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.