War has a heavy economic and human cost - in the twentieth century conflict killed 140 million, including 78–90 million in the two world wars. Dr Hanna Diamond has undertaken a project through engagement with the public to better understand the implications of France’s occupation during World War 2.

She has developed a website, Fleeing Hitler, which provides eye witnesses with a platform to share their experiences and accounts of that period.

Through this project she has explored issues of gender and investigated how it felt for French people to become refugees in their own country. Her work illuminates how women could be drawn into resistance or collaboration through their everyday lives and it exposes the reasons why people left their homes to risk all on the roads of France.

This research has been crucial in drawing attention to events in the history of France which had so far been completely overlooked in the historical record.

She is currently engaged in the co-production of knowledge with the Imperial War Museum, the Welsh Centre for International Affairs, and the Institut Francais.

Impact case study

This research was submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2014.