In Paris: After the Liberation, Antony Beevor (with the aid of fellow historian – who also happens to be his wife – Artemis Cooper) begins with a brief recount of the invasion of France, the collapse of the French defence and subsequent German occupation. However, his main concern lays with the post-war period in the French capital. This period saw the trials of collaborationist leaders, de Gaulle's reestablishment of the republic and his rapid resignation in 1946, widespread panic at the prospect of a Communist or right-wing coup and the arrival of Marshall Plan aid, which aided the French in the face of economic collapse.
As usual, Beevor constructs an engaging account at both the macro and micro level, capturing the desperation and exhilaration of those years through a blend of history, personal accounts, interviews, significant events and gossip. In particular, the authors illuminate the chronicle of the blind Stalinism of France's "progressive" intelligentsia.
As usual, Beevor's utilisation of documents uncovered since the fall of the Soviet Union is revealing. Revealing both the tactical naivety of the French Communist party, who utterly misplayed their hand following liberation, and the contempt with which Stalin had for the French’s role in the war, and his determination to use the French Communists as a puppet to secure diplomatic advantages for the Soviet Union. In this, the moral bankruptcy revealed by many of the French left makes for fascinating, if somewhat depressing reading.
Other key areas of focus include the prolonged antagonism between resisters and collaborators, the odd (perhaps ungracious) response of the French to their British and American liberators, the early years of the Cold War and the development of France's love/hate relationship with the U.S.
I read this one last month, so have been a little slow putting down my thoughts. This is an easy read, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the period. The tale of the French after the war is an absorbing one, and this book reveals the oddly chauvinistic tendencies of the French in an honest, if not flattering, light.
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