Living with the Enemy: German Occupation, Collaboration and Justice in the Western Pyrenees, 1940–1948

In post-liberation France, the French courts judged the cases of more than one hundred thousand people accused of aiding and abetting the enemy during the Second World War. In this fascinating book, Sandra Ott uncovers the hidden history of collaboration in the Pyrenean borderlands of the Basques and the Béarnais in southwestern France through nine stories of human folly, uncertainty, ambiguity, ambivalence, desire, vengeance, duplicity, greed, self-interest, opportunism and betrayal. Covering both the occupation and liberation periods, she reveals how the book's characters became involved with the occupiers for a variety of reasons, ranging from a desire to settle scores and to gain access to power, money and material rewards, to love, friendship, fear and desperation. These wartime lives and subsequent postwar reckonings provide us with a new lens through which to understand human behavior under the difficult conditions of occupation, and the subsequent search for retribution and justice. In Post-liberation France, The French Courts Judged The Cases Of More Than One Hundred Thousand People Accused Of Aiding And Abetting The Enemy During The Second World War. In This Fascinating Book, Sandra Ott Uncovers The Hidden History Of Collaboration In The Pyrenean Borderlands Of The Basques And The Bearnais In Southwestern France Through Nine Stories Of Human Folly, Uncertainty, Ambiguity, Ambivalence, Desire, Vengeance, Duplicity, Greed, Self-interest, Opportunism And Betrayal. Covering Both The Occupation And Liberation Periods, She Reveals How The Book's Characters Became Involved With The Occupiers For A Variety Of Reasons, Ranging From A Desire To Settle Scores And To Gain Access To Power, Money And Material Rewards, To Love, Friendship, Fear And Desperation. These Wartime Lives And Subsequent Postwar Reckonings Provide Us With A New Lens Through Which To Understand Human Behavior Under The Difficult Conditions Of Occupation, And The Subsequent Search For Retribution And Justice. Machine Generated Contents Note: Pt. I The Context -- 1. Pyrenean Borderlands: Setting And Cultures -- 2. Tumultuous Times: World War, The Spanish Civil War, And German Occupation -- 3. Total Occupation, Collaborationism, And Organized Resistance -- 4. The Process Of Liberation And The Purge -- 5. The Judiciary And The Court Of Justice -- Pt. Ii The Narratives And The Trials -- 6. Harsh Justice: An Ill-fated Black Market Bicycle Vendor -- 7. A German Massacre: Consequences For A Teenaged Informer -- 8. Dangerous Cohabitation: A Pro-german Basque Farmer, A Duplicitous Passeur, An Sto Evader, And A German Interpreter -- 9. Opportunistic Accommodation: An Exiled Spanish Republican, A Basque Shopkeeper, And A German Interpreter -- 10. Ambiguities: A Town Hall Secretary, A Vichy Police Commissioner, And A Nazi Officer -- 11. Opportunism In A Franco-german Friendship: A Bearnais Shopkeeper And A Nazi Officer -- 12. Duplicitous Accommodation: A Basque Double Agent And A Nazi Officer -- 13. Collaborationism: A Teenaged Volunteer In The Waffen-ss -- 14. Sex, Vengeance, And Duplicity: The Strange Case Of Dr. Verite -- Pt. Iii Conclusions -- Conclusions. Sandra Ott. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 336-348) And Index. frontmatter Contents Abbreviations Maps Principal Personalities in the Narratives Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Pyrenean Borderlands: Setting and Cultures 2 Tumultuous Times 3 Total Occupation, Collaborationism, and Organized Resistance 4 The Process of Liberation and the Purge 5 The Judiciary and the Court of Justice 6 Harsh Justice: An Ill-Fated Black Market Bicycle Vendor 7 A German Massacre: Consequences for a Teenaged Informer 8 Dangerous Cohabitation 9 Opportunistic Accommodation 10 Ambiguities: A Town Hall Secretary, a Vichy Police Commissioner, and a Nazi Officer 11 Opportunism in a Franco-German Friendship 12 Duplicitous Accommodation 13 Collaborationism: A Teenaged Volunteer in the Waffen-SS 14 Sex, Vengeance, and Duplicity Conclusions Bibliography Index This is a compelling study of human folly, vengeance, opportunism and betrayal during the German occupation of the French Basque Country and Béarn. Based on extensive fieldwork and a close reading of trial dossiers, Ott focuses on ordinary people who formed relationships with Germans during 1940–4 and were later accused of 'collaboration'. This is a compelling study of human folly, vengeance, opportunism and betrayal during the German occupation of the French Basque Country and Bearn. Based on extensive fieldwork and a close reading of trial dossiers, Ott focuses on ordinary people who formed relationships with Germans during 1940-4 and were later accused of 'collaboration'.