France Since the Popular Front: Government and People 1936-1996

Description

This comprehensive and readable history of contemporary France sets the changing fortunes of government and people in a broad, international context. Larkin details the evolution of French political life from the short-lived Third and Fourth Republics to the greater stability of the Fifth Republic; charts the decline of old divisive issues involving the Church, constitution, and overseas empire. He compares French economic and social performance with that of other European countries, assesses foreign policy in light of opportunities afforded by international circumstances, and considers key figures and events, particularly the crises of 1940, 1958, and 1968. Preface Contents List of Figures List of Maps List of Tables Abbreviations 1 France in the 1930s 2 ‘La République des Députés’ Politics in the 1930s 3 The Popular Front Legend and Legacy 4 The Road to Compiègne Diplomacy and War, 1936-1940 5 The Occupation 6 Resistance and Liberation 7 Retribution and the New Jerusalem The CNR Charter 8 The Constitution of the Fourth Republic 9 The Pattern of Politics, 1946-1954 10 Economic Growth and Social Change, 1947-1973 11 France Overseas, 1944-1954 12 Janus and Cassandra The Mendès France Ministry and What Followed, 1954-1955 13 Impasse,1956-1958 14 ‘La République des Dupes’ 15 ‘La République des Citoyens’ 16 De Gaulle’s Foreign Policy 17 Challenge and Response 1968-1974 18 Reform and Recession The Giscardian Era, 1974-1981 19 Keynesianism in One Country The Socialist Experiment 20 The Regime on Trial Cohabitation and its Consequences, 1986-1988 21 Further Trials From Rocard to Juppé, 1988-1996 22 The Cold Peace and the Shadow of Germany: International Relations, 23 L’Avant-Fin-de-Siècle Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III French Governments, 1936-1996 Dates of Formation and Resignation Appendix IV The Arts and the Public in the 1930s Notes Select Bibliography Index