This half day conference, organised by Dr Manus McGrogan at the University of Portsmouth on 12 May 2011, uncovered the trajectories of some of the movements that emerged in early 1970s France, helping to define the radical left politics of the era. This was the aftermath of May ‘68’s mass upheaval, when France, in the grip of student riots and a general strike, had seemed on the verge of revolution. May’s utopian dimension, embodied in slogans such as ‘sous les pavés la plage’ and ‘prenez vos désirs pour la réalité’, held the promise of a world transformed in which each could pursue their own desires, a powerful spur to thousands of young activists, students and workers. The mass revolt of May had also shown that collective action could change the world. These impulses, shaped subsequently by political, socio-cultural and international events, combined to generate new, youth-inflected gender/sexual liberation movements, independent immigrant organisation, ecology groups, underground press, and other movements that were linked to, or autonomous of left political organisation. However, activists also had to contend with a Gaullist State that tentatively introduced reforms, whilst clamping down on the hard left ‘troublions’ still agitating for popular revolt. Intervention in the workers movement also proved problematic given the PCF/CGT dominance in the major workplaces. President Georges Pompidou, on a path of modernising France, perpetuated the social conservatism of his predecessor de Gaulle; faced with these barriers, activists of the Mouvement de Mai sought to merge political radicalism with the cultural underground to fashion an alternative France, as a May-inspired slogan intoned, changer la vie. But what happened to this surge of hope for change? Five academics presented papers on important aspects of this early 1970s radicalism, with the participation of students and lecturers from similar disciplines. They considered the origins and development of the new movements, their significance within Pompidou’s France; the interrelationship of movements, and finally their resonance, or relevance in the France of today. The conference was also part of the undergraduate programme in French History and was generously supported by the LLAS subject centre. The exam was based on the themes developed during the conference. A half day conference, organised at the University of Portsmouth on 12 May 2011, uncovered the trajectories of some of the movements that emerged in early 1970s France, helping to define the radical left politics of the era. This was the aftermath of May ‘68’s mass upheaval, when France, in the grip of student riots and a general strike, had seemed on the verge of revolution. May’s utopian dimension, embodied in slogans such as ‘sous les pavés la plage’ and ‘prenez vos désirs pour la réalité’, held the promise of a world transformed in which each could pursue their own desires, a powerful spur to thousands of young activists, students and workers. The mass revolt of May had also shown that collective action could change the world. These impulses, shaped subsequently by political, socio-cultural and international events, combined to generate new, youth-inflected gender/sexual liberation movements, independent immigrant organisation, ecology groups, underground press, and other movements that were linked to, or autonomous of left political organisation. However, activists also had to contend with a Gaullist State that tentatively introduced reforms, whilst clamping down on the hard left ‘troublions’ still agitating for popular revolt. Intervention in the workers movement also proved problematic given the PCF/CGT dominance in the major workplaces. President Georges Pompidou, on a path of modernising France, perpetuated the social conservatism of his predecessor de Gaulle; faced with these barriers, activists of the Mouvement de Mai sought to merge political radicalism with the cultural underground to fashion an alternative France, as a May-inspired slogan intoned, changer la vie. But what happened to this surge of hope for change? Five academics presented papers on important aspects of this early 1970s radicalism, with the participation of students and lecturers from similar disciplines. They considered the origins and development of the new movements, their significance within Pompidou’s France; the interrelationship of movements, and finally their resonance, or relevance in the France of today. The conference was also part of the undergraduate programme in French History and was generously supported by the LLAS subject centre. The exam was based on the themes developed during the conference.

The centenary of the French presence in Algeria 1930 was commemorated in France through a variety of events and the production of posters glorifying France civilising mission in Algeria, notably the modernisation of the agricultural sector. On the other hand, the French Communist Party (PCF) and its affiliated union (CGTU) following the III International’ s anti-colonialism, insisted on colonial and capitalist exploitation of Algeria. The two posters included here allow to visualise such contrasting arguments

This PowerPoint presentation, aimed at undergraduate students, provides guidelines on how to make a good oral presentation. It includes guidance on group presentation, how to open a debate and conclude an oral presentation. It also suggests some technics to engage passive listeners.

Visual sources and primary documents illustrating opposition to president Sarkozy's pension reforms, More broadly, these resources illustrate some aspects of the 'French social model' and help understanding the debates about its future in a global/ neo-liberal context.

Eugène Delacroix’ painting ‘Le 28 juillet 1830: la liberté guidant le peuple’ (1831) was not welcomed by the critics in 1831, but has become since an icone of French republican identity. This resource provides links to two websites which contextualise and critically analyse the ambiguous and contested message of Delacroix’ s painting. Since then, the central character of the painting has been used, reused and transformed a countless number of time. At the start of the XXI century , its remains an ubiquitous icone, but its meaning may have changed. Undergraduate students may want to compare Delacroix’ painting with the poster produced by the French Communist Party in September 2009 for its annual conference/ celebration (La Fête de l’Humanité). The comparison may also include the flyer produced by Solidaires (a cartel of unions on the left of the left) for the 26 January 2009 demonstration against the reforms initiated by President Sarkozy. Students may want to discuss whether and how different re-workings of ‘Marianne’ have altered its meaning. Earlier representations are also included. A short indicative bibliography is included, stressing the significance of Maurice Agulhon's work on the subject. In his early work, Agulhon shows that there are two female symbols: 'Marianne', the earthy, loose-haired, threatening radical, with her Phrygian hat, sculpted by Francois Rude (1784-1855)on the Arc de Triomphe and a more stately, serene Goddess of Liberty with her start-girt crown, representing the Republique conservatrice. Finally further historical contextualisation, archival resources and interviews with experts can be accessed through the website 'France 1815 to 2003'.

This collection contains original documents, academic texts and bibliographical references related to France and in its former Sub-Sahara African colonies.