France Since the Popular Front: Government and People 1936-1986

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, and 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.