Publisher's Synopsis
During the 1970s, the rise of the Socialist Party, the decline of the Communists, and the loss of faith in Marxism caused radical politics in France to undergo major changes. Together with the diminished significance of the industrial proletariat and the problems presented by the electoral success of 1981, this represented a turning-point in French history.;In this new collection of studies, Tony Judt argues that these developments must be understood in the context of the broader history of the labour and socialist movements in France since the early nineteenth century. In doing so, he suggests a new, more coherent perspective on a subject whose various elements - the history of labour, socialist thought, the Communist and Socialist parties, and modern French Marxist philosophy - have too often been examined in isolation. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of French history and politics, but the emphasis throughout is on the complex and interwoven themes which unite the various topics. The argument is supported by graphs, diagrams, and a detailed chronological table.
