Sudden Courage

June 17, 2019
In this captivating history, historian Rosbottom (When Paris Went Dark) unearths the large and small acts of political resistance to the Nazi occupation carried out by hundreds of French people under the age of 21. As he recounts, German armies marched into France on June 14, 1940, and eight days later, France signed an agreement accepting a Nazi occupation that would last almost five years. Many French citizens returned to their everyday lives as best they could. But some young people, whether in resistance organization or pre-existing groups like the Jewish boy scouts, worked against the Vichy government. Drawing on letters, diaries, and recorded interviews of survivors, Rosbottom details how these youth went from classes and homework to forging documents and stealing Nazi secrets. For their acts, many were sent to prison camps, shot, or executed by beheading. In recounting their stories, Rosbottom ponders the question of “what constitutes resistance in a police state,” concluding that it could mean everything from yelling “Viva la France” in a crowded movie theater during a German propaganda film to riding a bicycle for miles through the countryside to deliver secret messages. This is a moving chronicle of youthful courage and sacrifice. Agent: Geri Thoma, Writers House. (Aug.)Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly referred to the book author's last name as Robinson.

July 1, 2019
An exploration of the reasons so many young French citizens stepped up to work against Nazi occupiers and the "traitorous" Vichy government. As Rosbottom (French and European Studies/Amherst Coll.; When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944, 2014) shows, World War II interrupted their developmental time frame, forcing them into an adulthood for which they were little prepared. There are many common threads in the memoirs the author was able to source--e.g., patriotic pride and hatred of the occupiers; strong Jewish identity--but a moral certainty of right and wrong was the dominant characteristic in all of them. Many practiced soft resistance, including art, propaganda, false documents, and minor but persistent sabotage. Others used hard resistance: intelligence-gathering, assassinations, derailments, etc. By far the most organized were the young communists, who had funding from Russia and accepted and encouraged girls to join. Under Stalin's orders not to attack their occupiers after the 1939 treaty with Hitler, the youth concentrated on undermining the German-backed Vichy government and the French police who worked directly with the Germans. Hitler's invasion of Russia ended that ban. The cultural and social phenomena affecting students before the war--film, jazz, dancing, and a new taste of freedom--guided them. They were not driven by politics and didn't think of the dangers to themselves or their families. At first, their youth, especially for girls, protected them. When the SS and Gestapo took over in 1942, everyone was suspect, and security tightened considerably. Rosbottom uses impressive character studies to drive his narrative--e.g., a 17-year-old who was executed as a reprisal; a blind young man who became a natural leader both in the Resistance and during the many months he spent in prison. Early resisters were disorganized, confused, and incompetent, but they learned quickly. A fine history that brings back to light the contributions of the younger, often forgotten resistance fighters.

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Starred review from August 1, 2019

Rosbottom (Winifred L. Arms Professor in the Arts and Humanities and Professor of French and European Studies, Amherst Coll.; When Paris Went Dark) has written an exceptional account about the French Resistance. His melding of foreign conquest and adolescence offers a unique perspective of what happened in France during the Occupation. This book starts with how the French underestimated the Germans as an existential threat. French youth were not exposed to this threat until the Wehrmacht rolled into villages and cities, and Rosbottom deftly uses firsthand accounts to describe how they reacted to foreigners. The hardship of occupation altered family structures, with teenagers often becoming caretakers. This role necessitated a choice between becoming fascists or going underground. For Jews and Communists, there was no choice. According to Rosbottom, resistance included not only large acts of opposition, such as hiding Jewish friends or creating weapon caches, but also smaller ones such as mocking German news propaganda or shooting spit wads at German soldiers. VERDICT Highly recommended for Francophiles and those interested in World War II; this work adds to World War II and French historiography.--Jacob Sherman, John Peace Lib., Univ. of Texas at San Antonio

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