of France's Jews escaped the extermination, while 45% of the Jews of Belgium perished, and in the Netherlands only 20% survived.The Nazis were determined to destroy the Jews across Europe, and the Vichy regime collaborated in their deportation from France. So what is the meaning of this French exception?Jacques Semelin sheds light on this 'French enigma', painting a radically unfamiliar view of occupied France. His is a rich, even-handed portrait of a complex and changing society, one where helping and informing on one's neighbours went hand in hand; and where small gestures of solidarity sat comfortably with anti-Semitism.Without shying away from the horror of the Holocaust's crimes, this seminal work adds a fresh perspective to our history of the Second World War.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the factors that allowed 75% of the Jewish population in France to survive the Holocaust, a significantly higher survival rate than in neighboring occupied countries. Jacques Semelin, a political scientist and historian, utilizes extensive archival research and social analysis to challenge the traditional narrative of the Vichy regime. He argues that the survival of French Jews was not the result of a single cause, but rather a complex interplay of administrative ambiguity, shifting public attitudes, and localized acts of solidarity within a society simultaneously marked by collaboration and anti-Semitism.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Comparative analysis of survival rates between France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
- Examination of the administrative and social dynamics of the Vichy regime.
- Documentation of civilian behavior ranging from denunciation to clandestine assistance.
Scope Limits
- The book does not provide a comprehensive military history of the occupation.
- It does not focus on the experiences of Jewish resistance fighters in combat roles.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this text as a nuanced contribution to Holocaust historiography that avoids simplistic moral binaries. Readers frequently note the academic rigor and the author's ability to balance statistical data with the sociological complexities of occupied France.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2019-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
019093929X
ISBN-13:
9780190939298
History
European History
Sociology
France
World War
Jews
