The Italian occupation of south-eastern France, 1940-1943

Abstract

Between 1940 and 1943, Fascist Italy occupied south-eastern metropolitan France, a period which forms one of the principle lacunae in the historiography of both France and Italy during the Second World War. This thesis will examine the occupation in detail, examining how Italy governed her zone of occupation; how relations between the two states operated in the zone; what financial and economic gains Italy made in the occupied territories; and how Italian officials embarked upon a program of Italianisation and Fascistisation in the occupied communes. This thesis will bring together many sources for the first time in English, including principal Italian and French archives, coupled with local archival holdings. The thesis will argue that Italian efforts to create her own sphere of influence were hampered by German desires to put German interests first; and by Italy’s inability to control the pace of the war. Nonetheless, it will also examine Italian projects in her zone of occupation in detail, showing that the dearth of historical scholarship – at least in English – is not down to a lack of activity within the zone.