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The generational key, Jean-Pierre Azéma. This introductory article to a special issue argues that the notion of " generation " provides an approach that is almost always fruitful — and a basic explanatory key — to contemporary history. In this new approach, inspired by Max Weber and Marc Bloch, micro-analysis and the impact of an event, the basic element of the generational effect, are favored.

Sociological approache to generations, Marc Devriese. The major conclusions of research in psychosociology, political sociology and historical sociology concerning generations distinguish three generations, based on age, cohort and period.

Intellectual generations, Michel Winock The notion of generation can be particularly fruitful for the history of intellectuals, provided not too much is asked of it : it allows both description and explanation, emphasizes the major collective moments and helps relate individual itineraries better with them. It can be used to propose a stratigraphy of the history of the French intelligentsia, from the generation of the Dreyfus affair to that of 1968, and including e.g. the generation of the depression or that of the Cold War. Seemingly chaotic behavior, itineraries and phenomena become thereby more intelligible.

Marianne and Vendredi : two different generations ?, Bernard Laguerre. Launched at a three-year interval, in 1932 and 1935, two left-wing weeklies, Marianne and Vendredi quickly appeared as competitors in the eyes of public opinion, the latter more radical and more committed to the Popular Front. Though the journalists came from the same political strain and though they shared the idea of taking a place along-side the big titles of the right, such as Candide and Gringoire, each weekly had a distinctive personality. Marianne and Vendredi reflected two different periods : the left of 1935 did not define itself as did that of 1932. Using the generational approach, one can ask if the renewal of the left manifested by Vendredi was not the symptom of another phenomenon : the emergence on the political scene of a new generation of intellectuals.

The " Enfants Terribles " of the " New Wave ", Constance Capdenat. The term " New Wave " was used by journalists to designate a movement of young directors who wanted to break with a certain tradition of the French cinema. They were in their thirties in 1960, having grown up in the post-World War II boom. They made claims to a special style, a way of writing and technique. Revolting against their fathers, these directors rejected academic training and asserted their desire for freedom. The " New Wave " represents French cinema's holiday period before the events of May 1968.

Couple and generation, a history of hate and love, Jessica Scale. The couple changes over a long timespan which presents more continuity than rupture between generations. This reality sets it apart in two ways from the idea of generation : 1) the concept of generation is supported by a fascination with the dialectic in which the social dynamic emerges from the inter-generational conflict 2) the idea of generation. But the generational approach can not be founded on the principle of crystallization at a certain age, of behavior and orientations which in fact are not fixed for ever. Nevertheless, while everything in the couple is opposed to the generational conflict, the heuristic power of the notion of generation is not reduced.

Three marriage ages in a single century, Martine Sauzay. During the 20th century there may have been three patterns ; establishment-marriage, in which emotions can enter in conflict with the institution ; merger-marriage after 1945, which is very demanding of the couple ; post-1968 association-marriage, which unites more autonomous individuals. Feminist demands seem to have played a major role in this history of the couple.

Generations and political history, Jean-Francois Sirinelli. The interest which political history has shown in the notion of generation is recent. Because history has renewed itself by exploring new areas which include cultures, ideas and mentalities, generations have become both topics and analytical tools. The concept can no longer be assimilated simply to age classes or age effects or even of youth ABSTRACTS Couple and génération, a history of hâte and love, Jessica Scale The couple changes over a long time-span which présents more continuity than rupture between générations. This reality sets it apart in two ways from the idea of génération : 1) the concept of génération is supported by a fascination with the dialectic in which the social dynamic émerges from the inter-generational conflict 2) the idea of génération. But the generational approach can not be founded on the principle of crystallization at a certain âge, of behavior and orientations which in fact are not fixed for ever. Nevertheless, while everything in the couple is opposed to the generational conflict, the heuristic power of the notion of génération is not reduced. Three marriage âges in a single century, Martine Sau^ay During the 20th century there may hâve been three patterns ; establishment-marriage, in which émotions can enter in conflict with the institution ; merger-marriage after 1945, which is very demanding of the couple ; post-1968 association-marriage, which unités more autonomous individuals. Feminist de-mands seem to hâve played a major rôle in this history of the couple. Générations and political history, Jean-François Sirinelli The interest which political history has shown in the notion of génération is récent. Because history has renewed itself by ex-ploring new areas which include cultures, ideas and mentalities, générations hâve be-come both topics and analytical tools. The concept can no longer be assimilated simply to âge classes or âge effects or even of youth or cohort. Because they produce cleavages, within the various structures of politics, because they are exacerbated at times of crisis, and because they call into play phe-nomena of social memory, generational me-chanisms hâve become indispensable in the analysis of politics. Communist générations, Philippe Buton The concept of génération, understood as cohort of affiliations, with singularities marked by références to différent founding events and social profiles, whose specificity is experienced as such, does help understand the development of the French Communist Party. " Génération of the war ", " party of métal workers ", " party of those executed " during the war, party of " Maurice Thorez ", then of the Union of the Left, successive strata illustrate the changes of the Party within the Bolchevik mold, which remained unchanged since the graft of the 1920s. Socialist générations ? Alain Bergounioux From the SFIO of the Congress of Tours and the Popular Front to the Socialist Party of the Epinay Congress and the 1980s, can the history of French socialists be analysed in terms of générations ? The hypothesis is often tempting, considering, for example movements such as the neo-socialism of the 1930s or the minorities revolting against the SFIO of Guy Mollet during the Algerian war and in the 1960s. A more elaborate analysis reveals however, if not the inap-propriateness, at least the limits of such an approach. The development of party socia-lism seems to hâve resulted more from strictly political parameters than from possible generational cleavages. 182

Communist generations, Philippe Buton The concept of generation, understood as cohort of affiliations, with singularities marked by references to different founding events and social profiles, whose specificity is experienced as such, does help understand the development of the French Communist Party. " Generation of the war ", " party of metal workers ", " party of those executed " during the war, party of " Maurice Thorez ", then of the Union of the Left, successive strata illustrate the changes of the Party within the Bolchevik mold, which remained unchanged since the graft of the 1920s.

Socialist generations ? Alain Bergounioux From the SFIO of the Congress of Tours and the Popular Front to the Socialist Party of the Epinay Congress and the 1980s, can the history of French socialists be analysed in terms of generations ? The hypothesis is often tempting, considering, for example movements such as the neo-socialism of the 1930s or the minorities revolting against the SFIO of Guy Mollet during the Algerian war and in the 1960s. A more elaborate analysis reveals however, if not the inappropriateness, at least the limits of such an approach. The development of party socialism seems to have resulted more from strictly political parameters than from possible generational cleavages.

Lost soldiers of orphan wars, Laurent Beccaria. Shocked by the defeat of 1940, lieutenants in the Indochina war, captains in the Algerian war, some officers of paratroop regiments or the Foreign legion lived as far as the putsch or the wreck a particular generation-effect. Their fate is ignored in French collective memory but the myths which they embodied still sometimes seem to continue seducing new generations of young officers.

Generation of the Resistance movement, Olivier Wieviorka. Despite the Resistance members' heterogeneity, their mixture of age classes and social origins, one can speak of a generation of the Resistance. If we refer to Defense de la France, one of the major movements of the occupied zone, the founding event can definitely be identified as the defeat of 1940, and the ruptures common to all its members are the social break due to clandestinity, the political break asserted as a wish for independence, the moral break derived from the sharp consciousness of having been a minority. All these identifying and durable signs form the references of that generation.

The Jewish resistance in France. From the stake of memory to critical history, Claude Levy. The Jewish Resistance was long a poorly-known phenomenon. For about 10 years, however, there has been a historiographic renewal, in which ideological considerations, memory and the concern for critical analysis collide. Three major questions channel the debates : did these resistants volunteer because they were Jewish or were they undistinguishable from other resistants, particularly within the Communist resistance ? What were the limits of that resistance ? Must one include the saving of the victims meant for deportation ? Lastly, were there forms of resistance with specifically Jewish aims, such as attempting to check extermination ?

Free comments on Hirohito's Japan, Ienaga Saburô. In this exclusive interview, a historian, who led a long battle against the State concerning the historical accuracy of Japanese textbooks, comments very freely on Hirohito's role during the last World War and conveys his feelings on the Japan of yesterday and of today.