Scarred landscapes: war and nature in Vichy France

Abstract

Scarred Landscapes is a groundbreaking account of why nature mattered in Second World War France and the first environmental history of Vichy France. It addresses the role the natural environment played in the conflict, and why nature featured so heavily in the ideology of the Vichy regime, as well as questions of how the French Resistance mobilised and experienced forest, mountain, and maquis landscapes, and how both civilians and Axis and Allied soldiers used natural resources during the years of war and Occupation. Drawing on detailed archival research and extensive site visits, Chris Pearson uncovers the overlooked stories and significance of Vichy France's environmental history and its aftermath. From mountains and marshlands to foresters and resisters, he examines the intricate and often surprising connections between war, history and the natural environment, shedding new light on nature's role in history as well as inviting us to consider afresh the history of the 'dark years'.