Cotutelle avec Sorbonne-Nouvelle / Par l'entremise d'une enquête ethnographique effectuée auprès de 229 cinéphiles français ayant fréquenté les salles de 1957 à 1964, nous examinons les différentes lectures que ces spectateurs — alors adolescents ou jeunes adultes — ont pu effectuer de The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). D’autres succès au box-office tels The Young Lions (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961) The Longest Day (1962), The Great Escape (1963) ou encore Quand passent les cigognes (1958) et les films français comme Le Passage du Rhin (1960) sont aussi examinés auprès de nos 229 participants afin de cerner l’approche qu’ils ont adoptée face à un film mettant la Deuxième Guerre mondiale en image. En analysant non seulement le discours de nos participants sur les films, mais aussi leur « récit de vie », nous établissons les « traces » (tel que l’entend Janet Staiger dans ses travaux sur la réception) qui ont contribué à former le contexte de réception dans lequel ils ont « rencontré » les films. Nous traitons donc des notions de cadre d’interprétation et de stratégie interprétative. Ce qui veut dire que nous nous penchons dans un premier temps sur les circonstances qui amènent les spectateurs à attribuer une identité générique au film. Puis, suite à cette identification générique, nous examinons la stratégie interprétative choisie par les spectateurs dans leur lecture du film. Ainsi, nous pouvons voir que le vécu personnel de l’Occupation, ou sinon le roman familial de 39- 45, a orienté la lecture des films. Nous constatons aussi que la Guerre d’Algérie a produit une forte polarisation des opinions sur l’armée; ces prises de position sur l’armée ont des répercussions sur la lecture de The Bridge on the River Kwai. / Through an ethnographic inquiry carried out among 229 French moviegoers who went to the movies at least from 1957 to 1964, we examine the different readings that these spectators - then in their teens or young adults - could carry out of The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Other huge box-office hits such as The Young Lions (1958), The Guns of Navarone (1961) The Longest Day (1962), The Great Escape (1963) or even The Cranes Are Flying (1958) and French films like Le Passage du Rhin (1960) are also examined with our 229 informants in order to identify the approach they adopted when faced with a film depicting the Second World War. By analyzing not only our informants' discourse on the films, but also their “life story”, we establish the "traces" (from Janet Staiger's reception theory) that helped shape the reception context in which they have encountered the films. We therefore deal with the notions of interpretation framework and interpretive strategy. This means that we first look at the circumstances which lead viewers to attribute a generic identity to the film. Then, following this generic identification, we examine the interpretive strategy chosen by spectators in their reading of the film. Thus, we can see that the personal experience of the Occupation period or otherwise the family’s story of WWII guided the readings of films on WWII. We also find that the Algerian War produced a strong polarization in the opinions about the Army. These positions on the Army have repercussions on the reading of The Bridge on the River Kwai.

Ce mémoire prend comme point de départ la question « Après Auschwitz », héritée de Theodor W. Adorno et Jean-François Lyotard, afin de réfléchir sur la place et le rôle de la philosophie après les événements de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. En employant un outillage conceptuel emprunté à diverses disciplines telles que la sémiologie, la psychanalyse, la philosophie du langage et du marxisme français post- 68, le texte cherche à identifier la nécessité pour la philosophie de continuer à phraser « après Auschwitz », pour ensuite dégager des familiarités qui ont eu et peuvent encore avoir lieu avec la pensée nationale-socialiste. Finalement, le mémoire s’achève sur une discussion sur la logique – qu’il conviendra alors de qualifier de « spéculative » - qui œuvre à rendre compossibles la nécessité philosophique de phraser, le risque du retour dans la barbarie, de même que la possibilité omniprésente du différend, concept central bien qu’il ne soit pas systématiquement nommé. / This thesis takes as its starting point the question “After Auschwitz”, written by Theodor W. Adorno and Jean-François Lyotard, in order to reflect on the place and role of philosophy after the events of the Second World War. By employing conceptual tools borrowed from various disciplines such as semiology, psychoanalysis, philosophy of language and post-68 French Marxism, the text seeks to identify the need for philosophy to continue to phrase "after Auschwitz", in order to then extricate familiarities that have had and can still take place with National Socialist thought. Finally, the thesis ends with a discussion of logic – which should then be described as “speculative” – which works to make compossible the philosophical necessity of phrasing, the risk of returning to barbarism, as well as the ubiquitous possibility of the différend, a central concept although it is not systematically named.

Luise Schröder founded a private business school in 1910 in Stettin, a city once part of Germany. With a focus on typewriting and stenography, she was a local educator of modern communication. Throughout four generations, her family was impacted by global technological developments and socio-political shifts.‘I Never Learned to Type with Ten Fingers’, edited by Schröder's great-great-grandson and graphic designer Laslo Strong, compiles stories from a family-run school. It delves into the past century of typography, through personal and corporate documents. Pictures, letterheads, graphic prints, signs, and newspaper articles provide insight into a particular corporate identity. In dialogue with this research, a series of typefaces was designed dedicated to the characters of the school. They give voice to anecdotes and speculative stories about family and typography.

No one worked harder on his own image than Bernard Montgomery, but he is rightly ranked among the most notable British Second World War commanders. Less well-known is Richard O'Connor, largely because of his own disregard for publicity. They were two very different types of personality. Both, however, demonstrated command skills and operational strategic insights which enabled them to compensate for the British Army's shortcomings in armour in 1940. They were able to use what they had - simple motorization - and adapt it away from stereotyped concepts of logistical employment, which they replaced with beneficial operational strategic utilization; Montgomery during the Flanders Campaign (1940) and O'Connor in his Libyan Campaign (1940-41). The two cases indicate that advantage in warfare does not merely rely on numbers or on superior or inferior armaments. It may have to rely as much - if not more - on the personalities of the commanders. / Political Sciences / M.A. (International Politics)

<p>The aim is to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of social categorization and discrimination, as well as the connection between them. This has been accomplished by examining Swedish refugee policy towards Jewish refugees during the Second World War and the Holocaust, as conducted by The Foreigner’s Bureau of the National Board of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 1938−1944. The study also compares the Swedish refugee policy with that of Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States. The investigation is guided by such concepts as social categorization, discrimination, antisemitism, organizational culture and established practice. The primary sources are documents, minutes and personal dossiers; <i>Svensk författningssamling</i> (legislation) and articles in <i>Sociala Meddelanden</i> (the National Board’s official journal).</p><p>The main conclusions are that Sweden was not perceived as a country of immigration, based partly of the widespread fear that too many Jewish refugees would create a “Jewish Question”. Swedish authorities discriminated against Jewish refugees on grounds of “race” through a process of categorization. This process began already in the 1920’s, and gradually transformed the definition of “Jew” from a religious to a “racial” definition, based on the Nuremberg Laws. The differentiation of Jewish refugees in official statistics ceased in September 1943, yet it continued secretly until February 1944, encompassing the Norwegian and Danish Jews as well. One important result shows that the shift in policy – from discrimination to large scale reception – was a slow process where this differentiating practice and antisemitic perceptions remained operative. What is defined as an antisemitic background bustle is used to explain how moderate antisemitic expressions were perceived as “unbiased” and “normal” within the Swedish society. Though Sweden’s refugee policy seems similar to that of other countries surveyed, the shift in policy stands out as unique in comparison.</p>

This study analyzes narratives of individual Jewish experiences of discrimination and genocidal violence in Hungary during the period of 1920–1945. The aim is to increase our knowledge and understanding of the events through an investigation of survivor testimonies concerning anti-Jewish laws and the Holocaust. The main focus is on how survivors perceived the treatment to which they and their fellow Jews were exposed, and how they responded to the persecution they faced. Perceptions and responses are analyzed through multiple factors such as gender, age, social class, and geographical place. The period under investigation stretches from 1920, when the law of Numerus Clausus (a quota system influencing admission to universities) was introduced, until the end of the Second World War in early 1945. Focus is placed on the war years, especially on 1944, the year of German occupation and the fascist Arrow Cross rule. Experiences from the labour service system, the Jewish houses in Budapest, and the ghettos, as well as of hiding and resistance, are some of the recurring themes which are examined here. Extensive interviews, along with eyewitness reports and memoirs, form the empirical basis of the study. The results demonstrate the complexity of individual experiences during times of upheaval, and the importance of the above factors is evident within the testimonies. The survivors’ experiences greatly depended on gender, age, social class, geographical place, civil status, religious orientation, as well as “race”. However, the importance of the different factors changed over time. For instance, in the beginning of this period, discrimination had a direct impact on adult males, while children, women, and the elderly were indirectly affected. Furthermore, persons belonging to the upper classes could circumvent the anti-Jewish laws in various ways. Ultimately, differences in treatment decreased, according to the testimonies. Women, children, and the elderly also became victims, as did individuals from all social classes.

The aim is to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of social categorization and discrimination, as well as the connection between them. This has been accomplished by examining Swedish refugee policy towards Jewish refugees during the Second World War and the Holocaust, as conducted by The Foreigner’s Bureau of the National Board of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 1938−1944. The study also compares the Swedish refugee policy with that of Denmark, Switzerland, Great Britain and the United States. The investigation is guided by such concepts as social categorization, discrimination, antisemitism, organizational culture and established practice. The primary sources are documents, minutes and personal dossiers; Svensk författningssamling (legislation) and articles in Sociala Meddelanden (the National Board’s official journal). The main conclusions are that Sweden was not perceived as a country of immigration, based partly of the widespread fear that too many Jewish refugees would create a “Jewish Question”. Swedish authorities discriminated against Jewish refugees on grounds of “race” through a process of categorization. This process began already in the 1920’s, and gradually transformed the definition of “Jew” from a religious to a “racial” definition, based on the Nuremberg Laws. The differentiation of Jewish refugees in official statistics ceased in September 1943, yet it continued secretly until February 1944, encompassing the Norwegian and Danish Jews as well. One important result shows that the shift in policy – from discrimination to large scale reception – was a slow process where this differentiating practice and antisemitic perceptions remained operative. What is defined as an antisemitic background bustle is used to explain how moderate antisemitic expressions were perceived as “unbiased” and “normal” within the Swedish society. Though Sweden’s refugee policy seems similar to that of other countries surveyed, the shift in policy stands out as unique in comparison.

This thesis addresses needlework between 1920 and 1970 as a window into women's broader experiences, and also asserts it as a valid topic of historical analysis in its own right. Needlecraft was a ubiquitous part of women's lives which has until recently been largely neglected by historians. The growing historiography of needlework has relied heavily on fashion and design history perspectives, focusing on the products of needlework and examples of creative needlewomen. Moving beyond this model, this thesis establishes the importance of process as well as product in studying needlework, revealing the meanings women found in, attached to, and created through the ephemeral moment of making. Searching for the ordinary and typical, it eschews previous preoccupations with creation, affirming re-creation and recreation as more central to amateur needlework. Drawing upon diverse sources including oral history research, objects, Mass Observation archives, and specialist needlework magazines, this thesis examines five key aspects of women's engagement with needlework: definitions of ‘leisure' and ‘work'; motivations of thrift in peacetime and war; emotions; the modern and the traditional and finally, the gendering of needlework. It explores needlework through three central themes of identity, obligation and pleasure. Whilst asserting the validity and importance of needlework as a subject of research in its own right, it also contributes to larger debates within women's history. It sheds light on the chronology and significance of domestic thrift, the meanings of feminised activities, the emotional context of home front life, women's engagement with modern design and concepts of ‘leisure' and ‘work' within women's history.

En 1939, la France et la Grande-Bretagne réalisent que, pour arrêter les agressions d’Hitler en Europe, il va leur falloir constituer un front commun. Cette recherche d’alliés les mène à courtiser l’Union soviétique. Malgré plus de quatre mois de négociations anglo-franco-soviétiques, aucune entente n’intervient entre les parties. Cet échec est d’autant plus douloureux que le 23 août un pacte de non-agression est signé entre Berlin et Moscou et, qu’une semaine plus tard, l’Allemagne envahit la Pologne. La Seconde Guerre mondiale est commencée. Depuis les années 1990, plusieurs historiens ont affirmé que l’historiographie occidentale concernant l’échec des négociations tripartites de 1939 a été influencée par la propagande de la Guerre froide et qu’elle avait propagé l’idée que les Soviétiques n’avaient jamais eu l’intention de s’allier avec l’Entente. Toutefois, après l’analyse des études publiées entre 1961 et 2011 par les historiens français et britanniques, ce mémoire démontre que, depuis 1961, en Grande-Bretagne et en France, l’interprétation du rôle de l’Union soviétique dans cet échec est beaucoup plus libre d’aprioris idéologiques qu’on pourrait le croire. La publication de l’ouvrage d’A.J.P. Taylor, The Origins of the Second World War, et la controverse qu’il va causer ont radicalement modifié la nature du débat et permis l’ascendant de thèses en tous points semblables à celles qui ont cours en Occident depuis le démantèlement de l’Union soviétique. Celles-ci soutiennent que les dirigeants soviétiques ont priorisé une alliance avec l’Entente au moins jusqu’à la fin du mois de juillet et que ce sont les politiques étrangères de la France et, plus particulièrement, de la Grande-Bretagne, qui ont causé l’échec des négociations tripartites de 1939. / In 1939, France and Great Britain realized that stopping Hitler’s aggression in Europe would require a common front. Such an endeavour brought them to consider the Soviet Union as a possible ally. Despite four months of negotiations, the three countries could not reach any agreement. This failure was dramatic since on 23 August, a non-aggression pact was signed between Berlin and Moscow and, one week later, Germany invaded Poland. The Second World War had started. Since the 1990s, many historians argued that Western historiography about these failed negotiations has been influenced by Cold War propaganda and the idea that the Soviets never had the intention of allying with Western Europe. However, after a more careful look at studies published between 1961 and 2011 by French and British historians, this thesis demonstrates that, since 1961, in both Great Britain and France, the interpretations of the Soviet Union’s role in those negotiations were more free of ideological presuppositions than is often claimed. The publication of Taylor’ The Origins of the Second World War and the controversy that followed radically changed the nature of the debate and allowed the emergence of theses strikingly similar to those argued currently. These suggest that the Soviet leaders prioritized allying with the Entente at least until the end of July and that France and, most notably, Great Britain’s foreign policy caused the failure of the tripartite negotiations.

This diploma thesis reviews the history of the Melnik region in the end of the Second World War and the resistence of the people. The aim of first body of the thesis is to describe the activity of Mělník natives in Royal Air Force. The materials for this part I got from archives. There are short profiles of fighter pilots, who left the Protectorate of Bohemia and Bohemia. The second part is about the resistance in Melnik region. In this region formed local resistance groups, but at the end of the war was there a cooperation with guerilla forces called "Narodni mstitel." In this thesis are described the soviet air-raids and some air-raids before May 1945. In the last part is described rising of the people in Melnik region, disarming of the enemy and entrance into the new era