First published in 1955 France: The Fourth Republic is the first book to provide an account of the working constitution of the Fourth French Republic. It summarises the innovations introduced by the 1946 constitution, comments on its working and on the revisions, describes how the French Parliament functions, the organisation of local government, and the new constitutional provisions governing the relations between France and her overseas territories. It also describes the outlook and organisation of the political parties and trade unions. It attempts to capture the institutional background to French politics, post war problems, fundamental characteristics of French political life, permanent attitudes of French politicians, and shifting moods of public opinion. This is an essential read for students and scholars of French politics, political history, European politics, and international relations.
Preface Part I: The Government of Post-war France 1. The Heritage of the Fourth Republic 2. The Constitutional Framework 3. The Parliamentary System 4. The Political Parties and the Trade Union Movements 5. The Administrative and Judicial Framework 6. Local Government 7. The French Union Part II: The Post-War Political Scene 8. Internal Problems 9. Foreign Problems 10. The Mind of Post-war France Appendix 1. Changes of Government Since the War Appendix 2. List of Abbreviations Appendix 3. Party Strengths in the Assembly, 1951-4 A Short Bibliography Index
Biography
Dorothy Pickles
