The French who fought for Hitler : memories from the outcasts

"Thousands of Frenchmen volunteered to provide military help to the Nazis during World War II, fighting in such places as Belorussia, Galicia, Pomerania, and Berlin. Utilizing these soldiers' memoirs, The French who fought for Hitler examines how these volunteers describe their exploits on the battlefield, their relations to civilian populations in occupied territories, and their sexual prowess. It also discusses how the volunteers account for their controversial decisions to enlist, to fight to the end, and finally to testify. Coining the concepts of "outcast memory" and "unlikeable vanquished," Philippe Carrard characterizes the type of bitter, unrepentant memory at work in the volunteers' recollections and situates it on the map of France's collective memory. In the process, he contributes to the ongoing conversation about memory, asking whether all testimonies are fit to be given and preserved, and how we should deal with life narratives that uphold positions now viewed as unacceptable"--Provided by publisher. Backgrounds From the Légion des volontaires français to the Division Charlemagne The historians' take Authenticity Verifications and guarantees The Sajer case Internet debates Veracity The French in Berlin Possibly too much As good in bed as on the battlefield Possibly too little Textualization Total recall Perspectives Frameworks The enemy demonized Frenchness The lens of culture Bearing witness Enlisting Fighting to the end Speaking up From the outcasts' point of view Vanquished Rejected Unrepentant Appendix A: Biographical notices Appendix B: Maps. This book examines how the Frenchmen who volunteered to fight for the Nazis during World War II describe their exploits in their memoirs. It also discusses how the volunteers account for their controversial decisions to enlist, to fight to the end, and finally to testify.