The Plight of Women: The Politics of the Memory of Resistance in Italy and France

Between 1940 and 1945, most of European countries under Nazi control saw the birth of a Resistance movement, where people rose up and fought against the German invader. Immediately after the war, these experiences were often taken by the State and shaped and constructed to be used as a foundational myth for the new country. The Resistance was a movement made by both men and women; yet, in Italy and France, the most peculiar instance happened: after the war, when medals had to be awarded, it was mostly men who received them. This project aims to explain and give insights into how the memory of the role of women in the resistance has been shaped in the post-war period: starting from the acknowledgment of this issue in postwar historiography, the student will explore how through the decades this view changed, and is now much more comprehensive on the experiences of women. However, questions regarding the process of the memorialization of the Resistance remain unanswered, and in this project, the student will explore how the historiographical debate has helped reintegrating women in this vital page of national history; will contribute case studies pertaining to the Italian and French history which will be paradigmatic for their interpretation of diversity and inclusion; will analyse key documentary evidence (in the shape of TV and radio broadcast and parliamentary debates) detailing the journey to inclusion of key historical figures in the French and Italian resistance.