France in 1938

Benjamin F. Martin

Narrated by David Stifel

Available from Audible

Book published by Louisiana State University Press

At the beginning of 1938, containment of Nazi Germany by a coalition of eastern and western democracies without resorting to war was still a distinct possibility. By the end of 1938, however, Germany was much stronger, the western democracies stood alone, and war was all but certain. The primary cause for these developments, argues Benjamin F. Martin, was the foreign and domestic policies adopted by the French government and embraced by the French people. In a riveting account of the dark days leading up to France's defeat and occupation, Martin reveals a great and civilized nation committing a kind of suicide in 1938. Using movies, novels, newspapers, and sensational court cases, Martin weaves an absorbing tale of France's collective fear and melancholy during this troubled prewar period.

Benjamin F. Martin is the author of four previous books, France and the Aprs Guerre, 1918-1924: Illusions and Disillusionment; Crime and Criminal Justice under the Third Republic: The Shame of Marianne; The Hypocrisy of Justice in the Belle Epoque; and Count Albert de Mun: Paladin of the Third Republic.