Anti-Jewish Policy, ‘Final Solution’, and Help Provided to Jews in Vichy France During 1940–1945 Cover Image

Polityka antyżydowska, „ostateczne rozwiązanie” i pomoc udzielana Żydom we Francji Vichy w latach 1940–1945
Anti-Jewish Policy, ‘Final Solution’, and Help Provided to Jews in Vichy France During 1940–1945

Author(s): Tal Bruttmann
Subject(s): History, Jewish studies, Recent History (1900 till today), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), History of Antisemitism
Published by: Stowarzyszenie Centrum Badań nad Zagładą Żydów & IFiS PAN
Keywords: helping Jews in France; Alois Brunner

Summary/Abstract: 75 per cent of French Jews survived the war in France. They received help within the framework of individual initiatives, mutual help structures, and the resistance movement — mainly Jewish. The author reconstructs the legal situation, administrative division, military operations, and the involvement of the SS, SD, and French collaborators during 1940–1944 which led to the speci􀏐ic legal conditions and the atmosphere that enabled the French to act. The main problem the SS faced during the ‘􀏐inal solution’ was the lack of regulations prohibiting the French from helping Jews and ones that would have separated Jews from non-Jews. In an attempt to threaten the French, the Germans arrested the Jews, dismantled the help organisations’ structures, and arrested those suspected of provision of shelter to Jews. In 1943 the SD joined the SS in the carrying out of the ‘f􀏐inal solution’ and managed to signi􀏐icantly increase the number of French collaborators. The Germans gained momentum to hunt down Jews, which led to more arrests. In 1944 the resuming of the military operations in France made it enemy territory to the Germans. Repressions became more brutal and the 'final solution' policy ceased to consist only in arrests and deportations and began to involve dozens of executions of Jews conducted by the Germans and their French supporters. Every intensi􀏐ication of the brutality and repressions led to increased help.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 131-143
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Polish