Keywords

Malgre Nous, Incorporé de force, Alsace-Moselle in World War II, Alsace-Moselle postwar reintegration, Forcebly conscripts of Alsace and Moselle, Regional versus French National narrative

Abstract

This thesis examines how young Alsatians found themselves on the margins of postwar France. The illegal annexation of their region by Germany in 1940 led them into a bitter paradox: within months, they had to support their enemy's war effort. The National Socialist (Nazi) regime's coercion reached its height between 1942 and 1945, when 130,000 young men and women from Alsace and Moselle were conscripted into the German army against their will. After the war, this generation bore the weight of that history, struggling to reintegrate into France, a nation that sought to avoid grappling with the complex experiences of its citizens during the war years.

This study analyzes how they engaged with political, legal, and cultural frameworks that not only failed to facilitate their return but also frequently reinforced their exclusion from the national narrative. It analyzes the 'grey zone' of these French citizens, who, despite themselves, were simultaneously victims of the Nazi regime and forced to be part of the perpetrators during the war.

The analysis draws on written testimonies, prior historical research, regional administrative archives, and the contemporary press. This evidence demonstrates how the Alsatian experience consistently diverged from France's national narrative, particularly in the postwar years, when the Gaullist myth of resistance, central to the cohesion of French society, left no room for atypical experiences. This thesis shows how national myths, intending to unify, also exclude those whose experiences deviate from the norm. The history of the Malgré Nous exposes the limitations of postwar resistance-centered narratives and underscores the imperative for nations to confront uncomfortable and contested pasts rather than suppress or simplify them.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Dr. Amelia Lyons

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

History

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029834

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Download

Share

COinS