Portrait of a Woman: The Utilization of Women in Fascist Propaganda during the Years of the Nazi Occupation

Abstract

The role of women within the various resistance movements to liberate
France and the French capital of Paris has been reiterated across media
since the end of the Second World War. Women acted as attachés and
agents, often communicating secrets and plans to both domestic and
international agencies. However, since the relatively recent inception
of gender and feminist studies, few works have emerged that analyze
the role of everyday women in occupied Paris and how their femininity
and actions were perceived and interpreted by occupying troops. The
purpose of this paper is to deconstruct the everyday presence of Parisian
women as captured by the collaborationist photographer André Zucca
and interpret these images through a modern gendered lens within a
robust historical context, so as to provide a holistic understanding of
the relationship between Parisian women and German troops during
the occupation of Paris (1940-1944). The concept of the male gaze, its
role in the establishment of fascist masculinity, and how Parisian women
fought it will be discussed, and the continuance of these concepts in
future scholarship in other areas of the occupation of France will be
suggested. Upon its completion, this paper will further the dialogue of
the efforts of French women during the occupation and contribute to
the fields of both history and gender and feminist studies.