Title

Occupation, race, and empire: Maxence Van der Meersch's Invasion 14

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Historical Reflections

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Abstract

In his 1935 novel Invasion 14, Maxence Van der Meersch painted a nuanced picture of the German invasion and occupation of northern France during World War I. Despite local controversy, Invasion 14 won national and international praise, losing the Prix Goncourt by a single vote. Though neglected in the wake of World War II, when the author's treatment of Franco-German relations between 1914 and 1918 ran headlong into evolving myths of widespread resistance between 1940 and 1944, Invasion 14 has garnered renewed attention as a window onto the occupation of World War I. Heretofore unappreciated, however, is Van der Meersch's use of colonial themes of race and empire. Based on research in the Archives Maxence Van der Meersch, this study explores the author's treatment of colonial motifs, demonstrating their centrality to the novel and the debate it generated. © Berghahn Journals.

Volume

40

Issue

1

First Page

47

Last Page

66

DOI

10.3167/hrrh.2014.400104

ISSN

03157997

E-ISSN

19392419

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