Jenny Raflik, professor of contemporary history at the University of Nantes, works in particular on the history of international relations and the political history of France. She is the author of The modern Republic. The IVmy Republic, 1946-1958 (Le Seuil, 2018) and the IVmy Republic and Atlantic Alliance (Rennes, PUR, 2013).
Although the political crisis that France has been experiencing since the dissolution of the National Assembly has been compared to the Fourth World War,my Republic, you qualify the idea of failure associated with this regime. What do you mean?
It is not surprising that the absence of an absolute majority and the tripartism that today dominates the Bourbon Palace are accompanied by this period of great governmental instability. The simple reference to the IVmy The Republic continues to act as a foil for a part of public opinion and politicians. In addition to the fact that it is always delicate to compare two historical moments with very different cultures, it is necessary to be attentive to the political interpretations that have been made of this sequence and to the rejection of parliamentarism that it inspired and still inspires.
Most of the first generation of historians working on the topic had experienced the fall of the regime in 1958 and therefore studied the period since its failure, trying to explain it. This angle of failure has long been highlighted in high school history curricula, which are often highly political. Just search the Internet for high school review sheets titled “How to Explain Failure in the IV.”my ? “.
I am part of a new generation of historians who, since the mid-2000s, have contributed to other interpretations. The opening of previously unpublished archives, often belonging to high-ranking officials, has renewed the sources. Other researchers besides political scientists have also become interested in the period. Historians specialising in economics, international relations or culture have worked with other perspectives and produced a more comprehensive diagnosis.
How do you analyse this period?
Of course, this does not mean denying the fragility of majorities and the instability of the governments of the time. Between 1947 and 1958, there were twenty-two governments (plus several reshuffles), whose average duration was seven months. The longest ministerial crisis lasted thirty-eight days. In total, the country was governed by resigned governments for three hundred and fifty-one days in twelve years.
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