Choice and Democratic Order: The French Socialist Party, 1937-1950

by B. D. Graham

Overview

Choice and Democratic Order describes the history of the French Socialist Party (the SFIO) during the breakdown of peace in the late 1930s, the period of the Vichy regime, and the postwar reconstruction. The focus of the study is on the party's leadership group and, in particular, how it was affected by several phases of internal conflict, the most serious of which occurred in 1938 and in 1946. Professor Graham emphasizes the continuities between the pre- and postwar periods, and his approach enables the reader to observe major figures such as Leon Blum and Guy Mollet working within the complex structures of their party.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521414029
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/19/1994
Pages:	448
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.98(d)

Table of Contents

1. The internal politics of political parties; 2. The French Socialist Party in 1937; 3. The internal crisis of early 1938: the preliminary phases, January to mid-March; 4. The Royan Congress of June 1938 and the defeat of the Gauche Révolutionnaire; 5. The years 1938–45: collapse and reconstruction of the SFIO; 6. The succession crisis of 1946; 7. Epilogue: The Socialists and the advent of the Third Force; 8. Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The value of this book lies essentially in three dimensions. First, it offers a clear picture of the changing balance of power inside the SFIO during this period, not only in the horizontal dimension of groups and factions but also from the vertical perspective of local federations. Second, it demonstrates compellingly under what conditions internal divisions come to a head and what factions made possible the different outcomes in 1938 and 1946; in this respect, the importance of firm and decisive leadership is rightly pinpointed. Finally, and more broadly, it provides an engrossing portrait of the politcal culture of French Socialism, and particularly the manner in which the party sought (without always succeeding) to reconcile apparently conflicting aspirations and values: revolution and reform, unity and diversity, working-class loyalty and middle-class support." Journal of Modern History

"This is a story which has been told before, but never in quite as exhaustive detail as in Choice and the Democratic Order. The book has been a long time in the making, beginning life as a postgraduate research project carried out between 1958 and 1962. It complements Graham's earlier study, The French Socialists and Tripartisme, published in 1965. No previous scholar has demonstrated Graham's mastery of the massive body of official party literature— debates, resolutions, motions, tracts, conference reports and the like—and his blow-by-blow account of the internal power struggles of 1938 and 1946 may be regarded as definitive." Times Literary Supplement

"...historians will find the study as a whole to be a penetrating inquiry into the French Socialist Party's structure, functioning, doctrinal ambiguities, personality clashes, and relationships with other parties,,,set in a meaningful broader context. Graham, moreover, has energetically tracked down the relevant documents, many at the level of the party's departmental federations, and has effectively used a wide variety of secondary accounts as well." Joel Colton, American Historical Review

"Choice and Democratic Order is an excellent, extremely detailed guide thorugh the convoluted internal politics of the French Socialist Party (SFIO) during a crucial period in the party's history from 1937-1950....The book serves several useful purposes." Lunne Taylor, Social History

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