A social movement to reassess: liberation committees

After a survey of the state of the arts with regard to the existing historiography on Liberation Committees, this article draws attention to the transnational relevance of this phenomenon. The focus is squarely placed on the genesis, evolution and history of the most prominent aspect of the life and times of these grassroots democratic bodies in France: the Comités départementaux de libération (CDL). Rather than remaining passive bodies meant to assist the post-liberation prefects to reestablish the pre-Vichy political order, in the period from August to October/November 1944, the CDL, particularly in the Southern Zone, developed into serious challengers to the status quo ante bellum, expecting in particular a prominent role for themselves in post-Liberation French society. Attention is also drawn to the phenomenon of Liberation Committees on the factory floor, aiming for meaningful elements of workers’ control and workers’ self-management.