In this book, archaeologist and prehistorian Jean-Paul Demoule explores
the relevance of national identity and roots. He follows awell-documented path in search of the markers of French nationality from
prehistoric times to the present day. Across a dozen chapters, arranged
chronologically, he nuances or denounces false national ties to the
past. His refutations are reasoned, "opposing fantasies with the strict
reality of historical facts."
A nationality is a territory, and that of France has constantly been
modified, with some opting for an octagon, others for a pentagon, before
the hexagonal shape was accepted with the republican school system of
the late 19th century.
A nationality is also a people, where we should be talking about the
continuous mixing of different populations and cultures. A nation also
includes women, who were excluded from citizenship. These women, in the
1920s, were deprived of their nationality simply by marrying a
foreigner. Nationality, they argued, was defined by a language-not a
Germanic language derived from Frankish, but a Romance language, a
product of Roman colonization. A French language, which, in the mid-19th
century, nine-tenths of the French population spoke little or not at
all, using regional languages. "It is precisely through the suppression
of regional languages that French imposed its dominance."
While De Gaulle, in 1959, offered a synthesis of the concept of the
French nation in the formula "a European people of the white race, of
Greek and Latin culture, and of the Christian religion," a formula that
has been repeated many times, the author unravels the threads that
connect the Christian religion to Roman, Gallic, Jewish, and even pagan
beliefs. Until the 8th century, pagan customs persisted... not to
mention the Cult of the Supreme Being during the French Revolution.
Today, only a third of French people who identify as believers belong to
the Catholic faith. As for the national call to be white, besides its
contradiction with the French Constitution, the concept itself is absurd.
Then there is the symbolism: the flag, which has had many ups and downs,
including the return to the white flag; the Marseillaise, tolerated
during the July Monarchy and then banned under Napoleon III; Marianne,
which itself suffered many setbacks under Napoleon III. And then there
is the Trinitarian motto, which had many misfortunes and was even
suppressed by the other Pétainist trio.
Culture? A sense of belonging? Enemies? These are all avenues of
identity that Jean-Paul Demoule intelligently refutes. An informative
and well-structured journey, written in clear and accessible language,
to understand and appreciate a country of mixed heritage, a country
defined by diversity. The aim here is not "to invent and glorify myths,
but to provide the tools for a clear-eyed understanding of the
past[...]to build a society with full awareness and to rediscover empathy."
Dominique Sureau (UCL Angers)
Jean-Paul Demoule, *Eternal France: An Archaeological Investigation*, La
Fabrique, 2025, 280 pages, EUR17.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Lire-Jean-Paul-Demoule-La-France-eternelle-une-enquete-archeologique
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