During the interwar years France experienced severe political polarization. At the time many observers, particularly on the left, feared that the French right had embraced fascism, generating a fierce debate that has engaged scholars for decades, but has also obscured critical changes in French society and culture during the 1920s and 1930s. This collection of essays shifts the focus away from long-standing controversies in order to examine various elements of the French right, from writers to politicians, social workers to street fighters, in their broader social, cultural, and political contexts. It offers a wide-ranging reassessment of the structures, mentalities, and significance of various conservative and extremist organizations, deepening our understanding of French and European history in a troubled yet fascinating era.
Recenzijos
Organized thematically into three sections and concluding with William Irvine's astute historiographical commentary, this edited volume unhinges analyses of the French political and intellectual Right from long-standing debates over whether France was "immune" tof ascism, and how to categorize its Rightist leagues Highly recommended. · Choice
[ These essays] make useful contributions. They all identify interesting problems, often fresh and original; display significant research; and are clearly written. · Robert O. Paxton, Columbia University
All of the chapters positively contribute to demonstrating the historiographical changes in our understanding of the French right. The concept is strong. Fascism in general is undergoing a fairly comprehensive reassessment and these articles certainly address the ways in which new interpretations affect French historiography. · Sam Goodfellow, Westminster College
| Acknowledgments |
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vii | |
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| Introduction |
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1 | (24) |
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Part I Political Movements |
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Chapter 1 Crowd Psychology, Anti-Southern Prejudice, and Constitutional Reform in 1930s France: The Stavisky Affair and the Riots of 6 February 1934 |
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25 | (23) |
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Chapter 2 Avec une brutalite toute particuliere: Fascist Sympathies, Racial Violence, and the Municipal Police and Gendarmerie in Oran, 1936--1937 |
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48 | (17) |
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Chapter 3 The Veterans and the Extreme Right: The Union nationale des combattants, 1927--1936 |
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65 | (16) |
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Chapter 4 Pacifism, the Fascist Temptation, and the Ligue des droits de l'homme |
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81 | (16) |
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Part II Gender and the Right |
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Chapter 5 Right-Wing Feminism and Conservative Women's Militancy in Interwar France |
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97 | (15) |
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Chapter 6 Gender, the Family, and the Fascist Temptation: Visions of Masculinity in the Natalist-Familialist Movement, 1922--1940 |
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112 | (15) |
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Chapter 7 Was there a Fascist Femininity? Gender and French Fascism in Political Context |
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127 | (14) |
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Chapter 8 An Overview of Women and Gender in French Fascism |
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141 | (22) |
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Part III Intellectual and Cultural Trends |
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Chapter 9 "Our Body Doesn't Have to be Ugly": Physical Culture, Gender, and Racial Rejuvenation in the Croix de feu / Parti social francais |
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163 | (17) |
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Chapter 10 Defending Christian Civilization: The Evolving Message of the Parti social francais, 1936--1939 |
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180 | (15) |
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Chapter 11 Were French Elites Allergic to Fascism? A Study of the Reception of the 1930s Dictatorships in Three French Periodicals |
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195 | (15) |
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Chapter 12 Salvation, Satire, and Solidarity: Right-Wing Culture in Interwar France |
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210 | (17) |
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Chapter 13 Beyond Left and Right: Rethinking Political Boundaries in 1930s France |
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227 | (13) |
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| Notes on Contributors |
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240 | (3) |
| Selected Bibliography |
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243 | (7) |
| Index |
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250 | |
Samuel Kalman is Associate Professor at St. Francis Xavier University. He is the author of French Colonial Fascism: The Extreme Right in Algeria, 1919-1939 (Palgrave, 2013), The Extreme Right in Interwar France: The Faisceau and the Croix de Feu (Asghate, 2008), numerous book chapters and journal articles, and editor of the 2010 special issue of the journal Historical Reflections/Réflexions historiques devoted to the theme of colonial violence.
