Dr Chris Millington
Reader in Modern European History
A leading international expert in the histories of fascism, political violence, and terrorism.
My profile
Biography
I’m a historian of modern France, political extremism and violence, and terrorism. I completed a PhD at Cardiff University in 2009, under the supervision of Prof. Kevin Passmore. I have worked at Birkbeck, University of London, Cardiff University (where I held a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship), and Swansea University. I joined MMU in August 2018.
I love France, the French, and Europe, and have done so since I spent a year teaching English in Nancy, France, as an undergraduate. When I’m not researching, writing, or talking about France or violence, I run - winning a race or two along the way - and swim. I am also a proud dad of two.
Projects
I am a specialist in the history of twentieth-century France, political extremism and violence, and terrorism. I have previously undertaken research into the French veterans’ movement after the Great War, fascism and political violence in interwar France, and conceptions of terrorism in France, 1904-1939. I am currently engaged in several research projects, including:
Historical terrorism studies - This project aims to establish the historical study of terrorism as an academic sub-field. It poses several questions: why have terrorism studies scholars generally failed to engage with history? And why have historians failed to engage with terrorism studies? What, if anything, makes historical terrorism studies distinctive? How and where can historians fit into the existing field of terrorism studies? What contributions can history make to broader debates about/research on terrorism? The project comprises my previous work on terrorism in France, as well as looking to address historical case studies in other national contexts, and the establishment of a network of scholars working on historical terrorism.
Right-wing terrorism in 1930s Europe - This project examines instances of right-wing terrorism in 1930s Europe. Specifically, it explores the assassination of King Aleksandar I of Yugoslavia in Marseille in 1934, by a Croatian ultranationalist terrorist group. The project examines the context to this act, the profiles of the terrorists and their trajectories towards terrorism, the killing itself, and the trial of the perpetrators. It seeks to draw lessons about right-wing terrorism for contemporary scholars, too. Future research will expand the scope of the project to look at right-wing terrorism in other national contexts.
Teaching
Studying history gives you an awareness of other cultures, traditions, and opinions. It opens your eyes to different ways of seeing the world, of understanding why and how other people behave in the ways that they do, whether they live on the other side of the world or just down the road. It not only makes you employable - through developing skills in communication, research, problem solving and critical thinking - it quite simply makes you a better human being.
I teach on a variety of units, including the first year undergraduate survey course for students of modern history. My own units include the second-year undergraduate Becoming a Researcher: Humanities Research Internship, the third-year undergraduate The French Empire at War, 1934-1944, and the MA unit, The Returning Soldier: Veterans’ Histories.
Research outputs
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Millington, C. Murder in Marseille: Far-Right Terrorism in 1930s Europe. Manchester University Press.
Millington, C. (2023) The Invention of Terrorism in France, 1904-1939. Stanford University Press.
Millington, C. (2022) La France en guerre. Une histoire globale, 1940-1945. Flammarion.
Millington, C. (2021) Le Massacre de Clichy. Violences politiques et policières au temps du Front populaire. Editions Critiques.
Millington, C. (2020) France in the Second World War Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire. Bloomsbury Academic.
Jenkins, B., Millington, C. (2020) Le fascisme français Le 6 février 1934 et le déclin de la République.
Millington, C. (2019) A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front. Bloomsbury Academic.
Millington, C. (2018) Fighting for France Violence in Interwar French Politics. British Academy Monographs.
Millington, C., Passmore, K. (2015) Political Violence and Democracy in Western Europe, 1918-1940.
Jenkins, B., Millington, C. (2015) France and fascism: February 1934 and the dynamics of political crisis.
Millington, C. (2012) From Victory to Vichy Veterans in Inter-War France.
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Chapters in books
Millington, C. 'The Shooting at Chartres.' France in an Era of Global War, 1914-1945. Palgrave Macmillan,
Millington, C. 'Duelling with Words and Fists.' Political Violence and Democracy in Western Europe, 1918-1940. Palgrave Macmillan,
Millington, C. (2023) 'Mad or Bad? Paul Gorguloff, the Man Who Killed the French President in 1932.' Terrorism through the Ages. Brill,
Millington, C. (2023) 'France.' European Fascist Movements A Sourcebook. Routledge,
Bayle, E., Durand, C., Scelles, N. (2023) 'France.' In Grix, J., Brannagan, P., Houlihan, B. (ed.) Comparative Elite Sport Development (2nd edition). Routledge,
Millington, C. (2019) 'Les affrontements violents des années 1930.' L'histoire refoulée. La Rocque, les Croix de feu, et la question du fascisme français. Les Editions du Cerf,
Millington, C. (2015) 'Duelling with Words and Fists: Meeting Hall Violence in Interwar France.' Political Violence and Democracy in Western Europe, 1918–1940. Palgrave,
Millington, C. (2015) 'Duelling with words and fists: Meeting hall violence in interwar France.' Political Violence Anddemocracy In Western Europe, 1918-1940. pp. 112-126.
Millington, C. (2014) 'The Shooting at Chartres: A Case Study in French Political Violence.' France in an Era of Global War, 1914-1945.
Millington, C. (2014) 'The Veterans and the Extreme Right: The Union nationale des combattants, 1927-1936.' The French Right Between the Wars Political and Intellectual Movements from Conservatism to Fascism. Berghahn Books,
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Journal articles
Millington, C. (2024) 'Politicizing disaster: the railway accident at Pomponne, December 23, 1933.' French Historical Studies, 47(1) pp. 141-166.
Millington, C. (2023) 'Looking beyond waves and datasets: “cultures of terrorism” and the future of history in terrorism studies.' Critical Studies on Terrorism, 17(1) pp. 1-20.
Millington, C., Millington, R. (2021) '‘He didn’t really talk about it’ : the (re)construction and transmission of a Free French past.' Modern and Contemporary France, 29(4) pp. 325-339.
Millington, C. (2018) 'Immigrants and undesirables: “terrorism” and the “terrorist” in 1930s France.' Critical Studies on Terrorism, pp. 1-20.
Millington, C. (2018) 'Getting Away with Murder: Political Violence on Trial in Interwar France.' European History Quarterly, 48(2) pp. 256-282.
Millington, C. (2018) 'Were we terrorists? History, terrorism, and the French Resistance.' History Compass, 16(2) pp. e12440-e12440.
Millington, C. (2015) 'Communist Veterans and Paramilitarism in 1920s France: The Association républicaine des anciens combattants.' Journal of War & Culture Studies, 8(4) pp. 300-314.
Brown, C., Millington, C. (2015) 'The Memory of the Cambodian Genocide: the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.' History Compass, 13(2) pp. 31-39.
Millington, C. (2014) 'The origins of fascism in France.' History Today, 64(3)
Millington, C. (2014) 'Street-fighting men: Political violence in inter-war France.' English Historical Review, 129(538) pp. 606-638.
Millington, C. (2012) 'French election: The shadow of the dark years.' History Today, 62(6)
Millington, C. (2012) 'From Victory to Vichy.'
Millington, C. (2012) 'Political Violence in Interwar France.' History Compass, 10(3) pp. 246-259.
Millington, C. (2012) 'The French veterans and the republic: The union nationale des combattants and the union fédérale, 1934-1938.' European History Quarterly, 42(1) pp. 50-70.
Millington, C. (2010) 'February 6, 1934: The veterans' riot.' French Historical Studies, 33(4) pp. 545-572.
Career history
2009
Completed a PhD at Cardiff University, UK, under the supervision of Prof. Kevin Passmore. Subsequently Lecturer at Birkbeck University of London
2010
Recipient of a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship for a project on Political Violence in Interwar France, held at Cardiff University
2012
Lecturer at Swansea University
2018
Recipient of a Gerda Henkel Foundation research scholarship for a project on constructions of terrorism in France. Joined MMU
2022
Publication of a French translation of my book on France during the Second World War, La France en guerre, with Flammarion.