ABSTRACT
This period of French history is often bypassed by the student and general reader, as its fragmented details and enormous complexity make it difficult to generalize about trends and themes. One way out of the problem is to label the period ‘France in decline’ and then find reasons for French military collapse in 1940. There is much to be said for such an approach but, inevitably, a very one-sided picture will emerge of France between the wars. An alternative method, followed by this chapter, is to highlight the complexities as a series of unresolved contradictions affecting the constitution, the economy, diplomacy and military planning.
