Frank Tallett

Nicholas Atkin

Michael Biddiss

The Wiley-Blackwell Dictionary of Modern European History Since 1789 is an authoritative and accessible reference guide to the major people, events, and issues that have shaped the development of Europe from the French Revolution to the present day. Features almost a thousand alphabetical entries on modern European history Offers extensive cross-references to enhance clarity and reveal historical links and connections, and a series of maps charting the evolution of modern European states Covers the whole of continental Europe, as well as relevant aspects of the British experience Written by a trio of distinguished historians of the period

The Wiley-Blackwell Dictionary of Modern European History Since 1789

Includes accounts of civilians' roles and experiences through wars in twentieth-century Europe.

Daily Lives of Civilians in Wartime Twentieth-century Europe

It is assumed that those French in Britain during World War II - Dunkirk refugees; servicemen; Vichy consular officials colonists - were supporters of De Gaulle. This study examines the hopes and fears of these communities: how they fitted into British life and how the British viewed them.

Exiles in the British Isles, 1940-44

The Forgotten French

This book has been carefully planned to give a coherent account of the impact of religion in France over the last two hundred years. Most books in English dealing with the subject are now dated, and in any case concentrate on institutional questions of church-state relations rather than on the wider influence of religion throughout France. These essays summarise recent French research and provide a concise up-to-date introduction to the history of modern French Catholicism.

Religion, Society and Politics in France Since 1789

The years 1934 to 1944 remain the most contentious and dramatic decade in modern French history. After the bourgeois self-confidence of the 1920's, France was plunged into a depression out of which there seemed no escape. The authoritarian regime of Marshal Petain hoped to bring unity and an overhaul of French institutions, but in the event it only achieved discord, especially through its policy of collaboration with Germany and its persecution of Jews and other minorities. The French at War provides an accessible and concise introduction to this period. In a wide ranging synthesis, the book examines: the backdrop of the 1930's the reason for France's defeat the nature of the Vichy regime the phenomenon of collaboration the growth of resistance Looking ahead to the present day, the book also looks at how the French establishment and public have coped with the legacy of Vichy, and explains why the occupation is still ever present in French politics and everyday life. An array of primary documents support the text, together with a chronology, glossary and Who's Who guide to key figures. Nicholas Atkin is a Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Reading.

The French at War, 1934-1944

This is an up-to-date political history of the French Fifth Republic, a regime whose obituary has been written several times over, but which stubbornly refuses to die. Adopting a chronological framework, the book examines how the regime emerged out of the chaos of the Algerian crisis and how its political evolution has been very different from that envisaged by de Gaulle. Although politics take center stage, attention is also paid to underlying social and economic developments, together with France's international standing both within Europe and the world.

The Fifth French Republic

At the time of its founding, few predicted that the Fifth Republic would survive. It is a regime whose obituary has been written several times over, but which stubbornly refuses to die. Adopting a chronological framework, this up-to-date study examines how the regime emerged out of the chaos of the Algerian crisis, how its political evolution has been very different from that envisaged by de Gaulle, and why it has endured. Nicholas Atkin explains the success of the Fifth Republic but likewise illustrates the underlying problems within it. As the 2002 presidential elections have shown, although there is little prospect of regime change, liberal democracy is not in a particularly healthy state. While the political narrative takes centre stage, Atkin also explores the key social, economic and international developments which have shaped the modern history of France and affected its standing both in Europe and the rest of the world.

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. It is widely assumed that the French in the British Isles during the Second World War were fully fledged supporters of General de Gaulle, and that, across the channel at least, the French were a ‘nation of resisters’. This study reveals that most exiles were on British soil by chance rather than by design, and that many were not sure whether to stay. Overlooked by historians, who have concentrated on the ‘Free French’ of de Gaulle, these were the ‘Forgotten French’: refugees swept off the beaches of Dunkirk; servicemen held in camps after the Franco-German armistice; Vichy consular officials left to cater for their compatriots; and a sizeable colonist community based mainly in London. Drawing on little-known archival sources, this study examines the hopes and fears of those communities who were bitterly divided among themselves, some being attracted to Pétain as much as to de Gaulle.

Nicholas Atkin

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