Paris in the Dark: The Nazi Occupation 1940 - 1944


ID : 2271   

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ClassGraphic On June 14, 1940, the victorious German army marched triumphantly into Paris to take control of the city most coveted by Adolf Hitler. The mighty French army had been defeated in just 46 days. The retreating French government had declared Paris an "open city" to preserve her from the destruction of a siege. On that day, the City of Light went dark and would remain so for the next four years of the Nazi occupation. Though the city would remain mostly intact physically and visually (aside from the appearance of German street signs and the clocks being set to German time), living under the rule of cruel and tyrannical conquerors would have a profound effect on the lives of all Parisians. While we will touch upon key political and military events, primarily we will focus our discussion on the lived experience of ordinary Parisians, trying to look beyond the simplistic resistant or collaborator narrative and consider, rather, the moral ambiguity that confronted every French man and woman, profoundly influencing their decisions and behavior in nearly every aspect of day-to-day life.
 
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Class Details

4 Session(s)
Weekly - Tue

Location
OLLI

Instructor
Christopher Menard 

 

Notice

Please read:  Suggested Reading:
  • “When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light under German Occupation. 1940-1944 by Ronald C. Rossbottom. Little, Brown & Co. August, 2014
  • Americans in Paris: Life and Death under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Penguin Books. 2009
  • Taking Paris by Martin Dugard. Dutton Caliber. September, 2021

Tuition:  $45.00

Registration Closes On
Monday, September 14, 2026 @ 12:00 AM

Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s) Instructional Method
9/15/2026 - 10/6/2026 Weekly - Tue 09:30 AM - 11:00 AM Kingston, OLLI  Map Christopher Menard  ClassRoom

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