Supervisors info:
Μαρία Παπαθανασίου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Νεώτερης Ευρωπαϊκής Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Γαγανάκης Κωνσταντίνος, Αναπλ. Καθηγητής Νεότερης Ευρωπαϊκής Ιστορίας (16ος-18ος αι.), Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Καραμανωλάκης Ευάγγελος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής Νεότερης Ελληνικής Ιστορίας (από την Ελληνική Επανάσταση έως σήμερα), Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Summary:
This thesis explores the perception of the October Revolution of 1917 in the Tsarist Empire and that of the Soviet Union (henceforth S.U.) by the French history journal Annales d'histoire économique et sociale (henceforth Annales). On one hand, the universally acknowledged importance of the October Revolution and that of the S.U. in the shaping of modern and contemporary history and, on the other hand, the decisive influence of Annales on French historiography and its important -at the very the least- influence on global historiography, suggest an exploratory correlation of these two terms.
All types of texts related to the last period of the Tsarist Empire, the October Revolution and the S.U that had been published in the Annales from the start of its publication, in 1929, until the beginning of World War II have been indexed (essay articles, critical notes, short commentary articles, book presentations and book reviews).
Our research belongs to the field of the history of historiography and, in a wider sense, in that of the history of ideas. It attempts to give prominence to the multilevel relation of the aforementioned texts with the historical juncture of the so-called “European Civil War” (Enzo Traverso), namely of the sub-period of Interwar. More specifically, the decisive aspects of the sub-period have also been taken into account, that is the generalization of the capitalist crisis after the Crash of 1929, the expansion of dictatorial and fascist forms of government, the worldwide empowerment of the communist ideology and of the prestige of the S.U., and the political and economic developments within the latter. The political and social situation in France, where the journal is based, has also been taken into account. Finally, the social and political class of the intellectual is employed as an analysis aspect.
Before the presentation, the historical contextualization and critical analysis of the examined texts, comes the review of the development of French historiography until the appearance of Annales, so that the new methodological approaches it brings and their depiction upon the examined texts are accentuated.
The conclusions are codified as follows: At first, the decisive contribution of G. Méquet is ascertained, as he is the writer of the vast majority of the examined articles. Being a researcher of the International Bureau of Labor of I.L.O., his participation is the fruit of the policy of the Annales for co-operation with “men of action”. Secondly, the examined texts confirm and belong to the wider methodological orientation of Annales. Thirdly, a favorably disposed presentation of the S.U. is ascertained and an almost total absence of its negative aspects, thus integrating Annales within the “Front of Refusal” (Marc Ferro). Fourthly, an objective concurrence of the analysis of Annales with the S.U. propaganda is observed, a convergence that is detected amongst others in the favorable portrayal of the new role model social figure (the Stakhanovite worker, farmer member of the Kolkhoz), in the accentuation of the leading role of the CPSU and its leaders, the accentuation of the Five-Year Plan of the S.U. as an innovative contribution to economic thought and practice and, finally, the slightly disdainful presentation of the intraparty enemies of the soviet leadership. Fifthly, the recognition of the S.U. as the continuance of the Tsarist Empire and the Russian state, with a frequent reproduction of stereotypical west-European beliefs concerning the Russian state and nation is ascertained. Sixthly, the consideration of the S.U. as a component of Europe and, mainly, of European culture is ascertained. Finally, despite of the favorable depiction of the S.U. and the obvious influence of Marxist ideas, the absence of an analysis, support and communist-type affiliation in the examined texts and, in general, in the Annales is proved. Its organic relation to the popular-front intellectual climate in France and the political coordinates it established (defense of bourgeois parliamentary democracy and of the regulated capitalist economy).
