German-Franco Relations Since 1945

I do not intend to write an exhaustive study of the history of Franco-German relations since the capitulation of Germany on May 8, 1945. Such an undertaking is hardly possible in the present state of documentation. It seems to me more useful to concentrate on the essential characteristics of these relations and present them from an objective French point of view, as is natural for a French historian. The subject of French public opinion with regard to Germany has extremely interesting aspects which scholars, educated people from abroad and especially the average citizens of various countries of the world, find it difficult to understand. It is bseyond doubt that, in a country with a democratic constitution like France, public opinion exercises a considerable influence on the government. But conversely the government's influence on public opinion cannot be overlooked. It happens that in France the policy towards Germany since 1945 has been determined by a very small number of men: General de Gaulle, Georges Bidault, Robert Schuman, André François Poncet, René Pleven, Gilbert Grandval (the last to a lesser extent: he is concerned with the Saar problem).</jats:p

Histoire sociale et histoire des relations internationales

[eng] SUMMARY In present perspectives of historical studies we cannot talk about ocia history although .history of classes or of swial groups and history of the social movement especially of the woi-kc movement do exist But all history is s As Mr Renouvin showed in the preface of Ristori of nte rnationni Relations which he teaches we can no longer siitisfy ourselves by simply studying the relations of chancellories to one another We ought to look for the profound canses The latter belongs to rwo orders of phenomena eco nomic factors and movements of collective psychology To understand the rwo categories it is necessary to study the groups which have used pres sure on the Decision Maker: interest groups ideologic groups and groups thîir combine the two tendnncles The personal action of men who are at rh top of the ladder -- action that we should neither minimize nor eli minate takes place then In necessary social context The task is thus to discover all rs md to measure relative force

Préface

Mon éminent maître, prédécesseur et ami, Pierre Renouvin, qui fut élu à l’Académie des Sciences morales et politiques en 1946 – deux ans après M. Léon Noël – avait coutume de dire que, pour traiter certains sujets d’histoire contemporaine, il faut avoir une certaine expérience de l’action politique. L’historien professionnel dispose, en principe, de son temps pour étudier les sources, tandis que l’homme d’Etat ou le haut fonctionnaire s’y mêle journellement. Le premier utilise les archives, l..