Democracy In France Research Articles

De Gaulle and the RPF--A Post-Mortem

The history of France from the defeat of the French armies in the summer of 1940 until May, 1953, can be written in terms of the activities of Charles de Gaulle. No one can complain that the record lacks drama. The declaration of June 18, 1940, was an appeal to surviving elements of French patriotism that will forever stand as a monument of French national honor. The postwar semi-dictatorship contributed to the re-building of a shattered nation that might conceivably have succumbed to Communism had it not been for the stern presence of the general. The resignation of January, 1946, carried the impact of the abrupt and unexplained. The creation of the Rassemblement du Peuple Franfais (RPF) rocked the foundations of French politics and provoked reactions ranging from excessive vilification to insincere flattery. The passing of the RPF deviates from the same dramatic tradition only in that it could be foreseen. De Gaulle's announcement in May, 1953, that he would no longer permit any member of Parliament to act in the name of the RPF1 culminated an internal party crisis that had been growing increasingly severe since March, 1952, and it consecrated the general's defeat. But the crisis in the RPF was no ordinary party quarrel: it was a struggle between a revolutionary doctrine, expounded by De Gaulle, and the forces of traditional French parliamentarism. And if the latter triumphed over the general (who believes that representative democracy in France has failed)2 because they rested on popular sentiments which de Gaulle had been able momentarily to shake but which he could not destroy, their victory did not come until the very moment when De Gaulle himself had good reason to believe that his own victory was in sight. The phase of De Gaulle's activities which saw him in the r6le of leader of a political party has now ended. De Gaulle retains the name of his movement for whatever use he may choose for it, but the severance of the party and its leaders from the members of Par-

Review. Democracy in France. The Third and Fourth Republics. Thomson, David

Review. Democracy in France. The Third and Fourth Republics. Thomson, David

Reviews: The British Cabinet System, Principles of Administrative Law, Ernest Bevin: Portrait of a Great Englishman, Democracy in France: The Third and Fourth Republics, in the Nazi Era, British Labour's Foreign Policy, of Societies and Men

Reviews: The British Cabinet System, Principles of Administrative Law, Ernest Bevin: Portrait of a Great Englishman, Democracy in France: The Third and Fourth Republics, in the Nazi Era, British Labour's Foreign Policy, of Societies and Men

Democracy in France: The Third and Fourth Republics.

Democracy in France: The Third and Fourth Republics.

Democracy in France. The Third Republic

Democracy in France. The Third Republic

The Abbé Lamennais on Freedom

Many of the basic issues underlying the complex social, political, and religious problems which stirred France during the lifetime of Lamennais can be found in duplicate in this country. Moreover, it is evident that there is a resurgence of an extremely provincial form of nationalism in the United States together with mounting onslaughts against freedom. This makes increasingly relevant to the concrete lives of all of us an examination of the fundamental ideas of a thinker whose discernment of the disjunctions of his culture is formulated in published writings. Because of this as well as his contribution to the development of democracy in France, it is difficult to understand why the writings of Lamennais have been so singularly neglected in this country. Perhaps a contributing factor is that some of his works have been placed upon the Index Prohibitorum Librorum.

Book Review: Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Book Review: Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Democracy in France: The Third Republic, by David Thomson

Democracy in France: The Third Republic, <i>by David Thomson</i>

Democracy in France, The Third Republic.David Thomson

Previous articleNext article No AccessBook ReviewsDemocracy in France, The Third Republic. David Thomson Albert B. SayeAlbert B. Saye Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Politics Volume 9, Number 2May, 1947 Sponsored by the Southern Political Science Association Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.2307/2125322 Views: 5Total views on this site PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Democracy in France: The Third Republic. By &lt;italic&gt;David Thomson&lt;/italic&gt;, Fellow and Tutor of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. (New York: Oxford University Press. 1946. Pp. 283. $4.00.)

Democracy in France: The Third Republic. By &lt;italic&gt;David Thomson&lt;/italic&gt;, Fellow and Tutor of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Issued under the auspices of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. (New York: Oxford University Press. 1946. Pp. 283. $4.00.)

Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Democracy in France: The Third Republic

Democracy in France. The Third Republic

Democracy in France. The Third Republic

The Future of Representative Democracy in France

The Future of Representative Democracy in France

The Enemies of Democracy in France

The Enemies of Democracy in France

Radical Democracy in France. IV

Radical Democracy in France. IV

Radical Democracy in France. III

Radical Democracy in France. III

Radical Democracy in France. II.

Radical Democracy in France. II.

Radical Democracy in France. I.

Radical Democracy in France. I.