Propagandes et persécutions : la Résistance et le "problème juif," 1940-1944

Studies the attitudes of the French resistance toward antisemitic persecution in France and the fate of the Jews deported to the East, as expressed in broadcasts from London and the illegal press. The resistance sometimes led battles on the "Jewish front" and sometimes avoided them in the propaganda war against Vichy. Argues that the relative silence of the illegal press on the persecutions before summer 1942 was due to its priorities, not to ignorance. Most of the resistance movements fought a national, not anti-Nazi, struggle; the change of course that took place in 1942 was connected to a clarification of internal political lines. Although differences existed on other subjects among various illegal journals and between the two zones, articles on the Jews showed great homogeneity in terms of language, arguments, and subjects that were hidden; argues that this reflected the general anti-Jewish culture of French society. Examines how reports on the development of French public opinion influenced resistance leaders, as well as tensions between the public and the resistance, who, although sharing the public's anti-Jewish prejudice, assumed a role which placed it in opposition to prevailing opinions. Reevaluates the discretion of Vichy's antisemitic propaganda and opposes it to resistance counter-propaganda. A comparison with views expressed in the French Jewish press shows that the resistance and the Jews were molded by the same cultural norms regarding what should be said in public and what not. However, non-Jewish silence on the fate of the Jews resulted from indifference or embarrassment, whereas Jewish silence was built on the hope that victory over fascism would put an end to persecution. Includes bibliographical references (pages 601-765) and indexes. 785 pages ; 24 cm