Marseille, city of refuge: international solidarity, American humanitarianism, and Vichy France (1940-1942)

Emilien Tortel

doi:10.5007/2175-7976.2021.e78244

Abstract

Anchored in the port of Marseille, this article studies encounters between international solidarity, American humanitarianism, and Vichy France’s nationalism in times of war and exile. Being the main free harbour in France after the country’s defeat against Germany in the spring of 1940, Marseille saw hundreds of thousands of refugees seeking refuge and exile on its shores. This massive flux gave rise to a local internationalism of humanitarian and solidarity networks bonded by an anti-fascist ideology. American humanitarians, diplomats, and radical leftist militants shaped this eclectic internationalism by providing crucial support for European refugees escaping the Nazi-backed state repression in France. Using the local archives of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône, this paper analyses how these actors and their ideologies met in Marseille and interacted with or against Vichy France’s nationalism. In the end, the extended historiography on refugees, American humanitarianism, solidarity networks, and French nationalism will be used to analyse global ideologies in a local context during the Second World War.

Highlights

During the Second World War, between 40 to 60 million Europeans fled or were expelled from their homes because of the conflict and the spread of nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism (ORCHARD, 2014, p. 146; REINISCH, 2013, p. 72)
The nationalism of Vichy regime’s aimed to restore a fictive homogeneous “French identity” based on traditional values and the exclusion of foreigners seen as responsible for the collapse of France. Inside this migratory and political context, this article sheds light on Marseille as a crucial port of transit, refuge, and site for networks of solidarity and humanitarianism under Vichy France’s nationalism. It focuses on American voluntary humanitarian organizations, radical leftist militants, and diplomats in Marseille who were the foremost agents in helping refugees to leave France from 1940 to 1942 (DROZ, 1985; PAXTON, 1972; SÉMELIN, 2008; TEMIME, 2007; VERGNON, 2019)
Vichy France’s nationalism and conservative American humanitarianism were challenged in Marseille by radical leftist militants, diplomats, and two American humanitarian organizations - the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) and the Jewish Labour Committee (JLC) - who had an outrightly leftist political agenda

Summary

Introduction

During the Second World War, between 40 to 60 million Europeans fled or were expelled from their homes because of the conflict and the spread of nationalism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism (ORCHARD, 2014, p. 146; REINISCH, 2013, p. 72). It focuses on American voluntary humanitarian organizations, radical leftist militants, and diplomats in Marseille who were the foremost agents in helping refugees to leave France from 1940 to 1942 (DROZ, 1985; PAXTON, 1972; SÉMELIN, 2008; TEMIME, 2007; VERGNON, 2019). It claims to be part of historiography on refugees, humanitarianism, leftist internationalism, and French nationalism in the context of Marseille to set a path for further investigations.

Results

Conclusion