FR256 The Right in France from the Dreyfus Affair to the Present
| Module Code: FR256 |
|---|
| Module Name: The Right in France from the Dreyfus Affair to the Present |
| Module Coordinator: Dr Jessica Wardhaugh |
| Term 1 |
| Module Credits: 15 |
N.B. Students taking this module should have French at A-Level (or equivalent) standard
Module Description
France is a country of revolution, deeply associated with left-wing political ideals and activism. Yet the right is often in power, and the extreme right exceptionally strong. In the most recent legislative elections the Rassemblement National and its allies received a third of the vote in the first round; in November 2025 French pollster Odoxa predicted that RN leader Jordan Bardella would win the 2027 Presidential election. How is this possible?
This module takes a fascinating journey through the development of the ideas, culture, and popular politics of the French right, tracing its importance from the late nineteenth century to the present day. With opportunities to explore a rich variety of written, visual, and audio-visual material, the module enhances historical awareness and develops key skills for the critical analysis of contemporary politics.
- How does the French right imagine society and politics, nation and Empire? How does this change?
- What role has the right played in moments of crisis and controversy, such the Dreyfus Affair, the Great Depression, Vichy France, the Algerian War of Independence, May 1968, and the gilets jaunes protests?
- How does the right target specific categories of supporters, such as workers, women, and young people?
- In what ways have charismatic leaders such as Pierre Poujade, Charles de Gaulle, Jean-Marie and Marine Le Pen used the media to seek power, legitimacy, and support?
- Why has the extreme right remained so vigorous? How can we explain the influence of figures such as Marine Le Pen or Jordan Bardella?
One week of the module normally includes a visit to the Modern Records Centre for hands-on experience with their archival collections on the 1930s, the Resistance, and May 1968. You can find out more by viewing our short film, made with previous students on this module.
Advice and support are always available from the module tutor on how to include original research in your formative and summative work, whether you would like to work in the Modern Records Centre or to explore digital resources on Gallica and the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel.
Students taking the module in 2025–26 said:
- 'It has been really interesting to look at French politics over time and to track it from the 1880s to the present day'
- 'Really interesting and engaging lectures, as well as a broad range of primary source material'
- 'The worksheets are always well organised and easy to follow, the slides being available long in advance really helps with planning/learning before the lecture itself'
- 'The interactive seminars were very helpful for my personal development'
- 'The sources used in class were really helpful in understanding the topics'
- 'The module sourcebook has been really useful, I've liked having the extra sources in there to do further reading and understand the topic more broadly'
- 'The amount of resources available have been very useful, we were given lots of primary and secondary sources to study, as well as lots of useful questions alongside them that helped focus analysis of the sources'
- 'Very good feedback and advice from lecturer'
- 'Submitting a plan for my summative work was incredibly helpful, I'm so glad that this is a possibility and the feedback I received was very constructive'
Preparatory/vacation reading:
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We develop our analytical skills by exploring a wide variety of primary material, including posters, speeches, songs, broadcasts and archival sources. Click on the following links to sample some of this material and think about what you would like to explore further:
- In preparation for the course, it would be helpful to purchase at least one general textbook or overview of the history of the right that you can use for reference, e.g. Chris Millington, A History of Fascism in France, from the First World War to the National Front (2020), or J.G.Shields, The Extreme Right in France from Pétain to Le Pen (2007). You will find full details on recommended reading via the Module Reading List on Talis aspire.
Assessment Method (2026–27):
One 2250-2500-word essay (70%) + one 1250-1500-word close analysis (30%). You are welcome to write on your own choice of question or source, provided that you agree your choice with the module tutor.
Seminars include group work on strategies for writing essays and close analyses. Students are always welcome to consult the module tutor for advice, especially if they are less familiar with working on political and historical material. Sample essays and analyses from previous years are also available for consultation on the Moodle page.
