Aaron Clift

Research Topic

Anticommunism in French Society after the Second World War

I am a first year DPhil student in the History Faculty and at St. Cross. The subject of my research is the history of mid-20th century France, more specifically the social and popular dimensions of French anticommunism in the period immediately following the Second World War. I seek to write a social history of anticommunism in France in this period, examining how different groups within French society responded to communism and anticommunism through a series of case studies. To what extent did the anticommunism that pre-occupied politicians, journalists, intellectuals, and so on, permeate into wider society? How did different groups within French society respond to, utilise, and adapt the many different anticommunist views, attitudes, and images which were on offer? What did French citizens from different social and political backgrounds mean when they described themselves as “anticommuniste”, and why might they choose to do so?

Supervisor: Professor Ruth Harris