Philippe Collin’s podcasts prompt reappraisal of France’s wartime past

In Paris, journalist and podcaster Philippe Collin has drawn millions of listeners with his series "Facing History," which has passed 40 million downloads and is reshaping how many French people confront uncomfortable episodes of World War II. Each series runs eight to ten hours and combines archival radio clips, letters and memoirs read by actors, and interviews with as many as 12 historians.

The show about the Nazi-backed French government’s time at Sigmaringen Castle has more than two million downloads; Collin’s work has led to three spinoff books, three television documentaries and a nine-hour play about Léon Blum, and two more plays are in the works. The podcasts have provoked both praise and criticism.

Some historians, including Henry Rousso, have credited Collin with uncovering new information and called him an historian; a lawmaker said a Collin series influenced a posthumous promotion for Alfred Dreyfus. Other scholars faulted Collin’s treatment of France’s war in Algeria after his podcast downplayed reports that Jean‑Marie Le Pen tortured Algerians, a point the article says was later acknowledged in a posthumous confession.

Collin, who trained as a historian, says he aims to "reactivate the memory of the resistance" amid what he sees as threats from the far right and rising geopolitical tensions.

Key Topics

World, Philippe Collin, Facing History, Sigmaringen Castle, Léon Blum, Alfred Dreyfus