Abstract
Pierre Renouvin left a lasting mark on the study of French diplomatic history during the twentieth century. His influence was felt, not only through his books and articles, but also through his lectures at the Sorbonne during the Fourth and Fifth Republics. Many generations of students sat in crowded amphitheatres and heard him explain how France was fortunate in its natural frontiers, as it was protected by mountains and seas. Only to the east were the plains open. France was also fortunate in its immediate neighbours, who were either small states (such as Switzerland, Belgium and Luxemborg), medium-sized powers which never considered attacking France (Italy and Spain), or Great Britain which was barred from the continent by the sea and which had never possessed a powerful army. Only Germany remained. The only potential enemy.The enemy which had invaded France three times in 70 years.
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Johnson, D. (2002). France’s German Question, 1918–1945–1989. In: Levy, C., Roseman, M. (eds) Three Postwar Eras in Comparison. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230294134_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230294134_11
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