A History of Modern France

Description

This clear and comprehensive history of French society—from the age of the Enlightenment to the present — offers balanced coverage of major political, social, economic, and cultural movements that have shaped France's unique path to modernity. Its straightforward, chronological approach and broad coverage gives readers the necessary background for a thorough exploration of specialized topics. Some of these topics include: the structure of eighteenth-century French society; the Preindustrial economy; successes and failures of the liberal revolution; the revolutionary republic; the Napoleonic years; The Revolution of 1848; the second empire's decade of prosperity and difficulties; the Paris commune and the origins of the third republic; economic depression and political crises; the troubled years of the Fin-de-Siècle; France in the second world war; the road to liberation; May 1968, and France after De Gaulle; and the Mitterrand years. For individuals interested in the links between American and French history—who realize that an understanding of this connection offers important new perspectives for comprehending the world in which we live and the way it evolved.