German Soldiers and the Occupation of France, 1940–1944

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.

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‘Drawing on the perspectives of ordinary soldiers, Julia S. Torrie has written an imaginatively conceived and exhaustively researched study of the German occupation of France. The strength of this book lies in the paradox it presents: the opportunities for leisure, tourism, and consumption to maintain morale versus the fear that such practices undermined the will to fight.' Shelley Baranowski, University of Akron

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Product details

• Date Published: November 2018
• format: Hardback
• isbn: 9781108471282
• length: 290 pages

• dimensions: 235 x 158 x 19 mm
• weight: 0.61kg
• availability: In stock