Discussion: Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France, 1870-1914

Author: Eugen Weber

Description: Eugen Weber's Peasants into Frenchmen explores the transformation of rural France from a largely peasant society to a modern, integrated nation-state. Through a detailed historical analysis, Weber examines how the French government, through education, infrastructure, and military conscription, sought to homogenize the diverse cultural identities within the rural population. The book argues that this process of modernization led to a sense of national unity and identity, though it was also marked by resistance, especially from the deeply rooted traditions and regionalism of rural communities.

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