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"The book gives an account of an essential part of Britain's troubled relationship with the rest of Europe after 1945, particularly considering the rivalry of France and Britain between 1945 and 2007. The record of Britain's relations with the rest of Europe, and in particular with France, from 1945 onwards was seen by the politicians and diplomats in charge of foreign policy very much in terms of a diplomatic battle. This is paradoxical given that European integration was supposedly aiming to create a European community. Although Britain has usually been seen as an at best half-hearted participant in European integration it nonetheless maintained its ambition to assume the leadership of Europe. This inevitably led to a confrontation with France which shared the same goal. This book begins by looking at the opposing ways in which these two ancient European rivals presented very different models for the sort of Europe they wished to see emerge. It goes on to consider the record of their rivalry between 1945 and 2007. After this Britain effectively gave up the battle for the political leadership of Europe. This, however, should not obscure the fact that it had succeeded in imposing much of its social and economic model on Europe. This volume will be of interest to both undergraduate students and general readers interested in Britain's position in Europe"--

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. National History and the Shape of the Nineteenth- Century World -- Part I. Spaces of History -- 2. Liberal Social Imaginaries and the Interiority of History -- 3. The Nationality of Expansion -- 4. Decline, Renewal, and the Rhetoric of Will -- Part II . Times of Crisis -- 5. The Rupture of Meiji and the New Japan -- 6. Americanization and Historical Consciousness -- 7. French Revolution, Third Republic -- Conclusion: National History and Other Worlds -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

The 1950s and 1960s were a key moment in the development of postwar France. The period was one of rapid change, derived from post-World War II economic and social modernization; yet many traditional characteristics were retained. By analyzing the eruption of the new postwar world in the context of a France that was both modern and traditional, we can see how these worlds met and interacted, and how they set the scene for the turbulent 1960s and 70s. The examination of the development of mass culture in post-war France, undertaken in this volume, offers a valuable insight into the shifts that took place. By exploring stardom from the domain of cinema and other fields, represented here by famous figures such as Brigitte Bardot, Johnny Hallyday or Jean-Luc Godard, and less conventionally treated areas of enquiry (politics [de Gaulle], literary [Françoise Sagan], and intellectual culture [Lévi-Strauss]) the reader is provided with a broad understanding of the mechanisms of popularity and success, and their cultural, social, and political roles. The picture that emerges shows that many cultural articulations remained or became identifiably "French," in spite of the American mass-culture origins of these social, economic, and cultural transformations

This book offers an in-depth analysis of political life in France and Europe at the beginning of the 21st century at a time of change and crisis. Encompassing questions about values, political actors and electoral choices, it is dedicated particularly to scholars and students enrolled in comparative politics programs.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface -- Introduction: Traditions of Nationhood in France and Germany -- I. THE INSTITUTION OF CITIZENSHIP -- 1. Citizenship as Social Closure -- 2. The French Revolution and the Invention of National Citizenship -- 3. State, State-System, and Citizenship in Germany -- II. DEFINING THE CITIZENRY: THE BOUNDS OF BELONGING -- 4. Citizenship and Naturalization in France and Germany -- 5. Migrants into Citizens: The Crystallization of Jus Soli in Late-Nineteenth-Century France -- 6. The Citizenry as Community of Descent: The Nationalization of Citizenship in Wilhelmine Germany -- 7. "Etre Français, Cela se Mérite": Immigration and the Politics of Citizenship in France in the 1980s -- 8. Continuities in the German Politics of Citizenship -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index