This module examines the daily lived experiences of French people under German Occupation in World War II. How did people spend their time during the four years of Vichy rule? What did they study at school? What sorts of jobs did they do? How were lived experiences different for men and women and for people of different religious faiths and beliefs?

In this module we will examine a range of source material to explore an under-examined aspect of the German Occupation of France in World War II. While much of the dominant historical narratives of this period focus on the dual concepts of religion and collaboration, in this module we will explore some of the motivations and activities of 'ordinary' everyday French people across the country and the French Empire. We will examine diary entries, documentary film, radio programmes, recorded memoirs and much more original source material to piece together an understanding of how daily life was experienced by French people at a time of great hardship and suffering.

This module is especially well-suited to students who take an interest in modern French politics and history. While there are no pre-requisites for the module, it will be of particular interest to students who have taken complementary modules such as FR252 Representations of the Holocaust and FR256 The Right in France. This module is open to final-year students of French.

Assessment methods

This module is assessed through:

3250-3500 word essay.