This history of contemporary France sets the changing fortunes of government and people in a broad, international context, comparing the country's economic performance and social record with those of her European neighbours. Her foreign policy is assessed in the light of the opportunities afforded by the international circumstances of the time.
The book traces the evolution of French political life from the short-lived ministries of the Third and Fourth Republics to the greater stability of the Fifth Republic. It shows how this development was aided not only by the change to a semi-presidential system of government, but also by the decline of old divisive issues, involving the Church, the constitution, and overseas empire. While the main concern of the book is with the broad forces producing change and consolidation, attention is also given to key political figures and events of the period, notably the crises of 1940, 1958, and 1968. A related title is The French Socialist party: the emergence of a party of government by D.S. Bell and Byron Criddle.