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Resistance in France During the Second World War    NEW!

In the past ten years, countless pieces of fiction have been published that take place in France during the Second World War (The Nightingale, The Alice Network, All the Light We Cannot See, The Paris Library, and so on). Many of these books focus on the heroic efforts of the French Resistance to rid the country of the Nazis. But the story of the Resistance is so much more complex than these books can convey.

Join this discussion to talk about the different forms of resistance, who resisted and why, what kinds of struggles they faced, and how the extreme-right played a surprising role in some of France's largest resistance networks. This presenter will be teaching from a remote location.

About Dr. Valerie Deacon - Click Here

Dr. Valerie Deacon is the Manager of Academic Support and Curriculum Innovation in the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). In this role, she leads a team of Academic Support Coaches who provide individualized writing assistance and academic skills development to students .

Before returning to Canada, Dr. Deacon served as a faculty member at New York University (NYU) and NYU Shanghai, where she held positions including Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor of History. During her tenure at NYU Shanghai, she delivered lectures such as “Imagining France: Evasion Training and National Identity During the Second World War”

Dr. Deacon holds a Master of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Ph.D. from York University. Her scholarly work centers on the experiences of the Second World War in Europe and the United States, with a particular focus on the French Resistance and the involvement of extreme-right individuals and groups.

Her first book, The Extreme Right in the French Resistance: Members of the Cagoule and Corvignolles in the Second World War, published by Louisiana State University Press in 2016, examines the participation of men and women from the extreme right in the French Resistance and explores postwar narratives about resisters and the meaning of resistance . In addition to her book, Dr. Deacon has authored several articles, including:

  • “Fitting in to the French Resistance: Georges Loustaunau-Lacau and Marie-Madeleine Fourcade at the intersection of politics and gender” (2015)

  • “From 'femme d'officier, mère de famille' to 'grand dame de la Résistance': Marie-Madeleine Fourcade during the Second World War” (2017)

Her current research investigates the experiences of downed Anglo-American aircrew in Occupied France and the assistance they received from French civilians. She has published works on this topic, including:

  • “‘A jolly romp we were always destined to win': The BBC's 'Allo 'Allo! and British memories of downed aircrew in Occupied France during the Second World War” (2017)

  • “International cooperation, transnational circulation: Escape, evasion, and resistance in France, 1940–1945” (2019)

Dr. Deacon's contributions to historical scholarship provide nuanced insights into the complexities of resistance movements and the varied experiences of individuals during the Second World War.

Resistance in France During the Second World War NEW!

In the past ten years, countless pieces of fiction have been published that take place in France during the Second World War (The Nightingale, The Alice Network, All the Light We Cannot See, The Paris Library, and so on). Many of these books focus on the heroic efforts of the French Resistance to rid the country of the Nazis. But the story of the Resistance is so much more complex than these books can convey.

Join this discussion to talk about the different forms of resistance, who resisted and why, what kinds of struggles they faced, and how the extreme-right played a surprising role in some of France's largest resistance networks. This presenter will be teaching from a remote location.

About Dr. Valerie Deacon - Click Here

Dr. Valerie Deacon is the Manager of Academic Support and Curriculum Innovation in the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). In this role, she leads a team of Academic Support Coaches who provide individualized writing assistance and academic skills development to students .

Before returning to Canada, Dr. Deacon served as a faculty member at New York University (NYU) and NYU Shanghai, where she held positions including Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor of History. During her tenure at NYU Shanghai, she delivered lectures such as “Imagining France: Evasion Training and National Identity During the Second World War”

Dr. Deacon holds a Master of Arts from the University of Victoria and a Ph.D. from York University. Her scholarly work centers on the experiences of the Second World War in Europe and the United States, with a particular focus on the French Resistance and the involvement of extreme-right individuals and groups.

Her first book, The Extreme Right in the French Resistance: Members of the Cagoule and Corvignolles in the Second World War, published by Louisiana State University Press in 2016, examines the participation of men and women from the extreme right in the French Resistance and explores postwar narratives about resisters and the meaning of resistance . In addition to her book, Dr. Deacon has authored several articles, including:

  • “Fitting in to the French Resistance: Georges Loustaunau-Lacau and Marie-Madeleine Fourcade at the intersection of politics and gender” (2015)

  • “From 'femme d'officier, mère de famille' to 'grand dame de la Résistance': Marie-Madeleine Fourcade during the Second World War” (2017)

Her current research investigates the experiences of downed Anglo-American aircrew in Occupied France and the assistance they received from French civilians. She has published works on this topic, including:

  • “‘A jolly romp we were always destined to win': The BBC's 'Allo 'Allo! and British memories of downed aircrew in Occupied France during the Second World War” (2017)

  • “International cooperation, transnational circulation: Escape, evasion, and resistance in France, 1940–1945” (2019)

Dr. Deacon's contributions to historical scholarship provide nuanced insights into the complexities of resistance movements and the varied experiences of individuals during the Second World War.

Instructor: Valerie Deacon Members: $10; General Public: $15
 
Course #: SPE287 | Room: Live Oak Hall
Day of Week | Date | Time: Th  |  9/25/2025  |  10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Seats Available: 74
 

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If class is cancelled by the participant because of COVID positive results, there will still be a processing fee incurred by the participant.

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