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Julia Buck ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2021 Julia Buck ALL RIGHTS RESERVED MAKING THE RESISTANCE FRENCH: BUREAUCRACY, MEMORY, AND SPACE IN POSTWAR MARSEILLE By JULIA A. BUCK A dissertation submitted to tHe School of Graduate Studies Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of tHe requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in History Written under the direction of Judith Surkis And approved by ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey May 2021 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Making the Resistance FrencH: Bureaucracy, Memory, and Space in Postwar Marseille by Julia A. Buck Dissertation Director: Judith Surkis This dissertation examines postwar state recognition of resistance during the Second World War in France from below and tHe margins. It focuses on the postwar commemorative politics regarding tHe resistance and liberation of tHe Mediterranean port city of Marseille, a place with a long history of challenging FrencH universalist claims. To understand how state power and national belonging was instantiated locally, I analyze the bureaucracy that arose in postwar France from laws establisHing an official definition of resistance as well as a formal process for applicants to prove past involvement in wartime underground movements tHat left virtually no records of membership. One such category was the combattant volontaire de la Résistance (CVR). The resulting bureaucratic encounters also played an important, if ambivalent, role in tHe consolidation of state power during tHe Cold War and decolonization, as a means of bringing local commemorative cultures in line witH dominant FrencH narratives and coopting potentially threatening political actors. However, instead of putting commemorative conflict to rest, tHe state opened up a new battlefield regarding tHe memory of anti-Nazi resistance both within and in rejection of the applications for official recognition. Contradictions and disputes arose regarding tHe status of colonial soldiers in official commemoration of tHe war, ii as did the question of how to distinguisH between "true" and "fake" resistance in the wartime underground. The very administrative framework tHat sougHt to erase tHeir involvement actually preserved tHe stories of many people wHo otHerwise left few archival traces. FurtHermore, tHe state commemorative narratives helped provoke a vibrant commemorative counterculture. This critical re-reading of French bureaucratic sources has far-reacHing implications for How Historians of the Second World War migHt approacH tHis major arcHive, for understanding tHe uneven geograpHies of state power, and How to tHink about commemoration with and beyond the nation-state. FurtHermore, it seeks to recover tHe political possibilities and cHallenges of a Heterogeneous antifascist movement tHat was only made in France's image after tHe fact. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been possible without the intellectual support and friendsHip of a great many people. THe errors result from my own obstinacy or inattention. I am grateful beyond words to Dawn Ruskai. Rutgers faculty inspired me whether I took their class, read their work, or worked for tHem as a teaching assistant, including Tuna Artun, Alistair Bellany, Carolyn Brown, Leah DeVun, Marisa Fuentes, JocHen Hellbeck, SamantHa Kelly, Jennifer Mittelstadt, and Jeffrey Shandler. Temma Kaplan was tHe reason I came to Rutgers. When I dropped out of undergrad, it was her book Red City, Blue Period I carried witH me to a squatted castle outside of Barcelona. WHen I was finally sitting across from Her in my first class of graduate scHool, I could barely speak above a wHisper. She has spent tHe years since Helping me find my voice. Yael Zerubavel ignited my interest in memory studies. She balances careful, precise analysis with a type of creativity that I will continue to work to emulate. Her tHougHtful pedagogy brougHt some of the best work out of me and tHe ease witH wHicH sHe can sHift from talking about traditional scholarship to ceramics practices revealed a place for me in academia tHat I did not know existed. Henry Rousso's intellectual work as well as his dedication to his students and colleagues demonstrates a type of Historical engagement wHose positive effects resonate out beyond tHe academy's walls. His thoughtful approach to politically cHarged and taboo tHemes is a model to wHicH I aspire. Judith Surkis migHt not realize how influential even a joking reference in passing to a text as representing a "lacuna turn" set off montHs of private discussion witH classmates about How to most productively puncH Holes in tHe HistoriograpHy. Her intentional iv intellectual contributions Have given me even more to tHink about, particularly Her writing on law, wHicH combines all tHe hours of toil of social history with the rich attention to detail of wHole Human communities of cultural history. It is a privilege to learn from sucH a hardworking scholar and fierce advocate. I have been fortunate to meet many mentors over tHe years wHo Have been generous witH tHeir time and experience. Valerie Deacon is the thinker, teacher, and colleague I aspire to be. Through the Western Society for FrencH History's mentorsHip program, I was tHrilled to meet Minayo Nasiali, wHose brilliant work on Marseille I treasure and wHose tHougHtful attention to everyday life is not limited to historical figures but also the travails of graduate students. As an undergrad I benefited enormously from tHe guidance of Natan Meir and Craig Epplin. I am grateful to my students, particularly my NJ-STEP class at Northern State Prison in Newark. Barry Patemen of tHe Kate SHarpley Library supplied the necessary levity and detailed knowledge of 20th century anarchist groups and currents required to navigate numerous sections of tHe dissertation. Tobi (Héctor Daniel Hernández Becerril) of the Biblioteca Social Reconstruir in Mexico City offered my first experience of history from below. Losing Him this year to covid-19 was a personal and political loss for myself and many otHers across national borders. Upon arriving in New Jersey, I quickly bonded with fellow students Yarden Avital, CHaHni Peeples, and Danielle Willard-Kyle over our researcH into various twentietH century dictatorsHips tHat would probably make for unbearable dinner conversation for anyone but us. I appreciate Dustin Stalnaker for the joy of repeatedly discovering how our researcH kept evolving in tandem and for his v thoughtful feedback. Marine ScHutz was the best audience of one I could ever hope for on a 108 degree day in Madrid. Dara Walker introduced me to tHe pomodoro metHod and writing groups, wHicH made being ABD mucH less lonely. My local writing group Writers' Bloc made a cHallenging process less daunting. I was fortunate to Have many productive conversations witH CUNY comrades Andy Battle and Jarrod SHanaHan, Emily Hooke wHo I recognized from Twitter and awkwardly introduced myself to in tHe National ArcHives in Pierrefitte, and Katie Sinclair who I hope to collaborate with in the future. Mónica García Fernández is a brilliant working-class, feminist scholar and has been treasured friend tHrougH moments of alienation and inspiration. If I spent my entire career doing notHing otHer tHan translating Her works to EnglisH so more people could benefit from Her analysis, I would be happy. My research was made possible tHrougH Susman Award, RosentHal Award, departmental grants, and tHe support of my union. The hospitality and discussions of French politics and life witH Sabrina CHebbi, Anne-Marie Lallement, Leila Ouitis, and Melissa Benachour enricHed my understanding of Marseille beyond measure. I also thank Sylvie Knoerr-Saulière for granting me an interview. Ufuk Gungor and Jenni Simmons, tHrougH punk networks, Hosted me and taugHt me about tHeir cities on long layovers from tHe cHeap fligHts to France, wHicH would deposit me in Istanbul or Reykjavik for twenty to thirty hours at a time. Friends and family provided essential support, patiently listened to my woes, and worksHopped my rambling attempts to reacH an intellectual point. Particularly tHe friends from Lincoln Square Pottery Studio-Learning Center, as well as Eleni vi Vradis, Cam Upton and Preston Wollner, CHarlie Donna and MicHael CHisari, Jasmine Chow, Dani Bautista, Ethan Eustace, Julia Judge, Omoleye Roberts, and Doreen Vanunu. I am lucky to count Dave, tHe most tenacious researcHer I know, among my dearest friends. My extended family cHeered me on, particularly my Grandma, wHo was a speed reader, sparkling conversationalist, patHological optimist, and nurtured my interest in history along witH my otHer grandparents wHo always kept my analysis sHarp to sift between tall tales and true facts in tHe family lore (no, Papa, mafia does not stand for MotHers and FatHers of Italians in America). I am grateful for tHe Humor, love, and baked goods of my mom and sister. vii DEDICATION For Emma Deboncoeur viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract......................................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................................iv Dedication.................................................................................................................................................viii
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