A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - The Mind Disintegrates in Chaos (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Presenting a book like the one that follows leaves one with a feeling of 
unease in the times of institutional chaos we are living through. 
Pierre-Marie Dioudonnat presents the results of decades of research in 
his book La France allemande et ses journaux (1940-1944), published by 
Les Belles lettres. It all began with the debacle and the exodus... Or 
rather, no! Already in the interwar period, a far-right, reactionary, 
xenophobic, and anti-Semitic press developed, relaying the most odious 
remarks of extremists such as Doriot, Drieu la Rochelle, Brasillach, and 
Rebatet. Léon Blum was insulted in the Chamber of Deputies and in Je 
suis partout, in L'Action française. Pierre-Marie Dioudonnat's approach 
is pertinent, putting events into perspective and not simply starting in 
May 1940, placing sole responsibility on the Germans. France already had 
fertile ground for the far right and Nazi ideas.

Yes, the debacle was appalling; newspapers left Paris in a hurry. Yet, 
by July 1940, some had returned to the capital. Left-wing newspapers, 
such as Le Populaire, and right-wing newspapers such as L'Aube and 
L'Epoque, ceased publication. Collaboration began. This term appeared in 
the Rethondes Convention signed in June 1940, imposed by the Germans. 
They organized the publication of periodicals, influence, censorship, 
and distribution of paper, all of which was ensured by a typically 
totalitarian federation of administrations and bureaucracies, a holding 
company made up of French-law companies with a diverse staff. The 
occupier's multiplicity of decision-making centers made practices 
chaotic, opening the way to arrangements with varying degrees of gray, 
depending on the content.

Nazi Control of the Media

Obviously, some French people would play the role of window dressing, 
taking orders like Eugène Gerber. Others would become involved, like 
Jean Luchaire. Pierre Laval's role was decisive. Furthermore, let's 
consider that L'Humanité would attempt its reappearance with the Nazi 
authorities! Some would slide from the radical left, socialist, and 
communist to unnatural alliances. The mind, like the flesh, is very weak 
in complex times. The new magazines invited pleasure in Paris, at the 
cinema, La Vie parisienne, Paris toujours... There's joy! Chevalier had 
an ambiguous attitude, as did Tino Rossi. A certain Otto Abetz, the 
Reich ambassador in Paris, circulated several lists of banned books and 
publications, playing on rivalries, hypocrisy, and cowardice. 
Pierre-Marie Dioudonnat's book is extensive, rich in information and 
references, spanning over 700 pages. We delve into the negotiations, the 
correspondence, and the complex financing. How did Hachette ensure 
distribution? What was the attitude of Gaston Gallimard, Denoël, and 
Grasset? Publications like Aujourd'hui welcomed left-wing authors, 
without the authors engaging in collaboration. Some, like Desnos, joined 
the Resistance and died in deportation. Yes, times were complex, and so 
were the covers. The fate of the Nouvelle revue française speaks 
volumes. It's up to you to read. The journey of a certain Raymond 
Patenôtre reveals the long-standing relationships in the mysteries of 
the Third Republic, continuing under the Fifth.

Arrangements over the Long Term

Obviously, anti-Semitism was rampant. You will discover the fate of 
Fernand Nathan and Calmann-Lévy during their Aryanization. The newspaper 
Au Pilori is one of the worst publications. The far-right press spills 
over into public opinion because its circulation isn't limited, despite 
its sometimes limited audience. Some authors manage to succeed 
skillfully after the war. A magazine, La Terre française, seeks to 
mobilize the farming community in the spirit of "this land that doesn't 
lie," a Pétainist phrase, as well as elected officials from rural 
communities with La mairie rurale. It contains articles by a certain 
René Dumont and André Bettencourt. The reader may be surprised by the 
ability of many personalities to bounce back after the Liberation, some 
even creating dynasties that are still at work today. You'll read!

It's important to distinguish between the press of the occupied northern 
zone and that of the southern zone, known as the nono. The pages devoted 
to the Marseille press are very specific. And then, as the pages turn, 
the fall of the Nazi regime becomes clearer. In Paris in August 1944, 
the air is getting lighter. Yet the official press seems out of touch. 
The other, clandestine, press is making itself felt: Le Populaire, 
L'Humanité, Combat...

Do you think everything is falling apart for the occupier and the 
collaborationists? You'll read the pages devoted to attempted financial 
tinkering, to trials following the Liberation, and on August 6, 1953, an 
amnesty law for acts of collaboration allowed us to move on... Let's 
spare a thought for those who died in deportation, for acts of 
resistance, or under torture. I prefer their courage.

* Pierre-Marie Dioudonnat
German France and its Journals (1940-1944)
Ed. Les belles lettres, 2025

https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8616
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