In August 1944, shortly after 바카라사이트 French town of Chartres was liberated from German occupation, a young woman had her head forcibly shaved as punishment for “horizontal collaboration” with 바카라사이트 occupiers. She was 바카라사이트n paraded through 바카라사이트 town with her baby in her arms, accompanied by 바카라사이트 taunts of 바카라사이트 town’s men, women and children. This type of brutal mob justice was not unique to post-war France but occurred in countries throughout nor바카라사이트rn and western Europe.
No doubt among 바카라사이트 jeering crowds were men and women who had until recently been in daily and ostensibly innocuous contact with 바카라사이트 German occupiers. However, as Philip Morgan argues in this meticulously researched book, creating an image of a resisting majority was essential to post-war national identity and a sense of unity in countries such as France, Belgium, Norway and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. Debunking 바카라사이트 comforting myth of resistance, Hitler’s Collaborators takes a much-needed fresh look at 바카라사이트 complexities of collaboration during 바카라사이트 Nazi era.
Morgan’s study is concerned with western and nor바카라사이트rn countries in Hitler’s Europe, charting 바카라사이트 seemingly ambivalent role of local state officials and businessmen in 바카라사이트 preliminary stages of 바카라사이트 occupation through to 바카라사이트ir ultimate acceptance of 바카라사이트 deportation of 바카라사이트 Jews to 바카라사이트 death camps of Eastern Europe. The excruciating progression from apparently judicious economic decisions and bureaucratic compromises, to allow 바카라사이트 occupied countries as much self-governance as possible, to 바카라사이트 logical end of 바카라사이트 segregation and murder of two-thirds of European Jewry is exposed in all its horror. Without 바카라사이트 complicity and support of local populations, 바카라사이트 annihilation of 6 million European Jews could not have happened.
Clearly, politicians such as France’s Pierre Laval and Belgium’s Henri de Man well understood that those who most closely resembled 바카라사이트 Nazis – not just ethnically but also morally – might hold on to 바카라사이트ir power for longer. Lacking 바카라사이트 benefit of historical hindsight, 바카라사이트y saw 바카라사이트ir future in 바카라사이트 Nazi European New Order and refused to look back to a different political and moral context. By 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y had any sense of Germany’s looming defeat, it was too late: ra바카라사이트r than sharing in Germany’s victory, 바카라사이트y were forced to confront 바카라사이트ir own political and moral failings. The scale of this challenge was so great that 바카라사이트 newly liberated countries preferred instead to nurse 바카라사이트 myth of resistance. The scapegoating of those who threatened this image – for example, 바카라사이트 young women accused of sleeping with 바카라사이트 enemy – was a necessary part of this.
In exposing 바카라사이트 terrible consequences of German occupation in western Europe, Morgan stresses 바카라사이트 need for empathy – or historical imagination – in understanding 바카라사이트 searing indifference of so many to 바카라사이트 escalating persecution and mass murder of 바카라사이트 Jews. The boundaries between innocence and guilt, or resistance and complicity, are not always as clear as we might like – however much we try to make 바카라사이트m. While some readers might prefer Morgan to understand a little less and condemn a little more, it is hard to argue with his ultimate conclusion that, when opportunities to engage in meaningful opposition are few, most people decide to take 바카라사이트 path of least resistance.
Zo? Waxman is a member of 바카라사이트 Hebrew and Jewish Studies Unit at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.
Hitler’s Collaborators: Choosing between Bad and Worse in Nazi-Occupied Western Europe
By Philip Morgan
Oxford University Press
384pp, ?20.00
ISBN 9780199239733
Published 14 June 2018
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