For Their Own Good
Civilian Evacuations in Germany and France, 1939-1945

The early twentieth-century advent of aerial bombing made successful evacuations essential to any war effort, but ordinary people resented them deeply. Based on extensive archival research in Germany and France, this is the first broad, comparative study of civilian evacuations in Germany and France during World War II.

The early twentieth-century advent of aerial bombing made successful evacuations essential to any war effort, but ordinary people resented them deeply. Based on extensive archival research in Germany and France, this is the first broad, comparative study of civilian evacuations in Germany and France during World War II. The evidence uncovered exposes the complexities of an assumed monolithic and all-powerful Nazi state by showing that citizens' objections to evacuations, which were rooted in family concerns, forced changes in policy. Drawing attention to the interaction between the Germans and French throughout World War II, this book shows how policies in each country were shaped by events in the other. A truly cross-national comparison in a field dominated by accounts of one country or the other, this book provides a unique historical context for addressing current concerns about the impact of air raids and military occupations on civilians.

List of Figures List of Tables List of Abbreviations Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1. Preparing for Air War
Chapter 2. Order or Chaos?
Chapter 3. Organizing Evacuations
Chapter 4. Our Stay Gives Us No Pleasure
Chapter 5. If Only Family Unity Can Be Maintained
Chapter 6. On the Basis of Selection
Chapter 7. Responding to Chaos
Chapter 8. Evacuation\'s Aftermath
Note on sources
Bibliography
Index