France CW Flashcards
(23 cards)
Socio-economic successes of the IV Republic
guaranteed minimum wage, technological advancements (France cruiser, Caravelle jet airliner, first nuclear plant), European construction, Plan Monnet, took down protectionist policies…
Suicide of the III Republic
Vote for Pétain in 1940.
France during the 30s
Léon Blum and the Front Populaire were focused on social reforms and Keynesianism with state intervention (trauma of 29).
CNR
Conseil National de Résistance , 1944, Jean Moulin was appointed by CDG to coordinate and unify resistance, it did not stop after the liberation but fought for a program.
The CNR’s objectives
-Had an immediate action plan.
-Restoration of democracy and re-establishment of fundamental rights.
-Nationalization of key industries, welfare state.
French decolonization
The Empire became the French Union in 46 and it was vital to keep it. Riots started in Algeria, Indochina and Madagascar and were met with violence and repression.
The French Indochina War
(47-54) caused at least 500 000 deaths (use of napalm). US and China were involved and it went from guerillas to a conventional conflict. The Geneva Accord were signed by PMF for peaceful transition.
Morocco and Tunisia
Negotiation started in 54 by PMF and they got their independence in 56
V Republic
1958
Loi-Cadre Defferre
56, created territorial assemblies with local African representation and transferred some powers from Paris to local governments.
“End” of French colonialism
1960, leaving only Algeria as it was a department.
Algerian civil war / war of independence
1954 to 1962, massacres, torure, police more and more violent, 1 million pieds noirs, French politics conflicted (military//population). Took an end with the Evian Accords.
IV Republic
1946, parliamentary regime but that created instability as short-lived coalition governments were changing back to back : in 8 years, France saw 24 governments -> impossible to implement long term policies.
Why did France work on the European construction ?
Needed to face the Red Army while the US was investing in Germany’s coal and steel industry. They wanted to keep Germany in check while gaining from its reindustrialization, better influence on the continent and to strengthen the economy.
the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community)
51, based on the Schuman plan
The Treaty of Rome
(54) established the European Economic Community
The GED (European Defense Community)
was rejected by communists, gaullists and socialists because of the Cold War (54).
CDG ‘s pov on the V Republic
semi-presidential system rather than a “party” system, created a strong executive branch for the President (dissolution of the National Assembly, appoints the PM, foreign policy…).
PMF’s pov on the V Republic
opposed to CDG because scared of a dictatorship, criticized the IV Republic instability but thought the population’s fragmentation was the problem and not the system. For him, the V Republic was a regime of personal power with no democratic counterweight. Got worse in 62 : CDG made the election of the President of the Republic decided by direct universal suffrage.
V Republic
CDG came back from retirement and created it in 58. (he was called to deal with the Algerian situation)
CDG’s impact on France
- Nationalization of key industries
- The Plan Calcul
- Technological investment (nuclear to make France energy independent)
- Agricultural Modernization
–> 30 Glorieuses
The Plan Calcul
economic planning inspired by Monnet which emphasized state investment in critical industries and infrastructure (energy, transportation, telecommunications…), stimulating growth.
CDG’s impact on France’s foreign policy
- Wanted to be a third power next to the US and USSR.
- European integration without loss of sovreignty and maintained control over jey policy areas like agriculture.
- Nuclear Deterrence : Invested heavily in nuclear weapon programs for national security (got their own bomb in the 60s).
