France At War in the Twentieth Century: Propaganda, Myth, and Metaphor

by Valerie Holman (Editor), Debra Kelly (Editor)

Overview

"There are suggestive and interesting contributions ... Historians of modern France and historians interested in the cultural aspects of war will find much to engage with in this stimulating collection." - French History

France experienced four major conflicts in the fifty years between 1914 and 1964: two world wars, and the wars in Indochina and Algeria. In each the role of myth was intricately bound up with memory, hope, belief, and ideas of nation. This is the first book to explore how individual myths were created, sustained, and used for purposes of propaganda, examining in detail not just the press, radio, photographs, posters, films, and songs that gave credence to an imagined event or attributed mythical status to an individual, but also the cultural processes by which such artifacts were disseminated and took effect.

Reliance on myth, so the authors argue, is shown to be one of the most significant and durable features of 20th century warfare propaganda, used by both sides in all the conflicts covered in this book. However, its effective and useful role in time of war notwithstanding, it does distort a population's perception of reality and therefore often results in defeat: the myth-making that began as a means of sustaining belief in France's supremacy, and later her will and ability to resist, ultimately proved counterproductive in the process of decolonization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781571817709
Publisher:	Berghahn Books
Publication date:	08/01/2002
Series:	Contemporary France , #3
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Valerie Holman is an art historian and was, from 1995 to 1997, a Research Fellow in War and Culture Studies at the University of Westminster.

Debra Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in French at the University of Westminster, teaching modern and contemporary French and francophone literature. She is coordinator of the Group for War and Culture Studies: France 1914-1964.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Myth and Metaphor: the Power of Propaganda in Twentieth Century Warfare
D. Kelly and V. Holman

Chapter 2. The Myth of the Marseillaise and the Great War: The Transfer of Rouget de Lisle to the Invalides

Chapter 3. From One War to the Next: The Creation of Myth and Suppression of Reality
A. Becker

Chapter 4. The Image and the Myth of the Fifth Column During Two World Wars
C. Delporte

Chapter 5. Parody and Propaganda: The Discourse of the Fairy-tale in the Mythology of Vichy France
J. Proud

Chapter 6. Between Propaganda and "Telling the Truth": Choices, Activities, and Effects of the Clandestine Press
O. Wieviorka

Chapter 7. Rival Figures of National Leadership: Representation of Charles de Gaulle & Philippe Pétain
C. Flood and H. Frey

Chapter 8. Fighting Myth with Reality: The Fall of France, Anglophobia, and the BBC
M. Cornick

Chapter 9. Heroes and Martyrs: The Changing Mythical Status of the French Army during the Indo-Chinese War
N. Cooper

Chapter 10. Imaging the War without a Name: The French Cinema and Algeria
P. Dine

Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

"There are suggestive and interesting contributions ... Historians of modern France and historians interested in the cultural aspects of war will find much to engage with in this stimulating collection." - French History

From the Publisher