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.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsList of Acronyms and AbbreviationsList of MapsPreface, by Serge KlarsfeldIntroduction: The Enigma of the 75 %I. In Search of Safety1. French Israélites and Jewish ÉmigrésCitizens in their own rightFrance, land of asylum1933: Adolf Hitler in power2. Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia3. The Descent into War and State Control over Civilian Populations4. Evacuated and Expelled from Alsace-Lorraine and Baden-Palatinate5. From the Fear of Bombardments to the Panic of ExodusMillions of civilians on the roadsNo place to go: the case of Jewish immigrantsTurning around and going back6. From the Occupied Zone to the Free ZoneVariations in living conditionsCauses and evaluation of southward migrations7. The Attraction of the Italian Zone and Dispersal into Rural AreasThe Italian safe haven?The "Jewish presence" in the Southern Zone8.Reaching Safety in Switzerland or Spain9. Stay Home or Close ByII. In the Face of Persecution - Strategies for Survival1. Obeying the Law and Legal RecourseThose who maintained their trustRabbis urge Jews to obey the lawAffiliation linked to identityWho is a Jew? Nationality vs. JewishnessConversions, exemptions, legal recourseJudiciary collusion and the arbitrariness of the German authorities2. Financial and Dietary Subsistence3. Aryanization of Property, the Statut des Juifs, and Ways around the Law4. Continuing to Live by One's TradeThe public service: pensions, exemptions and odd jobsThe medical field5. The Need for Labor6. Work in a Jewish Organization7. Working for the Occupying Forces8. Job RetrainingSurviving in the countrysidePlying one's trade in a rural areaHouse arrest and the perils of idlenessAn infinite variety of trajectories9. Increasing Pauperization of the Jews... and Vichy Government Handouts10. The Miserable Conditions of InterneesIII. Blending in to Avoid Arrest1. The Yellow Star of How to Defy the Forced Wearing of a Stigma"I held my head high"The force of habitOccasional removal of the starA "bag of marbles"From refusal to deliberate transgression2. Escape3. Ensuring the Safety of One's Children4. Preparing to Flee, Hide, or Be Arrested5. After Arrest, The Attempt to Escape6. Breaking the LawProcuring forged identity cardsAssuming a dual identity7. Adapting to Rural Life8. Becoming Catholic9. Going to School, Studying, Gaining One's Freedom10. Falling in Love and Having Children11. Praying and Religious Practice12. Becoming Conscious of Jewish IdentityIV. Random Acts of Solidarity toward the Persecuted1. Anti-Semitism, Indifference and CompassionPropaganda and its limitsThe lure of material gainAn urban phenomenon?Pétainism and anti-SemitismAn incipient oppositionCompassion and solidarity2. Betrayal and Self-Interest3. Public Assistance and Social ProtectionFrom Public Assistance to National ReliefAdministrative schizophrenia?Social welfare in the camps4. Individual Figures Who Aided Jews and the Notion of the "Righteous"5. Networks of Sociability6. The Guardian Angel, the Host, the Forger, and the SmugglerThe Guardian AngelThe HostThe ForgerThe Smuggler7. A Thousand and One Ways of Offering Aid and ProtectionThe significance of the small gesturePartial and impartialSocial reactivity and civil resistance8. "They Knew We Were Jewish but They Said Nothing"Conclusion: The Survival of Jews in France: A Multifactorial Approach1. The Scale of the Territory2. Anti-Semitism, Social Reactivity, and Self-Interest3. Aid and the Question of Risk4. A Civil Resistance and Rescue Movement5. Cultural Factors6. Structural Factors7. The Evolution of the Relationship between the Germans and Vichy8. Life, Death, LuckList of Acronyms and AbbreviationsIndicative BibliographySources and Documents
