Bertram M. Gordon

Warfare and tourism paris in World War II

Abstract When the Germans occupied France in 1940, they organized group tours for tens of thousands of their personnel. Their itineraries and symbols reflected Nazi images of the Germans as appreciating French high culture but also conscious of their own ‘‘race and homeland’’. German touristic values impacted political and military decision-making with dramatic results, such as the sparing of Paris in both 1940 and 1944 and Hitler’s decision to grant France an armistice in 1940. This article suggests new areas of study, such as tourism during wartime and the touristic images and policies of defeated as well as victorious nations during and after wars.

Reinventions of a spa town: the unique case of Vichy.

Abstract Vichy appeared first as a Roman village, disappeared with the Empire, and was reborn as a medieval fortified town. Following the Middle Ages and the wars of religion, Vichy emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a spa centre. Urban modernisation during the Second Empire and Belle Époque, together with the promotion of hydrotherapy by business and medical interests, propelled it into prominence as an international spa tourist destination. Visitors during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries were often French military and civilian personnel from the colonies. Following Frances defeat by the Germans in 1940, Vichy became the seat of the collaborationist government of Marshal Philippe Pétain. Since the war, the town has had to overcome a stigma it acquired for its wartime role. More critical to its spa tourism trade, however, was the end of the Empire, which together with a discrediting of water cures among the medical establishment, virtually dried up spa traffic to Vichy. Town leaders have worked since to reorient its tourist trade by creating sports and convention centres. Most importantly, Vichy continues to export large quantities of the mineral water associated with its name.

Why We Choose The Foods We Do

Proper nutrition is a popular concern for everyone today, but are our guidelines set down only by dietitians and nutritionists} This expert suggests that our food choices are also swayed by non-nutritional influences.

The Vichy Syndrome: History and Memory in France since 1944.

Foreword by Stanley Hoffmann Abbreviations Introduction: The Neurosis Part 1: EVOLUTION OF THE SYNDROME 1. Unfinished Mourning (1944-1954) 2. Repressions (1954-1971) 3. The Broken Mirror (1971-1974) 4. Obsession (after 1974): Jewish Memory 5. Obsession (after 1974): The World of Politics Part 2: TRANSMISSION OF THE SYNDROME 6. Vectors of Memory 7. Diffuse Memory Conclusion Appendix 1: Chronology of Events Appendix 2: French Films and World War II Bibliography Notes Acknowledgments Index

The evolving popularity of tourist sites in France: what can be learned from French statistical publications?

Abstract This article suggests an approach to the history of tourism in France through the study of statistics collected by various agencies there since the 1950s, which however offer differing definitions and methodologies, making comparison fraught. In the 1950s, the Health Ministry inquired about vacation homes, whereas more recently, various agencies counted paid entrances to sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, arguably undercounting visits to others, such as churches or parks, where entry is free. In the broad sense, tourism, an act of aesthetic appreciation by a spectator, is impossible to measure. The importance of reliable statistics, however, is essential for an understanding of tourism patterns, both historical and present. France, according to World Tourism Organization statistics – arguably flawed – attracts more tourists than any other country in the world. This article follows the French figures for nine categories of tourism to suggest tentatively that larger numbers have been visiting a comparatively smaller array of destinations, calling into question the case for an increase in ‘niche’ tourism in the past 10–15 years. Military and war tourism seem to have declined relative to fine arts in recent years.

Touring the field: the infrastructure of tourism history scholarship

The growth of tourism during the past half century, projected by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation to reach 1.8 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide by 2030, has been accompanied by an increase in related academic study groups across many disciplines. This article catalogues the various organisations, focusing more on those that emphasise the culture of tourism than its business side, although the two often overlap. Future contributions may fill in unintended omissions.

Food in American History, Part 6—beef (part 1): Reconstruction and Growth Into the 20th Century (1865–1910)

This sixth installment of Food in American History series considers 1865 through 1910, covering America’s reconstruction and growth after the Civil War, with beef as the central food theme. Part 1 follows the rise of the hamburger as an icon in American culture.

The Other Side: Investigating the Collaborationists in World War II France

Bertram Gordon’s ego-history discusses his research on the power of ideology in history, which was influenced by political radicalism during the 1960s in both France and America. After a doctoral dissertation on the Catholic Social movement in nineteenth-century Austria, Gordon turned his attention to Collaboration and the ‘collaborationists’ in World War II France. With French state archives for the war years closed during the writing of his book, Collaborationism in France during the Second World War, this chapter discusses his use of German documentation and interviews with former collaborationists, including French Waffen-SS. It also highlights how his more recent interests on the history of food and tourism intersect with the history of France and the Second World War.

Discussion: teaching tourism history

ABSTRACT Tourism represents more than a fruitful area for research, it is also an excellent topic of study for students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This round table discussion explores the experience of teaching tourism history in Australia, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. Panelists consider approaches, challenges, and some benefits of teaching tourism history.

The Challenge of Industrialization: The Catholic Church and the Working Class in and around Vienna, 1815–1848

The period from the fall of Napoleon in 1815 to the March, 1848, Revolution brought to the Habsburg empire the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, with all its attendant social evils. Increasing poverty, vice, and crime presented a growing challenge to the Catholic clergy, traditionally the custodians of moral standards in the monarchy. In the larger cities, most notably in Vienna, priests and bishops could no longer ignore the social problems arising in the expanding industrial towns. This study seeks to explore the extent to which Austrian churchmen, particularly those in the archdiocese of Vienna, where the greatest industrial activity occurred, involved themselves in the problems of the increasing numbers of factory workers in the new towns surrounding the capital during the period before 1848.