ABSTRACT

A History of Modern France offers a framework to understand modern French history through a survey of the dramatic events that have punctuated its history from the eighteenth century to the present day.

Covering events such as the French Revolution, the two World Wars and the more recent election of Emmanuel Macron and the "yellow vest" movement, the book takes a balanced approach to the competing interpretations of modern France inspired by its history. This edition has been thoroughly updated to incorporate the most recent scholarship on topics including French imperial history and the empire’s postcolonial legacy, the history of women and gender, and the French experience of World War I. A new section extends the narrative into mid-2019, and additional emphasis has been given to the role of historical memory in the making of French identity. Taking a chronological approach, the book is approachable for students and provides a clear and understandable picture of the history of modern France.

Supported by further reading that has been updated to include the most recent publications, the book is the ideal introduction to the history of modern France for students of this fascinating country.

chapter 1|6 pages

“The Oldest Nation of Europe”

chapter 4|9 pages

A Government under Challenge

chapter 5|7 pages

Collapse of the Old Monarchy

chapter 7|12 pages

The Radical Revolution

chapter 8|8 pages

The Return to Order

chapter 9|12 pages

The Napoleonic Years

chapter 10|9 pages

The Restoration

chapter 11|10 pages

The July Monarchy and Its Critics

chapter 12|13 pages

A New Social World

chapter 13|9 pages

The Revolution of 1848

The Crisis of Bourgeois Society

chapter 14|9 pages

The Second Empire’s Decade of Prosperity

chapter 15|8 pages

The Second Empire in Difficulties

chapter 17|10 pages

The Republicans in Power

chapter 18|10 pages

Economic Depression and Political Crises

chapter 20|11 pages

Culture and Society at the Fin De Siècle

chapter 21|11 pages

The Belle Époque

chapter 22|11 pages

The Plunge into War

chapter 23|10 pages

Crisis, Victory, and Disillusionment

chapter 24|10 pages

France between the Wars

chapter 25|11 pages

The Illusion of Normality

chapter 26|12 pages

From the Popular Front to the War

chapter 27|11 pages

France in the Second World War

chapter 28|10 pages

The Road to Liberation

chapter 29|11 pages

The Revival of the Parliamentary Republic

chapter 30|11 pages

From the Fourth to the Fifth Republic

chapter 33|11 pages

May 1968 and the End of the Gaullist Era

chapter 34|10 pages

The Mitterrand Years

chapter 35|10 pages

France Enters a New Millennium

chapter 36|12 pages

A New Age of Instability