
From Revolutionaries to Citizens: Antimilitarism in France, 1870–1914
Paul B. Miller
Although more general accounts of the Left’s “failure” to halt international war in August 1914 focus on its lack of unity or the decline of trade unionism, Miller contends that these explanations barely scratch the surface when it comes to interpreting the Left’s overwhelming acceptance of the war. By embedding his cultural analysis of antimilitarist propaganda into the larger political and diplomatic history of prewar Europe, he reveals the Left’s seemingly sudden transformation “from revolutionaries to citizens” as less a failure of resolve than a confession of commonality with the broader ideals of republican France. Examining sources ranging from police files and court records to German and British foreign office memos, Miller emphasizes the success of antimilitarism as a rallying cry against social and political inequities on behalf of ordinary citizens. Despite their keen awareness of the bloodletting that awaited Europe, he claims, antimilitarists ultimately accepted the war with Germany for the same reason they had pursued their own struggle within France: to address injustices and defend the rights of citizens in a democratic society.
Product Details
About Paul B. Miller
Reviews for From Revolutionaries to Citizens: Antimilitarism in France, 1870–1914
Lawrence H. Davis
Labour/Le Travail
"Miller makes a solid scholarly contribution to our understanding of French anti-militarist culture in general and the nuances between various tendencies in French socialism, anarchism, and revolutionary syndicalism. . . . [D]elightful."
Keith Mann I
nternational Labor and Working-Class History
"Paul B. Miller has made a very important contribution to our understanding of the antimilitarism and antiwar activism of the labor movement in France. . . . Its key contributions are a careful examination of the relationship between antimilitarist and antipatriotic movements, a meticulous account of how these groups delivered their appeals, and most important, an exacting evaluation of the actual strengths and weaknesses of antimilitarists. . . . Miller’s conclusion will inspire much debate, but even those who disagree will find that his work greatly advances their own."
Michael Forman
History: Reviews of New Books
"Paul Miller has produced a fine book on antimilitarism in France from 1870-1914. . . . Miller has done an enviable job of ferreting out archival material. . . . Miller is to be commended."
Norman Ingram
H-France, H-Net Reviews
"This is an interesting and solidly researched study that contributes to an important ongoing debate within European labor history."
Michael Hanagan
American Historical Review