French Colonial Empire and the Popular Front: Hope and Disillusion

This book explores the link between metropolitan France and the empire at a defining moment in history. One of the most significant events of the twentieth century is the end of the empire, yet the importance of the empire in shaping contemporary France has traditionally been ignored by historians. By extending our perspective to empire, this book shows that the Popular Front marked the beginning of an irreversible process of reform that was ultimately to lead to decolonization and the end of empire.