The quarrels of history

In 1876, prefacing work of Charles Barthélemy (1825-1888), errors and historical lies, of which one third is devoted to refute allegations of "Protestant party" on alleged misfortunes having followed revocation of Edict of Nantes in 1685, Pope Pius IX (1792-1878) gives its apostolic blessing to author, beginning with se words: "For a long time plague of falsehood has invaded not only newspapers but also history itself." The quarrels around story do not date from yesterday, and periodically y are reborn.

Already, in 1979, Alain Decaux (1925-2016), historian "storyteller" who made viewers of small screen love history of black and white, was indignant: "We no longer learn history of France." Today, burden is higher: multiculturalism would have won school, one would teach to be "citizens of world" rar than "Citizens loving France". And public debate ignites. Robespierre is he a bloodthirsty madman or " founder of our liberties"? Is Joan of Arc a Catholic and royalist icon, Republican or, in a more original way, a muse of all revolts? Did colonization have "a positive role" or was it, in case of Algeria, "a crime against humanity"? And no matter if historiography has evolved, a story frozen in Manual of Ernest Lee (1842-1922) should be base of knowledge of our students. If not, France and its history will disappear into a large global cauldron whose teaching will be released that professes hatred of France to children. And as French are a quarrelling people, se debates nourish articles, books and television shows before being decided in some cases in form of legislation.

Conciliatory attempts by Emmanuel Macron

Faced with this bad wind, world history of France, work directed by Patrick Bouchern (Threshold, 800 p., 29 euros), was answer of a young generation of historians. The goal was achieved with public success of this global history to French despite a deluge of insults coming from supporters of history of "identity". As for conciliatory attempts of new President of Republic, Emmanuel Macron, a history buff, to bring two sides toger, y are judged as "démiurgiques" by historian Jean-Noël Jeanneney whom we questioned.

We have prepared this new off-series echoing 20th edition of meetings of history of Blois, exploring se "quarrels of history", in France, but also in world around advances of global history and in Europe, where is built Difficult to "a common history" around places of memory to make room for resurgence of nationalisms. But also in field of science where Cédric Villani, a mamatician, observes "disenchantments throughout Europe around progress" while Claudine Charfi, a physicist and professor at University of Tunis, denounces "a veiled science" in Muslim world where young people only believe in "scientific miracles of Koran". To believe that we have entered, as Etienne-Heim, historian and director of studies at School of Higher Studies in social sciences, explains, "in a time of scepticism about history and science".

"The quarrels of history;" France, World, Sciences, "World", 100 P., 8.50 euros, kiosk and on boutique.lemonde.fr