Surviving Hitler and Mussolini: Daily Life in Occupied Europe (Occupation in Europe Series)

This book examines the social experience of occupation in German- and Italian-occupied Europe, and in particular the strategies ordinary people developed in order to survive. Survival included dealing with hunger, having to work for the enemy, women having relationships with soldiers, preservation of culture in a fascist environment, resistance, and the reaction of local communities to punishment of resistance. The book adopts a comparative approach from Denmark and the Netherlands to Poland and Greece, and offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War. Surviving Hitler And Mussolini Examines How Far Everyday Life Was Possible In A Situation Of Total War And Brutal Occupation. Its Theme Is The Social Experience Of Occupation In German- And Italian-occupied Europe, And In Particular The Strategies Ordinary People Developed In Order To Survive. What Emerges Is That Ordinary People Were Less Heroes, Villains Or Victims Than Inventive And Resourceful Individuals Able To Maintain Courage And Dignity Despite The Conditions They Faced.--jacket. Surviving Hunger : Life In The Cities And The Countryside During The Occupation / Polymeris Voglis -- To Work Or Not To Work? / Robert Gildea, Dirk Luyten And Juliane Fürst -- Intimate And Sexual Relations / Anette Warring -- The School As A Cultural Interface / Pavla Vošahlíková, Bénédicte Rochet And Fabrice Weiss -- Resisters : From Everyday Life To Counter-state / Olivier Wieviorka And Jacek Tebinka -- Resistance And Reprisals / Geraldien Von Frijtag Drabbe Künzel. Edited By Robert Gildea, Olivier Wieviorka And Anette Warring. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-236) And Index. Surviving Hitler and Mussolini examines how far everyday life was possible in a situation of total war and brutal occupation. Its theme is the social experience of occupation in German- and Italian-occupied Europe, and in particular the strategies ordinary people developed in order to survive. Survival included meeting the challenges of shortage and hunger, of having to work for the enemy, of women entering into intimate relations with soldiers, of the preservation of culture in a fascist universe, of whether and how to resist, and the reaction of local communities to measures of reprisal taken in response to resistance. What emerges is that ordinary people were less heroes, villains or victims than inventive and resourceful individuals able to maintain courage and dignity despite the conditions they faced.The book adopts a comparative approach from Denmark and the Netherlands to Poland and Greece, and offers a fresh perspective on the Second World War. Examining how far everyday life was possible in a situation of total war and brutal occupation, this book's theme is the social experience of occupation in German- and Italian-occupied Europe, and in particular the strategies ordinary people developed in order to survive. It adopts a comparative approach, and also discusses the Second World War.