The Embrace of Unreason

Reconsiders the events and the political, social, and religious movements that led to France's embrace of Fascism and anti-Semitism, exploring the tumultuous forces unleashed by the Dreyfus Affair, and examining how the clashing ideologies and the blood-soaked political scandals and artistic movements following the horror of World War I resulted in the country's era of militant authoritarianism; and how rioting, violent racism, and nationalistic fervor overtook France's sense of reason, sealed its fate, and led to the rise of the Vichy government.